Classical Blog Exhibit

 To start, I have "The Storming of the Bastille" (1789) by Jean-Pierre Houël. It is a painting made to depict the storming of the Bastille- a medieval fortress- by revolutionary insurgents. The importance of the insurgents taking the Bastille cannot be understated, as it was a slap across the face of the French nobility. Commoners taking such a fortified stronghold gave them not just a strategic upper-hand, but it also solidified the idea of the nobility being at the mercy of the commoners. In terms of the art itself, there's something so striking about the juxtaposition of the fortified old bastion and the contemporary weapons and clothing such as the strikingly colored uniforms and the cannons and muskets. It's gritty and hazy, which conveys the mayhem that the battles created. All the while, it represents the hard-fought efforts of the revolution and the changes in the French power that came with it. 

Moving aside from the revolution and war that "The Storming of the Bastille" represents, I have a painting called "The Hay Wain" (1821) by John Constable. To me, this painting represents both the morality of the Classical Era and the growing importance of the middle class at the time. Choosing to focus on such a benign scene- something so ordinary in commoner life- stands out from the earlier paintings of gaudy castles and extravagantly dressed and banqueted nobility. Instead, the humble scene shows commoners going about their lives- travelling by carriage and washing their clothes in the river behind their rustic house. It shows the importance of a meager existence. Though it may be eager, it's what so many endure which lends it an air of nostalgia and hospitality. 

To finish things off, I'll be showcasing the "The Death of General Warren at Battle of Bunker's Hill" (1775) by John Trumbull. Trumbull's painting strays from French history, as it instead depicts the Battle of Bunker Hill, an event which transpired during the American Revolution. Taking place in Boston, Massachusetts, it depicts the death of the famous founding father Joseph Warren at the hands of British soldiers. This painting shows the resilience the American people had, as well as the sacrifices they had to make in their battle for independence. It also displays the bloodshed that the conflict created, with bodies of all sides littering the foreground. Trumbull was a primary witness of the conflict, watching the battle unfold and later painting this piece about it. I find it interesting to think that there were ordinary people watching such events unfold- people who lived not only to see history unfold, but to document it and share it with generations to come.