Neoclassicism - Tumblr Posts

Study

Alfred Boucher (1850-1934)

L’hirondelle blessée

The Birth of Venus by Henry Courtney Selous (1852)

Francesco Hayez (Italian, 1791–1882) • Ballerina Carlotta Chabert as Venus • 1830 • Museo di Arte Moderna e Contemporanea di Trento e Rovereto, Trento Provicence, Italy

Athenais by John William Godward (1908)

L'Amour et Psyché by Michel Philibert Genod (1827)

File:Godward-Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder-1912.

Undine Rising from the Waters, Chauncy Ives, marble on a rouge pedestal, 1884

versailles statue hunting: a thread soap opera

context, thing about being pagan: no public places to worship. no church, no temple, no shrine you can just walk into to say a prayer and leave. not to say these places don't exist, but the greek government isn't exactly jumping ready for me to bring a shit ton of candles and herbs to a unesco world heritage site. there are modern places to worship, but they're few and far between and mostly in california or glastonbury.

but hey ya know what IS literally everywhere in europe?

neoclassicism

that's right buddy my religion reinserted into a christian mindset to be used by the 18th-19th century european rich and powerful as they damn well please. inside the palace of versailles, it's offensive (cause louis XIV saw himself as the equivalent of the god apollo which -- no -- and also bro why'd you have our boi painted so pasty like that he's literally the sun), but oUTSIDE it's fabulous.

why?

the f o u n t a i n s. the s T A T U E S. my guy it was a pagan's dream walking out and seeing that. imagine a christian having not seen a cross in the flesh since they were eight and then going into a bible study class. i was losing my mind.

here is the chronology of that insanity.

A classical beauty by John William Godward (1861-1922). Collection of Fred and Sherry Ross.

Hebe, c. 1800-05. Antonio Canova Canova | Thorvaldsen. The birth of modern sculpture, exhibit at the Gallerie D’Italia