Summary
Highlights
Voltaire's philosophy, exemplified by Joseph Wright of Derby's painting 'Experiment on a Bird in an Air Pump,' championed scientific advancement, societal improvement, and freedom of thought and religion. This painting showcases the Enlightenment's focus on education, reason, and knowledge, often with dramatic lighting and compositions.
In stark contrast to Voltaire, Rousseau believed that humanity was corrupted by arts, sciences, and society. He advocated for a return to a natural, primitive state, prioritizing emotional life over reason. Rousseau's ideas questioned the constant advancement championed by Voltaire.
Rousseau rejected the artificiality and opulence of the French Rococo style, favoring a 'natural' style that emphasized feelings and simple subject matter. Jean-Baptiste Greuze's 'The Village Bride' (1761) is presented as an example, depicting unsullied emotions and peasant life, aligning with Rousseau's belief in uncorrupted natural feelings, even when commissioned by the wealthy elite.
William Hogarth's 'The Breakfast Scene' from 'Marriage A-la-Mode' (1745) serves as another example reflecting Rousseau's ideas. Through satire and moralizing messages, Hogarth criticizes the wealthy's improprieties and corruption, highlighting the stark contrast to the 'natural' ideals Rousseau espoused. The painting details the decadent and irresponsible lives of an aristocratic couple, underscoring the societal flaws Rousseau criticized.
The Rousseauan influence also extended to portraiture, particularly in what is known as Grand Manner portraiture. Thomas Gainsborough's 'Mrs. Richard Brinsley Sheridan' (1785) exemplifies this style, depicting the sitter in an unpretentious, natural setting, communing with nature with informal dress and soft features. This style aimed to portray individuals as uncorrupted by society, emotionally connected to the natural world, and often followed a formula of a large-scale figure in an Arcadian landscape with a low horizon line, as seen in other works like Joshua Reynolds' 'Lady Jane Halliday'.