Enlightenment Social Change, Rococo and Neoclassical Art

Social Transformation

The social changes affected the nobility and the bourgeoisie. The old nobility lost its military function. The bourgeoisie was enriched by its work and was considered a useful group that unjustly lacked social recognition and political influence.

Enlightened society criticized the estate system. It questioned the nobility for enjoying privileges while not performing socially useful functions. It criticized the clergy because they were numerous and wealthy, which was seen as unproductive. Enlightenment thinkers advocated the creation of a new society based on social value and personal worth.

Cultural Transformations

Public education was fostered by the Enlightenment to avoid ignorance and to reduce ideological control by the Church. Under its influence, states promoted the creation of schools.

Culture became central in history; it made it possible to determine the useful sciences. Scientific academies and societies were established.

Rococo Art: Design and Painting

Rococo art developed in the first half of the 18th century. It was a refined and courtly form of art.

The Rococo was applied to small rooms and cabinets within Baroque-style buildings. It is a graceful and delicate decoration, with decorative motifs that tend to cover the entire space.

In painting, artists used blurring and soft colors and applied techniques such as pastel and watercolor.

Neoclassicism and Academies

Neoclassical art emerged in France in the second half of the 18th century. It was a bourgeois art: rational and based on the imitation of classical art models.

This movement encompassed architecture, sculpture, and painting:

• Architecture: Imitated classical Greek and Roman models; stone was used as the primary material, with pure, simple forms and vaulted coverings. The most common buildings were churches, palaces, and public buildings.
• Sculpture: Made of marble or bronze, aiming for ideal beauty, simplicity, and serenity. Favorite subjects included mythological scenes, portraits, public monuments, and funerary works.
• Painting: Was inspired by sculpture and reflected classical ideals of form and composition.

Art Schools and Academies

The academies of art emerged in France. They had in common the rejection of the excesses of Baroque and Rococo art and the desire for beauty through simplicity and the copying of classical models.

Artists governed each program. Practical training and classes included:

• Practical training: Focused on learning to draw; it was divided into copying prints and copying classical models.
• Theoretical classes: Consisted of lessons in history, mythology, art theory, and art reviews.