War Prints 18th-19th Centuries
The period between the Seven Year's War (1756-1763) and the Bourbon Restoration (1815-1830) contains drastic shifts in political and social beliefs across Europe. Countries such as England, France, and Spain experienced numerous changes in government and international relations due to war and revolution. At the same time, the Age of Enlightenment reached its peak, centering on reason, rationality, and social and political liberty. In art, Enlightenment ideals were portrayed in the Neoclassical style and reflected Ancient Greek and Roman perceptions of harmony, balance, and symmetry. A great portion of this style is found in France and the Paris salons. However, in England there is political and social satire widely distributed in newspapers for all to see. The prints are topical and depict current events with humor to engage the viewer. Pieces by influential artists such as William Hogarth (1697-1764), Isaac Cruikshank (1764-1811), and James Gillray (1756-1815) influenced public opinion on numerous political and social matters through their satirical representations of political leaders and foreign groups. Often these prints were used to propagandize nationalist sentiment for the common person rather than the elite. Hogarth, though he considered himself a moralist, his Invasion series used caricature to call British citizens to arms against the French through stereotypes and fear of invasion at the start of the Seven Year's War. Cruikshank and Gillray used their work to criticize political leaders during the French Revolution. Their humorous depictions of stereotypes and ridiculous events comforted the public during wartime.
By the end of the eighteenth century, Romanticism evolved to react against Enlightenment ideals to instead promote individualism and emotional experience. Painting, prints, and sculptures now aimed to depict the depressing side of reality, rather than using satire to deflect. Romantic art advanced due to the Napoleonic Wars (1800-1815). French artist Théodore Géricault (1791-1824) illustrated soldiers' suffering and included those who lost limbs and sacrificed themselves for country other than their own. He not only portrayed French soldiers, he also reminded the viewer of the Mamelukes- the Arab soldiers enlisted into Napoleon's Grande Armée after the Battle of the Pyramids in 1798. During the Peninsular War in Spain, Francisco de Goya (1746-1828) depicted the civilian's suffering in a nightmarish way. His series Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) addresses how the Grande Armée tortured Spanish people and the consequential economic problems Spain faced after the French finally retreated. Despite differing perceptions of Napoleon as Emperor, these two Romantic artists agreed that war caused terror and pain.
These two periods reflect the shift in nationalism during and after war. British caricature during the Seven Year's War and French Revolution aimed to garner support and encourage young soldiers to join the army. Although the imagery is graphic, the ridiculousness it depicts engages the viewers with humor. On the other hand, French and Spanish Romanticism during and after the Napoleonic Wars represent the turn away from warfare to recognize the agony it causes. Because these artists used prints, their ideas are more available to a much wider audience than a singular painting.
By the end of the eighteenth century, Romanticism evolved to react against Enlightenment ideals to instead promote individualism and emotional experience. Painting, prints, and sculptures now aimed to depict the depressing side of reality, rather than using satire to deflect. Romantic art advanced due to the Napoleonic Wars (1800-1815). French artist Théodore Géricault (1791-1824) illustrated soldiers' suffering and included those who lost limbs and sacrificed themselves for country other than their own. He not only portrayed French soldiers, he also reminded the viewer of the Mamelukes- the Arab soldiers enlisted into Napoleon's Grande Armée after the Battle of the Pyramids in 1798. During the Peninsular War in Spain, Francisco de Goya (1746-1828) depicted the civilian's suffering in a nightmarish way. His series Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) addresses how the Grande Armée tortured Spanish people and the consequential economic problems Spain faced after the French finally retreated. Despite differing perceptions of Napoleon as Emperor, these two Romantic artists agreed that war caused terror and pain.
These two periods reflect the shift in nationalism during and after war. British caricature during the Seven Year's War and French Revolution aimed to garner support and encourage young soldiers to join the army. Although the imagery is graphic, the ridiculousness it depicts engages the viewers with humor. On the other hand, French and Spanish Romanticism during and after the Napoleonic Wars represent the turn away from warfare to recognize the agony it causes. Because these artists used prints, their ideas are more available to a much wider audience than a singular painting.