Art did something after the French
Revolution that it has continually done ever since and, actually, probably
always has done. After the Revolution,
art became about propaganda. Art went
simple with direct messages (opposite of Rococo). Post-Revolutionary art would eventually of
course turn into Neoclassicism, but the immediate response, which we must look
at first, was a shift from the carefree Rococo style of praising the
aristocracy to a medium by which the revolutionary ideals of France's own
current events could be spread. Now, just
so we're sure, propaganda is information or ideas purposely spread to influence
public opinion. Let's be clear. Propaganda is always one-sided. We are about to look at a series of paintings
that fit well under the category of propaganda art. These are not
historical paintings, although they are of historical events. The actual historical events they purport to
describe happened in fact very differently.
We cannot trust art as a medium for truth; and I know this is a rather
weighty concept that should be (and will be) treated more in the future, but it
needs to be brought up now. Naturally we
are more discerning when judging facts from propaganda, but it never ceases to
surprise me that historical articles—like, say internet articles—will post a
painting of the event alongside the text, as if it were a snapshot. Paintings, while certainly informative in
their own way, should never be taken as the full and accurate picture. Paintings—especially these paintings we're
starting on now—require further historical insight and investigation; however,
since I am writing about art history,
not history, I will focus more on the paintings.
No comments:
Post a Comment