FL 216 DE Final Throughout history, art has been an integral part of French society. Art s function from prehistoric cave paintings through today s free artistic expression will be briefly examined. Finally, Pierre-Auguste Renoir s Mme. Charpentier and Her Children (1878) will be examined as an artwork of special interest due to its beauty, artistic technique, and soothing quality. Prehistoric cave paintings at Chauvet (32,000 BCE) and Lascaux (17,000 BCE) show that Paleolithic people created art. The paintings of bison, horses, and lions, along with symbols, could have served the purpose of hoping to improve hunting success, or may have had astronomical or mystical significance. 1 Fig. 1 shows examples from both Chauvet and Lascaux. From Celtic Gaul through the Middle Ages, religion was the primary driving force behind art s function. Julius Caesar s logs of the Gallic War (58 to 50 BC) described that the Celts worshipped Roman gods, as well as their own gods of nature, and there were many images of religious reverence. 2 Unfortunately, most have not survived, except for a stone relief at Rheims of the horned god Cernunnos (Fig. 2). Religion s artistic influence grew more powerful throughout the Middle Ages as Christianity became state-endorsed and the Church promoted its spread. 3 The Catholic Church was a unifying cultural influence that preserved Latin learning and maintained literacy. The illuminated manuscripts (Fig. 3) in gold and silver that the monks produced demonstrate the Church s role in art and its function to preserve and support literacy. 4 The Church s strong influence on art and its purpose as a means to spread and support Christianity can best be shown in the pilgrimage-style cathedrals. The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris (Fig. 4) is a prime example of Gothic architecture functioning in this way. During the Renaissance, the function of art evolved from a religious purpose to a more secular humanistic one focused on the revival of classical antiquity, the dissemination of knowledge, and the importance of living well. 5 Francois Clouet s Lady in Bath (1570) represents
the focus on the feminine ideal and enjoying life s luxuries (Fig. 5). The Renaissance period also utilized art for religious/political propaganda purposes during the Wars of Religion between the Catholics and Huguenots. 6 Antoine Caron s The Massacre of the Triumvirate (1566) depicts art s function as religious and political propaganda, as well as the focus on classical antiquity, due to its representation of the Wars of Religion in a setting reminiscent of ancient Rome (Fig. 6). Louis XIV, the Sun King, devised a new function for art with his renovation of the elaborate Palace of Versailles (Fig. 7). This new purpose was to control and pacify the aristocracy by having them live with him in such luxury that they would not have the time or inclination to resist him. 7 The use of art for religious and political propaganda still existed, as Figure 8 shows Louis XIV battling heretic Huguenots with divine guidance above him. The French Revolution resulted in art functioning as propaganda, as well as a means to capture images for the historical record and to inform the public of current events. Jean-Pierre Houel s The Storming of the Bastille (1789) in Fig. 9 is an example of these functions. By the nineteenth century, the effects of the Industrial Revolution and the shift in artistic style to Realism and Naturalism led art to function as a mirror on the world. 8 Photography is the perfect example of this focus on Realism/Naturalism and the new technology of the age. Felix Nadar s photograph of novelist George Sand (1864) in Fig. 10 illustrates this artistic purpose. Today, art s main function is to entertain, as well as to provoke thought and emotion. Contemporary artists are free to express themselves without the constraints of religion, societal biases, and/or the particular tastes of their sponsors, as they often have been historically. The Surrealist work of Gerard Willemenot, La Pesѐe du Destin (The Weighing of Destiny), in Fig. 11 demonstrates these contemporary purposes of art. Pierre-August Renoir s Impressionist painting Mme. Charpentier and Her Children (1878) (Fig. 12) interests me for its beauty, awe-inspiring artistic technique, and ability to evoke
