Patrick Bade
Neoclassical Painting, Part 2
Summary
A continuing look at the development of Neoclassical art through the works of Jacques-Louis David (1748–1825), including his evolution from late-Baroque influences to a more classical style influenced by artists like Poussin.
Patrick Bade
Patrick Bade is a historian, writer, and broadcaster. He studied at UCL and the Courtauld Institute of Art. He was a senior lecturer at Christie’s Education for many years and has worked for the Art Fund, Royal Opera House, National Gallery, and V&A. He has published on 19th- and early 20th-century paintings and historical vocal recordings. His latest book is Music Wars: 1937–1945.
Yes, they were, most of them. And also, when once artists started being educated in academies, they would be given lectures on this kind of thing and they would be expected to be learned in Roman history.
With Neoclassicism, the artists wanted you to know that they know what the body is like underneath the material, unlike with Rococo, where the dress has a life of its own. You will have noticed, for instance, in “The Death of Socrates,” how the iron-smooth material hugs the body, and it shows you what is going on with the body underneath the material. So it’s quite common in the Neoclassical period and right through academic painting in the 19th century for artists to make nude sketches before they paint the clothes over them