The Marquise de Pezay, and the Marquise de Rougé with Her Sons Alexis and Adrien by Élisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun, 1787
Is it possible that Neoclassicism, with its focus on order and the enduring values of Greece and Rome, can co-exist with Romanticism, with its emphasis on exotic scenes, and studies of sublime nature? Yes it can—and did—in the 18th- and 19th-century art world.
Art historian Joseph Paul Cassar explores the artistic and cultural highlights of Neoclassicism and Romanticism from the Enlightenment to the Age of Revolution and the movements’ lasting impact on Western artists.
February 28 The Discovery of the Greco-Roman Ideals
Cassar discusses the classical ideals of ancient Greece and Rome as the starting point for the birth of neoclassicism, with balance, geometry, and mathematical rules as guides to perfection.
March 6 David and Ingres: The Guardians of Academic Orthodoxy
The impact of these artists in shaping the social and political climates of their time is examined.
March 13 Gericualt, Delacroix, Turner, Blake and the Forces of the Sublime
Trace the influence of Orientalism on the period’s artists and how landscape painting reflected the encounter with nature as a means of transcending human existence.
3 sessions
World Art History Certificate elective: Earn 1/2 credit*
General Information
*Enrolled participants in the World Art History Certificate Program receive 1/2 elective credit. Not yet enrolled? Learn about the program, its benefits, and how to register here.
