Art Throughout History

“Every age projects its own image into its art”. This means that the emotions and politics that Europe experience is then demonstrated through the art style of the time. It is important to study art from the past because art portrays the emotions and events of an era. Art allows people to analyze how the people felt throughout history. Art also shows the development of society, we see the styles of art change with the time periods. In art, we see changes in religious influences, religion became less of an important factor, and styles such as neoclassicism and romanticism became more popular. From the French Revolution to the French Revolutions of 1848 the viewer sees the emotion of the time through the art.
The style of art during

Romanticism was a movement in the arts and literature that emphasized inspiration, subjectivity, and the primacy of the individual. During the Napoleonic Era artist Francisco Goya painted “The Third of May”. In “The Third of May” Goya depicts Spanish resistance to Napoleon’s armies during the occupation of 1808. France always had a political and strategic interest in Spain because of its access to the Mediterranean Sea. In November of 1807, Napoleon took advantage of the weak Spanish king, Charles IV, by allying with Spain in order to conquer and divide Portugal. Now allies, French troops entered Spain unopposed. Napoleon successfully conquered Spain and appointed his brother, Joseph Bonaparte, to the throne. Spanish citizens were displeased with this, and on May 2, 1808, hundreds of Spaniards rebelled. In Goya’s painting, these rebellious Spaniards were rounded up and massacred by the French. The romanticism in “The Third of May” is seen in the passion of the French Soldiers pointing their guns at the rebellious Spaniard, desiring the expansion of their country. The viewer can see the intensity of the event from the expression of the Spaniard and those who surround him, as well as the bleeding bodies laying on the ground. Another famous Napoleonic Era is “Napoleon Crossing the Alps”, by Jacques-Louis David. This portrait shows Napoleon riding a horse as he guides his army onward in the attempts of French expansion. Napoleon was had a strong sense of nationalism and passed it along to his soldiers. This painting was done towards the end of Napoleon's reign, but shows how powerful of a military leader he was. These historical paintings go along with the idea that every age projects its own image of art. The Napoleonic age was a very intense and serious time filled with war and passion, and this is shown through the romantic art of its