How Rococo and Neoclassicism Illustrate the Process of Deciding in thei

How Rococo and Neoclassicism Illustrate the Process of Deciding in their PaintingsThe artists Jean-Honore Fragonard and Jaques-Louis David both successfully embody their respective stylistic differences. Fragonards name of painting is Rococo, which is characterized by its softness, asymmetry and curviness. Contrasting these ideals is Davids mode of painting, Neo-Classicism. Neo-Classicism is synonymous with strong gestures, symmetry, and solidness. Two run fors that best exemplify the ideals of each style of painting are Fragonards The Swing, 1767 and Davids The Death of Socrates, 1787. Although at first glance, it is easier to reduce on how each work is different to the other, one can reason that they are similar in theme. two The Swing and The Death of Socrates are works that deal with the theme of decision making. However, they differ in how each work portrays the theme of deciding. While The Swing focuses on infidelity and the process of deciding, The Death of Socrat es makes it clear that loyalty to government is stronger than the ties of friendship or acquaintance. By examining use of light, form, sheath matter as well as other artistic elements, one can see how each artist conveys a message by utilizing their style of art. Although both Fragonards and Davids work convey different ideals through their style of painting, they are still able to use light in a very similar form. The viewers circumspection is directed on a specific point in the painting through the use of light. Both artists cast a spotlight on the figure or action in the painting that they want the viewer to especially notice. It is what each artist decides to focus on that makes his work is different from the other. A young woman on a swing who enjoys the pleasures of life is clearly where Fragonard wants to direct the viewers attention. However, David focuses attention on a male figure, specifically Socrates. How does the use of light help the viewer understand the ideals of each form of art? While Fragonard chooses to focus on a female and David chooses to focus on a male, the viewer now understands how Rococo can be a feminine form of art and Neo-Classicism the opposite. In addition, other stylistic elements like color and form depict how each art form differs from the other. By using all this visual evidence, we will afterwards see how the concept of deciding... ...d is clearly weaker than the one handing Socrates the poison. This shows how ones duty to the government is far more important than ones own individualised views or feelings. We can make the argument that there had to be a relationship between Socrates and this figure. By paying attention to elements such as vanquish matter, light, form, and placement of figures, we can see how these enhance the ideals depicted by each form of art. As a result, we can understand how Neo-Classical art is an attempt to snack counter the values of Rococo. Rococo is a form of art directly targeted to the privileged. Because not everyone in society belongs to the aristocracy, the Neo-Classicist wanted to impose order as an alternative to the scatterbrained life style. As a result, we have to works of art that challenge each others ideals. The theme of infidelity versus loyalty and how one arrives at the decision made is animated in the works of Fragonard and David. However, it is important to note that there is no right or wrong form of art, although it may bet that this was the common perception of the time. In conclusion, both works of are similar in one important aspect they are both works of art.