As you learned from our video this week on Enlightenment Art, there are some big differences between the frivolous “fluffy” art of the Rococo and the more “serious” history paintings of artists like Jaques Louis David.  Yet all art we’ve discussed this week has some interesting connections to the struggle for women’s equality in France, and beyond.

In this discussion you should pick one of the following paintings to write about.  Each of the paintings listed below is hyperlinked to more info about it and a short video.  You can use additional info from the videos/sources that are included in this module as well as my video on Enlightenment Art:

Fragonard’s The Swing

David Oath of the Horatii

Boucher Odalisque

In your response, provide a key quote from either Wollstonecraft or de Gouges and explain how it applies to the painting you discussed.  Be specific about what features of the painting you are connecting the reading to (is it the setting? the pose of the woman/en? the painting’s theme? etc.) and take time to analyze what you think your quote means and why you believe the connection is there.  

Once you’ve completed a post, respond to a classmate who selected a different painting.  Respond to their commentary by making a connection between the painting you selected and/or the quotation you selected.

In addition to my video on these paintings, once you’ve selected the painting you want to write about please watch the video or website linked in above for each work of art for some additional commentary from art historians (I’m merely an English Professor, folks!).

Your initial post is due on Thursday, March 3rd at 11:59PM

You should have responded to a classmate by Sunday, March 6th at 11:59PM