From the Baroque Period through the Romantic Age DB

Social , political , or economic conditions can significantly alter the nature and meaning of art . As power shifted from the wealthy to the common man , art in Europe changed dramatically to reflect that change

During the Rococco period , art was detailed and overblown . Interior decorations- primarily furniture- were full of curving lines and organic inspiration , and paintings , with their playful eroticism , soft colours and elegant forms (Malyon , 1999 , para . 1 ) were well suited to balance these rooms . Such frivolousness could only be associated with a powerful upper-class . The common man , of course , could

not afford such luxurious surroundings when the main concern was putting food on the table . That this style was the style of the day clearly illustrates how the aristocracy 's desires for excess affected artists ' and craftsmen 's work

Rubens ' work during the Baroque period , with its focusing on robust curvaceous women , seems to be bursting with life and hope . In Portrait of Isabella Brant ' for example , Isabella has a slight smile on her face , as though she has a secret that might be a little bit funny . It 's as though she knows how important the shift of power , from the few , rich aristocrats , to the many struggling working class citizens , will be . She doesn 't appear to be a peasant , but neither is she a princess . Isabella , perhaps , had more to be laugh about than most- with the aristocracy soon becoming a target for violence , and the impoverished still limited by a lack or resources , the middle class would become the best social class to belong to ! Because Rubens was a well respected citizen (Eisler , 1996 ) his skillful portrayal of the working class drew attention to people , who , for the first time , had some hope of being empowered . At the same time , portraits of the aristocrats were subdued and sad-looking , as though they know their reign is nearly over . In El Greco 's Saint Louis , King of France , and a Page ' for example , He holds . attributes of royal power in his hands . but intensely gazes at the viewer with a grave , melancoly (sic expression on his face (de Vergnette , n .d

When the lower classes finally did revolt , the Neoclassic style emerged and drew heavily on ancient Greek and Roman influences . Bust of Voltaire Without His Wig , by Jean-Antoine Houdon , and Cupid and Psyche by Antonio Canova , are two notable examples . The human body is portrayed without garments or other adornment- rich and poor are equal without clothes on . These ancient civilizations ' famously successful (for a time ) democracies must have been quite inspirational to people who had been subjugated for hundreds of years . Their standards were therefore emulated not only in the political and social world , but also in the art world References

de Vergnette , Francoise (n .d ) Saint Louis , Kind of France , and a Page ' Paintings : Spanish Painting . Retrieved March 16 , 2008 from HYPERLINK "http /www .louvre .fr /llv /oeuvres /detail_notice .jsp ?CONTENTcnt_id 1013 26 CURRENT_LLV_NOTICEcnt_id 226326 FOLDERfolde r_id 00811 fromDept true baseIndex 162 bmUID...