Showing posts with label Rococo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rococo. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Nicolas de Largillière (October 10, 1656 – March 20, 1746)

                                                                                                             
Portrait of Jean-Baptiste Rousseau
1710

There is a perception that the Rococo period was an overly-extravagant era of Art, but that doesn't quite stand up to certain examples, such as de Largillière. In many of his pieces, though not all, there is an evident restraint that, while maintaining a Rococo-ish style, created a much less idealized and sharper overall work than would commonly be supposed a Rococo piece.  There is often an attack on the Rococo art, much like a large swathe of Academic art, is often attacked as inferior. But I can't understand the arguments against these works, unless one is to say that skill and novelty aren't important if there is some detection of perceived sentimentality. Then again, this is starting to seem like a personal gripe. 

Family Portrait
c. 1710

Philip of Orleans, Regent of France
1715 

A Young Man with His Tutor
1685

Portrait of Elisabeth-Marguerite, the Artist's Daughter

The Countess of Montsoreau and Her Sister as Diana and an Attendant
1714

Portrait of a Man in a Purple Robe
c. 1700

La Belle Strasbourgeoise
1703

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Francisco de Goya (30 March 1746 – 16 April 1828)

                                                                                                    
El Tio Paquete
1819-1820

Goya is an absolutely strange artist, presaging a great many later periods (a sort of early visionary in line with El Greco). In his works there is often a great weight, with the observer given little opportunity to rest her eyes and mind as she peruses a piece. And, for some people, Goya's works are too somber in all aspects to elicit devotion, but for me the works are perfectly relentless. Even his early works, such as The Adoration of the Name of the Lord, which are at times considered Rococo (though for the piece below that's quite a stretch), his unnerving symbolism is present, is wonderful. 

The Adoration of the Name of the Lord
1772

Colossus
c. 1810-1827

The Devil's Lamp
1797-1798

Saturn Devouring His Sons
c. 1819-1823

The Repentant St. Peter
c. 1820-1824

Self-Portrait
1815

Thursday, March 17, 2011

François Boucher (September 29, 1703 – May 30, 1770)

                                                                                                  
The Rape of Europa
1732-1734

Boucher was one of the leading artists in the Rococo movement. He was strongly, and I think at points very obviously, influenced by Rubens, yet always retained his own, extremely romantic Rococo character. One thing I can say about his art is that it was extremely reflective, in all situations, of a great calm. And Boucher never did strive towards any sort of realism, even saying of nature that it is "too green and badly lit;" is it?

Landscape Near Beauvais
1740

Allegory of Painting
1765

The Rest on the Flight into Egypt
1737

Mercury Confiding the Infant Bacchus to the Nymphs
1732-1734

Monday, February 28, 2011

Jean-Honoré Fragonard (1785 (April 5, 1732 – August 22, 1806)

                                                                                          
The Swing
1767

Fragonard was one of the finest Rococo painters, who fell into near-complete obscurity in his later life, and it took many long years to pass, well after the artist's death, before his greatness was recognized again. I find that to be such an unfortunate circumstance that seems to affect so many artists, whom we now are completely enamored with. And Fragonard was such a wonderful Rococo artist in every aspect of painting, how could he be forgotten? 

The White Bull

The Bathers
1772-1775

The Little Park
1764-1765

The Fountain of Love
1785

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (March 5, 1696 – March 27, 1770)

                                                                                    
Madonna of the Goldfinch
c. 1760

Tiépolo was one of the most important Rococo painters, but somehow he's not very well remembered today. It's odd, but I've noticed that great, but not stylistically distinguished, painters, whom few could say a bad word about, often slip beyond our memories. It's especially unfortunate with Giovanni, who had such a beautiful way of capturing the emotions of his characters.

The Immaculate Conception
1767-1769 

St. James the Greater Conquering the Moors
1749-1750

St. Francis of Assisi Receiving the Stigmata
1767-1769