Neoclassical Artists

Cornelia, Mother of the Gracchi" by Angelica Kauffman (1785)

- mother of Gaius and Tiberius Gracchus
- treasures = her children
- replaces Rococo vice w/ Neoclassical virtue

The Death of General Wolfe" by Benjamin West (1770)

- oil on canvas
- contemporary clothing to represent "the facts of the event"
- shows Gen. Wolfe, who led to British to defeat the French and gain control of Quebec City
- similar to Van der Weyden's "Deposition

Voltaire Seated" by Jean-Antoine Houdon (1781)

- marble, 138cm tall
- classical elements ~ Roman toga, headband
- sharp wit - Voltaire turns head and smiles as if amused by human foibles

George Washington" by Jean-Antoine Houdon (1792)

- marble, 6'2" tall
- commissioned by the VA General Assembly
- classical features: contrapposto pose and fasces/rods (once a symbol of Roman authority)
- contemporary clothing
- 13 fasces = 13 original states
- does not hold on to sword and a plow is beh

Monticello by Thomas Jefferson (1806)

- inspired by Palladio's Villa Rotunda
- synthesis of classical and neoclassical designs - classical front portico w/ Doric columns, octagon-shaped dome, and symmetrical wings

Virginia State Capitol by Thomas Jefferson (1780s)

- inspired by a classical temple at Nimes in France
- Ionic portico, pediment, and classical proportions
- federal style --> spread to other American gov't buildings
- the two wings are a modern, 20th century addition

The Oath of the Horatii" by Jacques-Louis David (1785)

- story from Livy: 3 Roman brothers (Horatii) will fight 3 Alban brothers (Curatii) to settle a dispute
- one of the Horatti is married to one of the sisters of the Curatii, and a Horatii sister is bethroned to a Curatii brother
- moment where Horatii bro

The Death of Marat" by Jacques-Louis David (1793)

- oil on canvas
- shows Jean-Paul Marat, who was stabbed while in a bath by royalist Charlotte Corday
- David ignored Marat's skin disease and showed him in a heroic pose - head incline, limp arm
- Marat holds quill pen writing a letter to a soldier's wid

Napoleon Crossing St. Bernard Pass" by Jacques-Louis David (1801)

- oil on canvas
- crossing Alps into Italy (although Napoleon actually rode a donkey)
- windblown cloak and arms - Napoleon controls the winds
- Baroque influence -- dramatic diagonal
- Napoleon = a modern Charlemagne

The Coronation of Napoleon" by Jacques-Louis David (1807)

- oil on canvas
- the moment of Napoleon crowning his wife, Josephine
- Pope Pius VII gives blessing
- includes a self-portrait of David

Pauline Borghese as Venus" by Antonio Canova (1808)

- marble
- Napoleon's sister
- Apple = Venus victorious
- divine ancestry of Napoleon?