¶ … paintings and gives opinions about which ones are neo-classical and romantic, which ones use impressionism and how so. There were six sources used to complete this paper. Throughout history art has been a universal language. The love or emotion that is elicited from a painting can happen regardless of the language the viewer speaks. Paintings do not require interpreters or language commonality. They speak to hearts and do so with a silent voice that draws emotion from those who view them. There are different styles of painting and different explanations of those styles. One can take several of the more well-known paintings and hold them against stylistic measure to determine how well they were followed and why those styles work for those particular works.

Styles

There are two paintings that are well-known and can be compared to determine the styles used and the efficiency of those styles. In Watteau's The Storm and Delacroix's Christ on the Sea of Galilee one can easily differentiate between styles because they both depict storms and use their individual styles to tell their story.

One only has to look at these two paintings to determine which one is a neo-classical work and which one is a work of romanticism. The Storm is the more Neo-classical of the two and the Christ on the Sea of Galilee is the work of romantic persuasion. These two paintings are such strong and classic examples of their respective styles that comparing them is a lesson in each style itself.

The Christ on the Sea of Galilee is romanticism at its finest. The dark brooding waves are the first indicator of its style. All sense of order is gone and the waves are screaming a rage that is felt by the viewer from the instant it is gazed upon. The anger of the ocean is classic romanticism because it removes all sense of order which is typical in works that are considered neo-classical. Another indicator of the style that is used in this painting is the faintly painted halo at the back of the head of Christ. He was not usually shown with a halo nor did he usually look as muscular in other works of artists. The elements of the angry black waves and the lighting that is cast on the top of the waves however is the most important indicator of its style. The clouds above the sea are another indicator of the romantic style by which the painting is done. The clouds are deep and heavy with the same type of anger and rage depicted in the waves.

The sharp contrast between light and dark used throughout this painting illustrate the emotionally charged style that the world has come to know as romanticism.

The Storm is a classic example of the neo-classical style. The neo-classical style is one that agrees with calm and order. It is the opposite of the romantic style which defies all order and calmness. The Storm creates a sense of peace even though those in the painting are preparing for a coming storm. Everything from the colors to the picture itself produces a sense of serene behavior which is typical of a neo-classical style work. The colors are warm and bland. The yellow overtones as well as the muted strength of their use provide the viewer with a feeling of peace and a sense of order. The people in the painting are preparing harvested hay before the storm comes. The storm is on the horizon but it is merely hinted at whereas the storm in the other painting is angry, violent and relentless in its quest.

Another example in this painting of its neo-classical roots is the expression on the faces of those in the picture. They are calm. They have purpose and they are not filled with emotion. The emotion that is so evident in the faces of the boat passengers in the other painting is absent in the second one.

While these things are obvious indicators of the styles used in each painting there are less obvious proofs of their use as well. In the painting Christ on the Sea of Galilee the lines are as unconventional as they can come. There is no obvious rhyme or reason to them.

They are not following any line that is discernable. This very detraction from straight and visible lines is another indicator of the romantic style with which...

Conversely The Storm has lines that are straight and clean. Even in the way the hay is bundled leads the eye on a path of pattern and that in itself has a calming affect on the total visual reaction the painting elicits.
The final evidence of the styles in these two paintings is the balance that each one uses. The Storm has balance. There are an equal number of objects in each area of opposite sides of the painting. This provides a calming and visual balance ot the painting. The other painting is out of balance. The boat is overloaded and the figure on the shore is but one. He is large and the figures in the board are small. There is no harmony or balance that the eye can see.

These two paintings are perfect examples of their respective styles. One is neo-classical and the other is romantically done but they both tell the story of their work.

While some paintings are obvious in their purpose and style there are some works in which part of the allure of the painting is the effort it takes to discern the style and emotion it is meant to extract from those who view it. Monet's Palazzo da Mula, Venice is a painting that causes one to work their eyes, brain and emotions to appreciate its excellence. One of the most interesting things about this painting is that the up close view, and the far away view provide different visuals as well as different emotions.

UP CLOSE

When this painting is viewed up close it is easy to note the impressionism that was used in its creation. The term impressionism has to do with the use of dabs and the use of primary colors that are not mixed for the purpose of depicting natural scenes and natural lighting. While the far away view of this painting does in fact provide a foundation for the understanding of impressionism the close up view takes it apart dab by dab and shows it for what it actually is. This panting is an illustrative example of impressionism because of the colors used as well as other things. When one sits close to the picture one can see the dabs that have been used to display openings such as windows and doors. One can also see the dabs that were used to give the affect of water in front of the building.

The figure in the opening of the building that is dressed in purple underscores the use of impressionism because up close one will see that it is nothing more than a dab that has no real definition. This is the foundational bottom line to the style. It is dabs that close up appear to be nothing more than dabs, but when one steps away all of the dabs come together and provide a picture with definition in the lighting, scene and lines.

The dabs of white are used to depict lighting throughout the painting is a classic example of impressionism and it is evident when one stands very close to the painting. This is not the only indicator of the style that was used however. Other indicators include the green that is used to depict shadows of the building being cast onto the water. When one is up close to the picture one can look at the painting and see a bunch of green dabs that do not seem to fit into the total picture. It is primary green, and it is not mixed with any other colors. The color is bright, bold and it does not seem to belong in the rest of the picture which is blue blue.

This part of the painting is a strong example of impressionism. The water uses the style to reflect light and that is an important aspect of the style. The water in this painting uses dabs of several primary colors. Close up the dabs look like dabs. They are hard to see in the total picture but they do show the viewer with a close up view the clarity of the style that is used in the work.

Looking at the painting up close provides a blurry depiction of the picture the artist wanted to convey. The reason for the blurriness is the constant use of dabs and undefined lines. When one sits close to the painting and observes its use of color and lights the colors become a blur. The green becomes separate from the blues and the blues separate from the white. It becomes much less clear what the lines are and what the shapes are. The shapes lose their definition…