Neoclassical (Augustan) art and literature

The 18th century Several kinds of literature/art Several kinds of literature/art Augustan Augustan Brutal and bawdy satire Brutal and bawdy satire The rising novel The rising novel Gothic romance Gothic romance Pre-Romantic poetry Pre-Romantic poetry

Augustan art and literature Augustus: Roman emperor Augustus: Roman emperor Defined English art and lit from the late 17th cent. until mid-18th cent. Defined English art and lit from the late 17th cent. until mid-18th cent. John Dryden, Jonathan Swift, Samuel Johnson, John Gay, Alexander Pope John Dryden, Jonathan Swift, Samuel Johnson, John Gay, Alexander Pope Painting: Joshua Reynolds Painting: Joshua Reynolds ‘Augustan’ – ‘Neoclassical’ ‘Augustan’ – ‘Neoclassical’

Basic tenets of Augustan art and criticism Pope’s „An Essay on Criticism” (1711?) Pope’s „An Essay on Criticism” (1711?) 1. Imitation of nature 1. Imitation of nature Aristotle: poetry is imitation (mimesis) Aristotle: poetry is imitation (mimesis)

‘First follow NATURE, and your Judgment frame By her just Standard, which is still the same; Unerring Nature, still divinely bright, One clear, unchang’d, and Universal Light, Life, Force, and Beauty, must to all impart, At once the Source, and End, and Test of Art’ (Pope, lines 68-73)

Versailles, Orangerie

‘to follow Nature’ ‘follow’: not the same as ‘imitate’ ‘follow’: not the same as ‘imitate’ Penetrating beneath the visible surface Penetrating beneath the visible surface Nature – reason Nature – reason Our own nature: reason Our own nature: reason (Descartes, Newton) (Descartes, Newton) Thomas Rymer: reason is a ‘guide to Nature’ Thomas Rymer: reason is a ‘guide to Nature’ ‘There is nothing in Nature that is great and beautiful without rule and order’ ‘There is nothing in Nature that is great and beautiful without rule and order’

Neoclassical art rejection of Baroque and Rococo rejection of Baroque and Rococo purification purification symmetry, order, clarity symmetry, order, clarity ‘great themes’’ ‘great themes’’

Jacques-Louis David: Oath of the Horatii

David: The Sabine Women

Palladian architecture Andrea Palladio (16th cent.) Andrea Palladio (16th cent.) Inigo Jones ( ) Inigo Jones ( ) 18th cent: Palladianism 18th cent: Palladianism

Andrea Palladio: La Rotonda, Villa Capra

Palladianwindow

Inigo Jones: Queens House (1635)

Inigo Jones: Wilton House (1640s)

Lord Burlington: Chiswick House (1729)

Radcliffe Camera, Oxford (James Gibbs, 1749)

The Neoclassical nude Jean-Baptiste Pigalle: Voltaire (1770-6)

Basic tenets of Augustan art and criticism 2. Imitation of the Ancients 2. Imitation of the Ancients ideal of the poeta doctus ideal of the poeta doctus Translation as tribute Translation as tribute Pope: Iliad, Odyssey Pope: Iliad, Odyssey Pope modelled his career on Horace and Virgil Pope modelled his career on Horace and Virgil ‘Those who say our thoughts are not our own because they resemble the Ancients, may as well say our faces are not our own, because they are like our fathers’ (Pope) ‘Those who say our thoughts are not our own because they resemble the Ancients, may as well say our faces are not our own, because they are like our fathers’ (Pope)

‘follow the Ancients’ ‘True Wit is Nature to Advantage drest, What oft was thought, but ne’er so well Exprest’ (298-9) ‘Just Precepts thus from great Examples giv’n, She [Greece] drew from them what they deriv’d from Heav’n.’ (98-99) ‘Learn hence for Ancient Rules a just esteem; ‘To copy Nature is to copy Them.’ ( ) ‘Nature and Homer were, he found, the same.’ (135)

Relationship to Antiquity Arcaeological discoveries Arcaeological discoveries Querrelle des Anciens et des Modernes (17-18th cent) Querrelle des Anciens et des Modernes (17-18th cent) Charles Perrault praising his contemporaries Charles Perrault praising his contemporaries Swift: Battle of the Books Swift: Battle of the Books

Basic tenets of Augustan art and criticism 3. The hierarchy of genres 3. The hierarchy of genres Art is like nature (timeless rules) Art is like nature (timeless rules) Great chain of being Great chain of being the epic the epic Dryden’s plan: King Arthur Dryden’s plan: King Arthur Pope’s plan: Brutus Pope’s plan: Brutus

Basic tenets of Augustan art and criticism 4. Decorum propriety, appropriateness part and whole Subject matter and genre/form/language Restraint, moderation

decorum ‘Expression is the Dress of Thought, and still Appears more decent as more suitable; A vile Conceit in pompous Words exprest, Is like a Clown in regal Purple drest; For diff’rent Styles with diff’rent Subjects sort, As several Garbs with Country, Town, and Court.’ ( )

