Artwork Comparison Sample Essay
Pilgrimage to Cythera vs. Wanderer above a Sea of Mist
The paper compares Pilgrimage to Cythera by Watteau and Wanderer above a Sea of Mist by Caspar David Friedrich. The essay will discuss how the two different moments displayed the nature of the scenes differently. Both artworks made a significant contribution to the 18th and 19th century Rococo and romanticism art movements (Cowart). Watteau's The Pilgrimage of Cythera is presented in the Rococo style as a fantasy island seclusion story of love, brightness, and color. On the other hand, Wanderer above a Sea of Mist presents a quintessential Romantic artwork of accurate records of observations made by Caspar David Friedrich Wanderer. Unlike Watteau, Friedrich presents scenes as cold, alone, and stiff because his aesthetic began as a reaction against the Enlightenment values that partially contributed to a bloody French Revolution. As a result, the essay will compare and contrast the stylistic characteristics and cultural context between the two works of art.
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Stylistic Characteristics Analysis
"Pilgrimage to Cythera"
was presented by Watteau utilizing the Period style of Rococo, while Wanderer
Above the Sea of Mist was presented by Caspar David Friedrich utilizing the
period style of Romanticism. Pilgrimage to Cythera is characterized by an
elaborate pastel color palette, Rubenesque brushwork, and small-scale ornamentation.
The Pilgrimage of Cythera in Rococo style is a fantasy island seclusion of love
setting, the birthplace of Venus. The artwork captures the frivolity and
sensuousness of Rococo painting, but it also captures the stages and growing
nature of love. The style of artworks often displays themes of romance,
youthfulness, classical myths, and playfulness. Therefore, the period style of
Rococo entailed a combination of the French rocaille, due to the heavy usage of
shell-like curves, and the Italian Barocco style because of its decorative
nature.
However, Wanderer above the Sea
of Mist utilizes a style characterized by an expressionistic color palette,
expressionistic brushwork, large scale, and emotion. According to the research,
the Wanderer Above the Sea of Mist was a self-portrait of the artist. The
figure stands in contemplation and self-reflection, mesmerized by the haze of
the sea fog as if it were a religious and spiritual experience. The image also
portrays the image as one which wonders at that moment about the unforeseen
future. Friedrich took what he observed and created something from his heart,
feelings, and ideas. Nevertheless, the painting's influences tie back to
Romanticism, for it is about creating something from one's feelings based on
what one saw. Friedrich also chose a landscape as his subject matter instead of
the figure in the painting, which influenced Romanticism by displaying the
maternal and consoling quality of nature.
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Cultural Context Analysis
The cultural content utilized by
Watteau in "Pilgrimage to Cythera" includes Fete Galante, the
cultural theme of pleasure, sensuality, romance, intimacy, and Shiny, reflected
aspects throughout the painting. The term Fete Galante which means the amorous
festival is used in this painting to show the upper-class society enjoying
outdoor gatherings. The artwork manages to significantly influence the
18th-century art movement by introducing the fête Galante, vibrant colors, and
bold brushstrokes. As a result, themes of courtship, falling in love, and
love's triumph are magnificently fused in Pilgrimage to the Isle of Cythera.
Wanderer above the Sea of Mist
portrays cultural context, including sublime and favored subject matter to show
freedom, individuality, self-preservation. Romanticism started a new
perspective towards art, especially landscapes, where many artists started to
portray their ideas visually. The author also went against the norm by painting
the canvas vertically, not horizontally, because the artists did things their
way. The painting portrays a man standing in a landscape wherewith to share his
personal experiences by showing a man's back. As a result, the artist managed
to present artwork that showed the dark times, which marked an evolution by
presenting an image that signifies cold, alone, and stiffness.
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Conclusion and Thematic Connection
The thematic connection between
the two artworks includes the fact that they influenced the art movements
through how they were painted, the subject matter, and the meaning behind the
paintings. Both artists are very expressive of emotions where they use their
respective brushwork to help express the emotions. The themes of courtship,
falling in love, and love's triumph is magnificently fused in Pilgrimage to the
Isle of Cythera Additionally, both paintings have hints of pinks and muted
blues used differently to express different things. Therefore, Both artworks
made significant contributions to the Rococo and Romanticism art movements.
Watteau's The Pilgrimage of
Cythera is presented in the Rococo style as a fantasy island seclusion story of
love, brightness, and color.On the other hand, Wanderer above a Sea of Mist
presents a quintessential Romantic artwork of actual records of observations
made by Caspar David Friedrich Wanderer. Unlike Watteau, Friedrich presents
scenes as cold, alone, and stiff because his aesthetic began as a reaction
against the Enlightenment values that partially contributed to a bloody French
Revolution. The paper concludes that the two different movements caused these
two nature scenes to be depicted so differently, where Watteau's is filled with
love, brightness, and color while Friedrich's can be seen as cold, alone, and
stiff.
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Work cited
“Wanderer above the Sea of FOG By Caspar David
Friedrich.” The Artist, 20 Dec. 2018,
www.the-artists.org/wanderer-above-the-sea-of-fog/.
Abeza, Dawit. “Wanderer above the Sea of Fog
Analysis.” ATX Fine Arts, 26 Aug. 2019,
www.atxfinearts.com/blogs/news/wanderer-above-the-sea-of-fog-analysis.
Cowart, Georgia.
"Watteau's "Pilgrimage To Cythera" And The Subversive Utopia Of
The Opera-Ballet". The Art Bulletin, vol 83, no. 3, 2001, p.
461. JSTOR, doi:10.2307/3177238.
Singer, James W. “Jean-Antoine Watteau, Pilgrimage
to the Isle of Cythera.” DailyArtMagazine.com - Art History Stories, 15 Sept.
2019,
www.dailyartmagazine.com/painting-of-the-week-jean-antoine-watteau-pilgrimage-to-the-isle-of-cythera/.
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