Classical Oil Paintings and the French Revolution

 Regarding the French Revolution, I’ve chosen pieces from Jacques-Louis David, Jeanne-Louise Vallain (a pupil of Mr. David), and Élisabeth Vigée le Brun. Each piece relates to the French Revolution that occurred between 1789 and 1815. During this time there were many paintings that engulfed the neoclassical style that left behind the typical Baroque content. With it came a new revitalization the more simplistic colors and details as well as less colors and dramatization in the art. 

The first piece is by Jacques-Louis David and is called The Intervention of the Sabine Women. It is an oil painting on canvas that was finished in 1799 after David spent 5 years to complete it while in prison in Paris, France. It’s 385 cm by 522 cm and is a fairly large piece of art.

This piece was inspired by David after his estranged wife, Marguerte Charlotte Pécoul visited him in prison, which was due to his involvement of the execution of many French citizens. It was inspired by the popular theme at the time where the men of Rome had kidnapped wives from surrounding areas. It shows how during a heated battle between Sabine men and the Romans the wife of a Roman General threw herself amidst the chaos in order to stop the fighting. This art piece was David’s own effort in relating it to the French Revolution conflict and sparked Napoleon’s interest in the artist in creating more works of art to use as propaganda.

The piece has a very interesting use of colors, especially with how the Sabine woman and white horse to the left of the background seem to be the major contrasting light color in comparison to the very brown or gold environment. David also seems to use darker hues for the edges of the painting, creating an interesting focal point in the middle of the scene. The art style is certainly less grandeur than the Baroque period, but it still shows drama in the emotions that come from the painting. It’s certainly one that brings up almost a defeated feeling because you can see how the two forces seem to be endlessly fighting, but the determination on the Sabine woman’s face also shows that she has hope. With how large this piece is, it would be difficult to place it in a typical home, but would certainly be dramatic and beautiful in a museum.

The second piece of art is by Jeanne-Louise Vallain also known as Nanine Vallain. Nanine was a protégé of David and took lessons in painting and drawing from him and Joseph-Benoit Suvee. This piece is 97 cm by 128 cm and is oils on canvas. It was painted in 1794 during the French Revolution and was done to inspire the thought of Liberty. Here the woman depicts the personification of freedom and shows different symbols throughout the scene. You can see the staff that she holds with the Phrygian cap of Liberty hanging from it. In the background you see a roman pyramid representing civic duty. This scene was likely used to instill emotions during the French Revolution in order to fight for their freedoms.

The painting is a bit on the large side, but would be fitting in a home whether it be in a hallway or study. I find the subject matter to be appealing since it promotes emotions to motivate one to stand up for what is right or to remember the basic rights of each citizen. The colors of the painting are quite interesting to where the blue top of the woman really draws your eyes to her, and the red cap allows you to remember to look at her surrounding area. It is a bit darker in certain areas like the tree next to her and the side of the pyramid that seems to lack very much detail. It’s simplicity makes it easy to tell of what era it may be from. Although, it lacks a lot of detail it still has a refined look with how meticulous the lines are done to show details like in the woman’s top or even the wrinkles of her clothes. The light color used to show the sun rising helps a lot with this subject since it shows that there is a new day rising for the Revolution to carry on.

This last painting is called Marie Antoinette with the Rose and was painted in 1783 by Élisabeth Louise Vigée le Brun. It is an oil painting on canvas and is 88.9 cm by 116.8 cm. This painting was done prior to the start of the French Revolution, but the subject of the painting was famous during the uprising. Marie Antoinette was the queen of France until she was executed by guillotine. She wasn’t very popular during the time due to her lack of political awareness and rumors of her excessive spending and lavish lifestyle, and because she was unable to make a decision regarding the revolution she turned into one of the more disliked figures during that time.

There are many paintings that are of the same pose of the Queen with her favorite rose, but this one is one of my favorites. The grey dress that she wears is perfect for contrasting her against the background of green and blue, as well as the shadows of the tree and flower bush. Even with the muted hues of the grey, it seems to make her pop out more especially with her light skin and the dainty flower that sticks out against the gray clouds. It’s a beautiful piece that I would love to have in my home, although the history of it is quite sad since it seems she was not well educated or suited to deal with the more modern views of the revolution.

Citations

Met Museum . (n.d.). Marie Antoinette with a Rose. Met Museum. Retrieved October 26, 2022, from https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/656931.

Obelisk Art History. (n.d.). The intervention of the sabine women. Obelisk Art History. Retrieved October 26, 2022, from https://arthistoryproject.com/artists/jacques-louis-david/the-intervention-of-the-sabine-women/.

Leubke, D. M. (n.d.). Symbolizing the Revolution: Marianne and Hercules. Modern Europe 1648-1799. Retrieved October 26, 2022, from https://pages.uoregon.edu/dluebke/301ModernEurope/301Week09%20Marianne%20&%20Hercules.htm.