Napoleon Crossing the Alps (1799)
Napoleon Crossing the Alps (1799)
The Horse is Overkill
Hey, if Hannibal rode an elephant over the Alps, then why can't Napoleon? Because Hannibal is way cooler, and because horses do not have a good time climbing mountains. More than likely, Napoleon rode a donkey over the mountains. But you know what's not very impressive? Donkeys. So JL decided to opt that out for the gallant steed you see before you.
Graffiti isn't Cool, Kids
Oh look Napoleon carved his name into a rock, well guess what, it's not just cause the French were avid geologists. If you look closely you'll see the names of some other notable, successful men of history who also crossed the Alps on military campaigns. Hannibal, with his elephants and Karol's Magnus, aka Charlemagne.
Napoleon you Beautiful Beast
Look at that ungloved hand pointing upwards, and onwards. He's not even cold. Look at that billowing cloak, that dead-set jaw, those magnificent sideburns. If you don't feel like you're in the presence of a man of great power, I don't know what to tell you. And that was the goal. It's basically a very elaborate propaganda poster, but it's pretty effective. Do people actually cross mountains dressed like that? I think not.
Rocky Mountain Way
Usually, the figures of a painting are placed in accordance with the backdrop. This is especially true with the movement which came before neoclassicism, Rococo, in which nature was all powerful. JL punts this idea far into the mountains. Napoleon is the master of the elements, the climber of the Alps, nature bends for him. And that's pretty obvious; the clouds behind him, the wind pushes him forward, and the mountains only really serve as a dramatic backdrop for his majesty.
So we got another French guy here (but you could have guessed that given the "Jacque" part ), and he's honestly pretty interesting as he was the poster child for a new movement called Neoclassicism. So if you know your French history, you'll know that the time our friend here was alive, 1748-1825, was a bit turbulent. JL was 41 during the French Revolution, and at the height of his career at that. He was even buddies with Robespierre, and supported the so-called radicals. So, it only makes sense that his art follows the culture of the revolution, which it does. It's all about realism, revival of classical themes, and a go-out-and-get-it-done mentality, all wrapped up in a tortilla of rationalism.
Oath of the Horatii (1784)
Oath of the Horatii (1784)
Beauty Hurts
Stand up right now and try to replicate the pose of this guy, with your arm twisted behind you and your feet aligned like his. You can't. It's physically impossible, and yet JL has the three brothers here stand like that because it's a very masculine, imposing pose. And, rigidity is a pillar of neoclassicism, so there you go.
Not the Best Way to Hold a Sword
The father holds out three swords, one for each of the sons. Just like his kids, he stands in stark rigidity, dawned in a bright red toga (typical of neoclassicism) and armed with shredded calves.
Structured Structure
Everything in this painting is deliberately structured. The three brothers are framed by the first arch, the father is framed by the second arch, and the women framed by the third. The brothers are structures in a pyramidal form, which symbolizes strength and power.
The Legend
So here’s the story: There’s a Roman legend that there was a fight breaking out between the Romans and Alba. Instead of a full on war, the two civilizations decide that they’d each elect champions to fight on their behalf, rather than entire armies. A pretty impressive diplomatic decision. And the Romans select the three brothers of the Horatii family, and the painting depicts the moment they take up arms and are about to head off to fight.
Neoclassicism 4 Dayz
The theme of the painting is epitome neoclassicism. Not only do you have that rigid structure, and realist style, but you also have the glorification of a heroic classical legend. This painting really is the poster child
The Women
The discrepancy between the women/children and the men in this painting is pretty clear. While the men stand strong and tall in their pyramidal shapes, the women and children group together in an undefined mass. This serves two purposes; to show
The Death of Marat (1793)
The Death of Marat (1793)
Jean-Paul Marat
This is Jean-Paul Marat, a member of the French National Assembly, a journalist, and a well known proponent of the revolution. He’s also super dead. He was also, unsurprisingly, a friend of JL. In fact, Jacques-Louis was responsible for helping organize Marat’s funeral after this whole thing went down. He was assassinated by a girl name Charlotte Corday, who was a member of the moderate Girondin party of the French Revolution.
Classically Neoclassic
In this work you’ve also got the typical structure of a neoclassicist painting. The horizontals of the bathtub, the vertical lines of the table, the horizontal lines of the cloth, all these serve to give the work a sense of structure. Again you’ve got the classic tell-tale signs of neoclassicism here. A sculpted form, deep countering contrasted with a few bright colors, and the realist you-can’t-tell-this-is-a-painting sort of style.
Scene of the Crime
Yes, he’s in a bathtub, no it has nothing to do with his death. Marat had a skin condition, and the only thing that gave him relief was hanging out in a bath. But, I’ve been in many bathrooms, and there’s usually more than just a bathtub in them. The reason for the blandness of this particular bathroom is not for accuracy, but to get the viewer to focus on Marat.
Subtle Jesus
You’ve got your standard references to classical religious themes here too. Although having his right arm and head in opposite directions seems unimportant to us, anybody back in their day would have been like “oh man that’s a Jesus reference, that dude looks like Jesus”. Marat’s body is also lit by subtle light, which suggests a sort of divinity. This all works to JL and the revolution’s advantage, because they were attempting to paint Marat (literally) as a martyr.
Set in Stone
The engravings here are both Marat’s name and JL’s signature. They look like they were carved into the wood, like on a gravestone or monument, which was part of the morbid/divine effect JL was going for.
