Comparing neo-classical and romantic styles in storm paintings

¶ … paintings and gives opinions about which ones are neo-classical and romantic, which ones use impressionism and how so. There were six sources used to complete this paper.

Throughout history art has been a universal language. The love or emotion that is elicited from a painting can happen regardless of the language the viewer speaks. Paintings do not require interpreters or language commonality. They speak to hearts and do so with a silent voice that draws emotion from those who view them. There are different styles of painting and different explanations of those styles. One can take several of the more well-known paintings and hold them against stylistic measure to determine how well they were followed and why those styles work for those particular works.

Styles

There are two paintings that are well-known and can be compared to determine the styles used and the efficiency of those styles. In Watteau's The Storm and Delacroix's Christ on the Sea of Galilee one can easily differentiate between styles because they both depict storms and use their individual styles to tell their story.

One only has to look at these two paintings to determine which one is a neo-classical work and which one is a work of romanticism. The Storm is the more Neo-classical of the two and the Christ on the Sea of Galilee is the work of romantic persuasion. These two paintings are such strong and classic examples of their respective styles that comparing them is a lesson in each style itself.

The Christ on the Sea of Galilee is romanticism at its finest. The dark brooding waves are the first indicator of its style. All sense of order is gone and the waves are screaming a rage that is felt by the viewer from the instant it is gazed upon. The anger of the ocean is classic romanticism because it removes all sense of order which is typical in works that are considered neo-classical. Another indicator of the style that is used in this painting is the faintly painted halo at the back of the head of Christ. He was not usually shown with a halo nor did he usually look as muscular in other works of artists. The elements of the angry black waves and the lighting that is cast on the top of the waves however is the most important indicator of its style. The clouds above the sea are another indicator of the romantic style by which the painting is done. The clouds are deep and heavy with the same type of anger and rage depicted in the waves.

The sharp contrast between light and dark used throughout this painting illustrate the emotionally charged style that the world has come to know as romanticism.

The Storm is a classic example of the neo-classical style. The neo-classical style is one that agrees with calm and order. It is the opposite of the romantic style which defies all order and calmness. The Storm creates a sense of peace even though those in the painting are preparing for a coming storm. Everything from the colors to the picture itself produces a sense of serene behavior which is typical of a neo-classical style work. The colors are warm and bland. The yellow overtones as well as the muted strength of their use provide the viewer with a feeling of peace and a sense of order. The people in the painting are preparing harvested hay before the storm comes. The storm is on the horizon but it is merely hinted at whereas the storm in the other painting is angry, violent and relentless in its quest.

Another example in this painting of its neo-classical roots is the expression on the faces of those in the picture. They are calm. They have purpose and they are not filled with emotion. The emotion that is so evident in the faces of the boat passengers in the other painting is absent in the second one.

While these things are obvious indicators of the styles used in each painting there are less obvious proofs of their use as well. In the painting Christ on the Sea of Galilee the lines are as unconventional as they can come. There is no obvious rhyme or reason to them.

They are not following any line that is discernable. This very detraction from straight and visible lines is another indicator of the romantic style with which the artist painted the work. Conversely The Storm has lines that are straight and clean. Even in the way the hay is bundled leads the eye on a path of pattern and that in itself has a calming affect on the total visual reaction the painting elicits.

The final evidence of the styles in these two paintings is the balance that each one uses. The Storm has balance. There are an equal number of objects in each area of opposite sides of the painting. This provides a calming and visual balance ot the painting. The other painting is out of balance. The boat is overloaded and the figure on the shore is but one. He is large and the figures in the board are small. There is no harmony or balance that the eye can see.

These two paintings are perfect examples of their respective styles. One is neo-classical and the other is romantically done but they both tell the story of their work.

While some paintings are obvious in their purpose and style there are some works in which part of the allure of the painting is the effort it takes to discern the style and emotion it is meant to extract from those who view it. Monet's Palazzo da Mula, Venice is a painting that causes one to work their eyes, brain and emotions to appreciate its excellence. One of the most interesting things about this painting is that the up close view, and the far away view provide different visuals as well as different emotions.

STEPPING BACK

When one steps back and observes the painting it changes and becomes a complete picture. The buildings look real and the water is water. The lighting affect blends together with the green and the white and the different blues to give the impression of water and reflections off of that water. The panting begins to look different as soon as the backing up process begins. Looking at it as one walks back a few feet allows the painting to become more clear as the step backs occur. The buildings become very defined and the openings such as doors and windows become much more clear.

The light reflecting off of the water is perceived differently from up close and from far away. The light is very loosely defined up close and does not actually look like reflected light. When one steps away from the painting the reflection of light becomes clear. It actually fulfills its purpose and it illuminates the rest of the work and the paintings story. The reflection of lights off the water is evidenced when one sees the way the eyes are drawn to various parts of the painting that the light draws the eyes to.

Within the reflection of the water in lights it becomes obvious as one walks away that the buildings are reflected in the water. Close up one cannot see as clearly that the buildings are being reflected in the water. It is one of the things impressionism is well-known for. The use of primary colors and dabs of seemingly nothing are use to put together to provide a total picture that looks much more defined at a distance because of the way the dabs and the colors are used.

One of the most interesting things about long standing famous artists is seeing if their style changes over time. Famed artist Picasso did two works that were 30 years apart At first glance the paintings look slightly similar to each other but when one takes a second look one will discover the vast difference in the two.

In his painting called, Les Demoiselles, Picasso worked to give the viewer a true sense of how he felt about people and in particular females. In Guernica he had broadened his concerns and had moved from individual person emotions to the feelings he had about some of the political events that were occurring in the world.

Picasso's style did change over the years but in other areas his style remained the same. The way he drew the body is not very different between the two pictures but when one examines the paintings more closely there are many other things that did change.

At first glance the biggest difference of course is that one is in color and the other one is in black and white. It is interesting to surmise why this may have happened. He was well-known throughout his career for his use of color. The fact that he chose not to use it in the later painting makes a statement about the depth of despair he felt surrounding the event he painted. The massacre was done in black and white perhaps to change the heart of the viewer to feel the deadened numbness that the artist felt as he finished the work. The color in the first painting is vibrant and it is angry. As we age we become more jaded. As young adults many people are filled with ideals and values and they go out into the world determined to change it for the better and make others feel the depth of their emotion. As people age and they face many of life's bumps and bruises they often lose their edge and their ability to become as animated as when they were younger. This seems to be the case between these two paintings. One in vibrant angry, idealistic color while the second one, three decades later, is filled with numb and jaded black and white images. Another difference between the two paintings is the expression used in the faces. The earlier painting has missing eyes for the most part and the facial expressions are those of angry people. The second painting is about anger, and despair but the actual expressions seem filled with fear. The difference in the years in the two paintings is illustrated in the fact that the eyes become more defined. The later painting provides evidence that as Picasso aged he began to understand people better and he accepted their emotions and their differences.

Another difference in the two paintings is the way he shaped the bodies. The earlier painting provides bodies with sharp defined lines in the physical body.

The political statement being made in the later painting changes the style used to present the emotion. The numb and sad state of affairs are in the expression of those in the painting. The earlier painting shows the anger and the emotion that a young adult can feel while the political statement shows the fear, and the utter despair that years of oppression can cause.

CONCLUSION

All of these paintings illustrate the styles that were used in their creation. Painting is not painting without change. Each painting ends up being a style or a combination of styles and that style provides a vehicle for the feelings and emotions that are felt by the viewer.