BLOG_Art_History

 TIME OF ENLIGHTENMENT

In the times of the enlightenment society was going through a change. The Baroque era was coming to an end, and entering a new time for the people. The art below was inspired by the Baroque era and yet it was also made during the time of the Enlightenment by artist, Joseph Wright. His focus on the faces of the people and the realism is remarkable. The art is so clean and clear which was a main point in the enlightenment era, and focused much on detail through each individual's face along with the scenery around them, the image looks like a picture was taken. Wright made this art piece called, “A Philosopher Giving A Lecture at the Orrery” back in 1765 and the art is currently hung in a museum in Derby, England. 

Joseph Wright of Derby, A Philosopher Giving A Lecture at the Orrery, c. 1765, oil on canvas, 147 x 203 cm

(https://smarthistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/orrery.jpg) 

So the enlightenment era marked a shift in the way people were thinking, because the people wanted a more clear understanding of the world around them. They wanted to see beauty and perfection, they wanted a more free way of living as they questioned a lot about how they already lived life, they went against the ideas of monarchy and much more. This time is an important moment as it states how the people created a change to society with new ideas.

 

Jean-Jaques Roussaeu, Du contrat social ou Principes du droit politique (or The Social Contract or Principles of Political Right), 1762, France

(https://ka-perseus-images.s3.amazonaws.com/1115ad84b7af85d47793fd460f719fbc4e9b1d84.jpg)

 In 1762 the idea of discarding the monarchy was expanded on and a book was written by Jean-Jaques, “Du contrat social ou Principes du droit politique” the book focused on the divine rights of having a leadership through the kings/queens and how the people are the true holders of power, it basically went against the ideology of having “Rulers”. They even were against religious authority and didn’t believe in the traditional ways of catholics, instead they had a new term called Deism which claims: that people have come from god, but god doesn’t make people do the things people do, instead god leaves us on our own to navigate the world ourselves, making our own decisions. With the enlightenment era the people felt as if with knowing more through science and through a new way of seeing clear that human society would improve itself. Then by 1789 the french revolution began and was a hard time on the people, and  at the same time the revolutionaries had an idea, they wanted a constitution that would at least limit the king's power, the constitution wasn’t accepted and failed, making the people take action to the next stage, a much bigger plan and they got rid of King Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette in 1792 for being loyal to the monarchy, this gave the people the power/freedom  they wanted for themselves. 

CITATION-

Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris, "The Age of Enlightenment, an introduction," in Smarthistory, January 7, 2016, accessed January 31, 2021, https://smarthistory.org/a-beginners-guide-to-the-age-of-enlightenment/.