Taking the NeoClassical way

The Swing (French: L’escarpolette), 1767, Wallace Collection, London.

I admire the neoclassicism style. I choose to evaluate Jean-Honore Fragonard. The Swing and Nicolas Poussin, Et in Arcadia Ego.  Jean Honore’s The Swing painting represents the luxury of  that characterized the French aristocracy in the years before the Revolution. The scene depicts scandal, and teasing suggesting a secret love affair between the woman and the young man hidden in the bushes. As you can see there are two sculptures, both are babies with wings that allude to secret love and the passionate playfulness of the scene. One is actually cupid which represents secret of affair. The woman being pushed tosses off her shoe towards the Cupid statue and lets the young man, hidden from the older man, take a look up her dress.The deep shading in the corners gives the painting depth. One has its finger over the mouth probably representing that this love should be kept as a secret. The women on the swing is the main focus of the image and has a very bright pink dress on. It looks very luxurious of the and once again has a playful demeanor. Painting uses advancing colors, those that appear to come towards you. The husband pushing her into the position of the affair is symbolized by the husband pushing the swing.

Nicolas Pussin and Arcadia is a baroque style art that has a classical feel. As you can see the scene depicts four figures, ancient shepherds  that are standing around a tomb. They look very confused.  One is kneeled down trying to read whats on the tomb but then one turns his head to the women to basically trying to see if the women knows whats on the tomb. The description written on the tomb states “ I exist even in Arcadia”. Strong landscape and shadow on the tomb that gives painting depth. In this painting compared to the Jean Honore The swing there is really no symbolism in arcadia ego.

Arcadia EGo