Romantic Neoclassicism v. Romanticism at First Glance,

Romantic

Neoclassicism v. Romanticism

At first glance, one might be hard-pressed to observe that the two works of art presently in question actually depict similar subjects. In the pieces presented side-by-side here, the beholder sees that the central figure in both is a man in a bed. Indeed, if one was asked to guess the subject, it might not be far off to deduce that each depicts the very same moment in which the great philosopher Socrates conceded to his own execution by the ingestion of poison. That said, the similarities end there as each of the two works is eminently more evocative of its own artistic movement than of the subject itself. Indeed, the image on the left carries a distinctive romanticism that sets it apart from the neo-classicism on display in the right-handed image.

What stands out as a clear distinction from the outset is the degree to which the image on the right is more directly grounded in reality than the image on the right. Indeed, this is what most distinguishes it as a neoclassical piece. The seen is a sharply depicted, with sharp lines and vivid color cutting out the shapes of individual figures as well as of the room itself. There is an undeniable realism to the image that suggests much about the neoclassical philosophy.

In many ways, we can presume that the intention behind this image on the right was to convey in exactitude the events which created the moment being depicted. This is a sharp contrast to the image on the left. Though a man is similarly reposed on a bed and flanked by a bevy of human figures, the scene around him could hardly be described as a normal or likely deathbed congregation. Where the men in the neoclassical image are hunched in mourning and, based on what we know about Socrates, likely begging him to reconsider his acceptance of his sentence, the figures in the romantic image create a far more vexing scene.

Here, bodies are twisted in unfathomable grief, clothing has been removed in a display of naked agony, bodies are cast about in all different directions. One many even wrestles the bridle of a horse. This is an uncommon deathbed scene for certain. Where the figures form a sort of linear focal point in the rightbound image, the image on the left instead scatters its subjects in different directions and postures as if to convey the stark variance of human emotions. And consistent with the romantic impulses that drive the piece, there are no clear boundaries or defining characteristics of the room in which the scene is contained.

In fact, this is a critical departure that requires us to interpret the romantic work with less concrete rigidity than the neoclassical piece. In other words, we can perceive this piece as representative of the range of human emotions on display during the depicted moment rather than just the actual moment itself. If the goal of the neoclassical piece was to provide a rather academic and literal interpretation of the historical moment in question, the goal of the romantic piece was surely to express the sentiments which must have surrounded the incident.