Miranda Thomas Art and Culture Survey 2 Professor Street June 18, 2023 Enlightenment Did you know that the Enlightenment period began an intellectual wave of new ideas and a critical way of thinking that changed the course of art history? During this historical period of time, science, intellectual exchanges, reasoning, and critical skills were promoted and established. When these new ways were promoted and established, religion, myths, and traditions were beginning to be questioned by individuals for their authenticity and their logical reasoning. Not only did Enlightenment change the way individuals thought, but it changed the way artwork was produced. Neoclassicism resulted from this new era of intellect and challenged artists to include these new themes and styles into their artworks. Some of the most famous artists during this time period included; Joseph Wright Derby, Jaques-Louis David, and Angelica Kauffman (Kleiner 771). Before the Enlightenment period, the primary artistic style was Rocco. The Rococo art style included aristocratic idealism, elaborate ornamentation, dramatic …show more content…
Some of the paintings that were produced in the Enlightenment era carried these ideas, styles, and themes of the classical era. Jacques-Louis David, a famous artist during this time period, brought back some of the styles and themes of the classical era through his painting, Oath of the Horatii (Mccoy 2016). The painting depicts three brothers, saluting toward three swords held up by their father as the women behind him grieve. Their father has gathered the sons and asked them to take an oath to conquer or die as he hands them three swords. The painting carries the theme of virtuousness and a style of sacrifice, as the three brothers are ready to sacrifice their lives by taking an oath from their father to try and fight and win or to die trying (Mccoy