Today we discussed the neoclassicism period. Logic and morality were two aspects that received an emphasis and newfound importance throughout this period. Anton Raphael Mengs was a supporter of the neoclassical style and its implied greco-roman revival. His painting Parnassus represents noble simplicity and clam grandeur to a tee. A scene of Apollo and the muses, water flows peacefully around them and the natural mountain scene is peaceful. Similar to a painting by Raphael, it places Apollo compositionally central and uses a primary color scheme to give it an almost playful feel. The contrapposto pose of Apollo imitates ancient art and has an otherworldly air with the graceful movements of the muses. But as the distinctions between artistic periods is now more blurred, the focus on lines supports Poussinistes and the charming air is reminiscent of the Rococo era.
Thomas Gainsborough was a prominent English portraitist. His portrait Mrs. Richard Brinsley Sheridan depicts a woman seemingly enveloped by the nature around her. She appears to sit naturally, at ease in an area that must be familiar to her. Her serene composition implies that it’s her land surrounding her. The brushwork of the neoclassical style blends her as one into the landscape, with her hair’s texture similar to that of the trees, and the wind blowing her dress with the brush around her. Her pure composure combined with the brushwork and colors makes the painting a good representation of the style.