Poetic diction sky sky cerulean, empyrean cerulean, empyrean fish fish ‘the scaly breed’ (Pope: Windsor Forest) ‘the scaly breed’ (Pope: Windsor Forest) Heroic couplets Heroic couplets Very strict rules (Shakespeare criticised) Very strict rules (Shakespeare criticised)

Basic tenets of Augustan art and criticism 5. Wit and judgement 5. Wit and judgement „For Wit and Judgment often are at Strife, „For Wit and Judgment often are at Strife, Tho’ meant each other’s Aid, like Man and Wife” (82-3) Tho’ meant each other’s Aid, like Man and Wife” (82-3) Imagination (originality, genius) – restraint, rules Imagination (originality, genius) – restraint, rules

Wit ’Tis more to guide than spur the Muse’s Steed; Restrain his Fury, than provoke his Speed; The wing’d Courser, like a gen’rous Horse, Shows most true Mettle when you check his Course.’ (84-88) ‘One glaring Chaos and wild Heap of Wit’ (292)

Basic tenets of Augustan art and criticism 6. The importance of poetry (=lit) 6. The importance of poetry (=lit) birth of criticism birth of criticism Treatises, scholarly editions, biographies, guidebooks, Treatises, scholarly editions, biographies, guidebooks, Critical debating societies (Scriblerus Club) Critical debating societies (Scriblerus Club) Magazines, journals – Addison and Steele Magazines, journals – Addison and Steele The Spectator (1711-2), The Tatler ( ), The Rambler, The Idler (Johnson) The Spectator (1711-2), The Tatler ( ), The Rambler, The Idler (Johnson)

Alexander Pope ( ) „This long disease, my life” (Epistle to Arbuthnot) Typical Neoclassical poet: poeta doctus Scriblerus Club Translations; Edition of Shakespeare Essay on Man (1733-4) The Dunciad (1728, 1740s) mock epic Yawn of Dulness: ‘And universall Darkness buries all’

The Rape of the Lock (1712, 1714, 1717) mock-(heroic) epic mock-(heroic) epic (Boileau, Gay, Csokonai, Petőfi, Arany) (Boileau, Gay, Csokonai, Petőfi, Arany) violating decorum: ordinary topic – elevated language violating decorum: ordinary topic – elevated language London high society lady (Belinda) London high society lady (Belinda) origin: trivial incident origin: trivial incident

Mock-epic Allusions to classical epics Allusions to classical epics Epic properties applied Epic properties applied Epic universe Epic universe Time-scale Time-scale Belinda’s eyes ‘eclipse the day’ Belinda’s eyes ‘eclipse the day’ Enumeration, battle, supernatural machinery, deus ex machina Enumeration, battle, supernatural machinery, deus ex machina

Aubrey Beardsley: Belinda’s Toilette (1890s)

The Rape of the Lock

The Battle of the Beaux and the Belles

Supernatural machinery Rosicrucian mythology (sylphs, gnomes, salamanders, nymphs) Rosicrucian mythology (sylphs, gnomes, salamanders, nymphs) Miniaturising Miniaturising Psychology: descent into the Cave of Spleen Psychology: descent into the Cave of Spleen

The Cave of Spleen

Henri Fuseli: The Cave of Spleen

Mock-epic language (something bad is prophesied) ‘Whether the nymph shall break Diana’s law, Or some frail China jar receive a flaw; Or stain her honour, or her new brocade; Forget her pray’rs, or miss a masquerade; Or lose her heart, or necklace, at a ball; Or whether Heav’n has doom’d that Shock must fall’ (II ) anticlimax (bathos)

Mock-heroic language Periphrasis Periphrasis Scissors: „two-edged weapon”; „little engine”; „glittering forfex”; „fatal engine”; „steel” Scissors: „two-edged weapon”; „little engine”; „glittering forfex”; „fatal engine”; „steel” Belinda: epic hero(ine) + Eve Belinda: epic hero(ine) + Eve Story about the war of the sexes Story about the war of the sexes

satire Dunciad; Gulliver; Beggar’s Opera Dunciad; Gulliver; Beggar’s Opera Satire: criticism plus mockery Satire: criticism plus mockery stable, consistent moral standard and position stable, consistent moral standard and position ATTACK+LAUGHTER+MORAL STANDARD ATTACK+LAUGHTER+MORAL STANDARD Attack without laughter: unfunny invective Attack without laughter: unfunny invective laughter without attack: pure comedy or humour laughter without attack: pure comedy or humour morality without the other two: didactic homily morality without the other two: didactic homily

William Hogarth: Marriage a la Mode

William Hogarth: Gin Lane

(Dr.) Samuel Johnson ( ) The Literary Club: Reynolds, Burke, Goldsmith, etc. The Literary Club: Reynolds, Burke, Goldsmith, etc. Magazines (Rambler, Idler; twice every week) (208 and 103 issues respectively) Magazines (Rambler, Idler; twice every week) (208 and 103 issues respectively) Dictionary (standardising) Dictionary (standardising) Poetry, tragedy, philosophical tale (Rasselas) Poetry, tragedy, philosophical tale (Rasselas) Edition of Shakespeare Edition of Shakespeare Lives of the Poets Lives of the Poets Boswell’s Life of Johnson (like Eckermann on Goethe) Boswell’s Life of Johnson (like Eckermann on Goethe)