The extravagance of the Baroque style was followed by the contrasting Neoclassical ideas that coincided with the so-called Age of Enlightenment (or the Age of Reason), which promoted a more realistic, scientific approach, as well as the separation of church and state. Neoclassical art emphasizes simplicity and symmetry, and it draws its roots from the aesthetics of Ancient Greece and Renaissance Classicism. What may sound surprising is Neoclassicism co-existed with Romanticism during the first half of the 19th Century. The Romantic style was defined by attention to emotion rather than reason, and gravitation to the past (medieval themes), though the French Revolution also brought the glorification of heroism, which is not unreasonable since the expression of strong emotion was welcomed. In our current Case assignment, we are going to compare a Neoclassical work by David, titled Oath of Horatii, and a Romantic work by Delacroix, titled Liberty Leading the People.
Write a 3- to 4-page paper in which you provide brief information about the Neoclassical and Romantic styles with a reference to differences in world view (reason vs. emotion); an abbreviated biographical background on the artist; a brief description and interpretation of the two works; and your opinion on how David and Delacroix differently conveyed their views on the Revolution (both works carry revolutionary ideas).
Image of Jacque-Louis David, Oath of Horatii: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/David-Oath_of_the_Horatii-1784.jpg Image of Eugène Delacroix, Liberty Leading the People: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_Leading_the_People#/media/File:Eug%C3%A8ne_Delacroix_-_Le_28_Juillet._La_Libert%C3%A9_guidant_le_peuple.jpg Explanation & Answer: 3 pages
