LECTURE baroque france 1600 1700 NICOLAS POUSSIN most important artist of the french baroque 1600s most of his career spent in rome revered art from antiquity and the renaissance especially raphael adored raphael so similarities in their paintings dance to the music of time 1630 classically influenced shows cycles of time and cycles of nature man to side is representative of time baby to right is portraying time of hour apollo is the sun god in the sky people in circle are representative of four seasons time is always passing forward apollo and his muses 1630 muse is a personification of inspiration classically inspired again makes you want to read it from left to right because of people forming vertical lines similar to classical reliefs depicts as if happening in antiquity not current rome holy family on the steps cleveland art museum of art and louvre own it john the baptist his mother mary jesus joseph very similar to rappel s in the color and triangular composition madonna in the meadows mary is wearing same colors abduction of the sabine women 1633 legendary story when roman empire was first being founded mythological some truth sabine women didn t want to marry the men the men wanted to marry them to start families shows how he likes big rant historical themes think about the fact that the roman empire wouldn t have happened if it weren t for this scene he likes to refer to cycles of history and cycles of time every event in history has an affect on another event poussin s theory of art art should educate not entertain art should lead its audience to a higher moral truth subject matter should be grand epic historical those who elect mean average subject take refuge in them because of the weakness of their talents stab at genre scenes in holland judgement of solomon 1649 solomon is known for wisdom throne story of his deciding of who is the real mother of children this brought out the truth what he did best grand epic theme landscape with the burial of phocion 1648 story of ancient greece phocion helped rule athens for 70 years of his life he was a ruthless leader and his people loved him later senators didn t like him so convicted him of treason made him drink poison and buried his ashes outside of athens people realize they made a mistake and realize they didn t take time to think about situation realize it he died by the hands of his own countrymen which is what poussin wants us to people acted out of the wrong decision and know they should have thought about tree on the side frame landscape called repoussoir repoussoir objects placed along the right and or left edge of composition directs you attention right into the middle into the background in this case it helps us to not see past the guys in the foreground et in arcadia ego even i am in arcadia 1655 momento mori arcadia is mythologies version of the garden of eden women is personification of death which makes it a momento mori treats it differently from the vanitas still life they refer to the passing of time through objects poussin s is more historical and in the theme of the grand manner became popular in france because of louis xiv the sun king louis xiv imported his works because of morals most powerful monarch in europe and turned france into an economic and political powerhou school of art dominated every aspect of french life oversaw every aspect of government function including the government run the french royal academy shows how he even wanted to dominated art schools taught them how to paint like poussin he hired charles lebrun director of the french royal academy dominates french art for over 200 years a state run art academy he sets up a text book of art with people of different emotions had stock expressions they had to follow or they couldn t be an artist CHARLES LEBRUN the queen of persia at the feet of alexander 1600s could be mistaken for poussin s work story from ancient greece big historical theme order restored in the kingdom s finances 1662 woman is personification of fidelity loyalty to country harpies are in background tax collectors referral to economic crisis that is happening under louis s rule during this time east facade of the louvre 1667 1670 also done by claude perrault and louis le vaue palace of louis built as an urban fortress in the 1100 s became the king s primary residence in the 1300 s frequently renovated french borque style similar to parthenon louis wanted something more grand ANDRE LE NOTRE palace of versailles took it to versailles to be what used to be a hunting lodge built homes for aristocracy in front of his palace on the other side are elaborate gardens huge complex was his landscape architect the gardens fountains etc are coordinated into an artistic and allegorical program by andre le notre the first major landscape architect in landscape history the theme centers around the sun god apollo one third of a mile long took about 200 000 000 almost destroyed the economy very baroque like made his courtiers watch him go to bed and wake up like a sun made his courtiers follow him around halls JULES HARDOUIN MANSART CHARLES LE BRUN hall of mirrors in the palace of versailles 1680 one wall was lined with mirrors light reflects with mirrors louis xiv died in 1715 the aristocracy abandons versailles when he dies the french aristocracy breathes a sign of relief abandons versailles to go back to paris ends baroque