From art that reflects the dalliances of the aristocracy to paintings charged with revolutionary spirit, the art of the 18th century speaks to the tremendous changes experienced in Europe during the Enlightenment. While monarchs such as Louis XV and Catherine the Great commissioned palaces of unparalleled splendour, in Britain wealthy landowners and the emerging "middling classes" were the moving forces behind the new Georgian style. In Italy Canaletto employed the latest optical devices in painting his remarkable townscapes, while in North America Thomas Jefferson favoured Neoclassicism as an appropriate style for a newborn democracy. From amour to armour, the art of the 18th century captures it all!
This course will be presented as part of Curious Minds at HotDocs Cinema. Registration details will be posted when available.
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| Joseph Anton Feuchtmayer, Honey Thief, Pilgrimage Church, Birnau, 1748–57 |