The subject of death, which had been portrayed by the Neoclassicists
as a moment of universal nobility for humanity in general, became
for the Romantics an artistic device for the expression of
individual tragedy. The same themes that had been illustrated by
David or Canova were now burdened with a dark sense of tragedy. Dead
or dying figures became symbols of disintegration and decay,
particularly, as seen in the despairing figures painted by Gericault
and Delacroix.
The past became almost an organic and changing state of decay rather
than the static moment captured in Neoclassical painting. The Death
of Sardanapcilus, which illustrates a mythical antiquity with
precision and detail, is similar in mood to that evoked by Gustave
Flaubert's novel Salammbo (1862), set in ancient Carthage. Delacroix
expresses the relentless certainty of dissolution and decay; his use
of sumptuous decoration is a veneer that conceals the inevitable
progress towards death. The painting was harshly criticized for its
rejection of French classicism in both subject matter and style, not
least its bold and dynamic treatment of colour. Sleep, too, can be
seen as a state in close proximity to death.
Eugene Delacroix The Death
of Sardanapcilus 1827
Eugene Delacroix The Death
of Sardanapcilus 1827
Eugene Delacroix The Death
of Sardanapcilus 1827
In The Sleep of Endvmion by Anne-Louis Girodet-Trioson (1767-1824), the sleeping
figure of Endymion, with his young, almost childlike body, is bathed
in such an intense light that it seems it could almost consume him -
a reminder of the closeness of the state of sleep to that of death.
His interpretation, a reminder of the fleeting mortality of both
individuals and society, contrasts with the earlier Neoclassical
idealization of the past through myth. The American historical
painter Benjamin West (1738-1820) returned many times to the theme
of death and was successful in portraying contemporary scenes of war
and destruction with the pathos and heroism of a classical tragedy,
while still investing his work with an immediacy and contemporary
relevance. His apocalyptic Death on a Pale Horse, was important in
the Romantic movement, and it was hailed as prefiguring Delacroix.
West settled in London in 1763, and became the most successful
historical painter of his day, enjoying a profitable association
with George III. He succeeded Reynolds as President of the Roval
Academy in 1792.
Anne-Louis Girodet Trioson The Sleep of Endymion 1793