a feeling of serenity. Mme. Charpentier and her daughters are not formally posed, but appear as if caught in a moment of relaxed casual interaction in between formal poses. The children s faces exude angelic sweetness. The mother s facial expression is one of warmth and kindness, but her tight mouth suggests sternness. All of the faces have a luminescence that makes them stand out strongly, especially the children, perhaps to suggest purity and virtue. The mother s complexion is a shade or so darker, suggesting some loss of innocence with age. Although the use of black paint is rare in Impressionist paintings, where complementary colors were usually mixed to create dark tones, 9 Renoir has balanced/framed the daughters on either side with the stark black and white of their mother s dress and the dog s fur. In addition to the framing effects of the black and white, the red vertical stripes on the wallpaper also serve as strong contrast to the softness of the girls light blue dresses and their fairer skin and hair. The red stripes present a vertical framing of the portrait, while the dog and mother s black and white serve as horizontal book ends. The mother and the red stripe behind her form a central focal point for the painting that symmetrically splits the frame. In addition to the use of black noted above, the style of this painting differs somewhat from the classic Impressionist techniques of larger brush strokes, use of natural light, and indistinct outlines of the subjects (Fig. 13). 10 Here, the background elements use larger brush strokes and suggestion, which is very Impressionistic. However, in contrast to classic Impressionism, the primary subjects have clearer outlines and more realistic detail. Also, the setting is indoors, rather than outdoors with natural light. A final note on the painting is the importance of the subjects gazes. The mother watches over her children, while the children are focused on one another. The dog s eyes look up at the viewer with protective warning. Renoir has captured the essence of familial love and caring.
centuries. As shown, the function of French art has had interesting and varied purposes through the 1 Chauvet Cave, 4/7/2012, http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/chauvet_cave. and Lascaux, 4/7/2012, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/lascaux. 2 John Weston, Who Were the Celts? 4/7/2012. http://www.data-wales.co.uk/celt4.htm. 3 Lisa Neal, France: An Illustrated History. (New York, Hippocrene Books, Inc.), 2001, 27-51. 4 Middle Ages, 4/7/2012, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/middle-ages. 5 Renaissance, 4/7/2012, http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/renaissance. 6 French Renaissance, 4/7/2012, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/french_renaissance. 7 Louis XIV of France, 4/7/2012, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/louis_ XIV. 8 Lisa Neal, France: An Illustrated History. (New York, Hippocrene Books, Inc.), 2001, 146-161. 9 Impressionism, 4/7/2012, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/impressionism. 10 Ibid. Figure 1: Chauvet and Lascaux Paleolithic cave paintings. Art s function to improve hunting, mysticism
Figure 2: Celtic God Cernunnos from Pillar of the Boatmen in Paris (1 st century AD) since no photo could be found of the older stone relief at Rheims. Art functions as a means to show religious reverence. Figure 3: Early 14 th century page from a Psalter showing illuminated manuscript and the Church s role in learning and literacy through the artistic endeavors of monks. Art functions as a means to support literacy.
Figure 4: Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris (1163-1285) as an example of a Gothic pilgrimage-style church, which demonstrates art/architecture s function in supporting religion. Figure 5: Francois Clouet s Lady in Bath (1570) showing art s secular humanistic function during the Renaissance of the feminine ideal and enjoying life s luxuries.
Figure 6: Antoine Caron s The Massacre of the Triumvirate (1566) depicts art s function as religious and political propaganda, as well as a focus on classical antiquity. Figure 7: Louis XIV s Palace of Versailles demonstrating the use of art to control and pacify the aristocracy through extravagant luxury.
Figure 8: King Louis XIV battling the Huguenots as an example of art as religious/political/social propaganda. Figure 9: Jean-Pierre Houel s The Storming of the Bastille (1789) shows art s function as propaganda, as well as a means to capture images for the historical record and to inform the public of current events.
Figure 10: Felix Nadar s photograph of novelist George Sand (1864) demonstrates art s function as a realistic mirror on its subject and the use of technology as art. Figure 11: Gerard Willemenot s La Pesee du Destin (1990s-2000s) shows art functioning as entertainment, as well provoking thought and emotion in the viewer, through Surrealistic free expression.
Figure 12: Pierre-Auguste Renoir s Mme. Charpentier and Her Children (1878) shows art functioning as a calming entity of great beauty and technical expertise. Figure 13: Renoir s By the Water (1880) to demonstrate the more classic Impressionist style.