Nymphs and a Satyr" and "The Dance."
Art has different forms and has different meanings for artists and art lovers. At times, the subject matter or painting style of two distinct artists brings forward similarities and contrasts of individual art period or art movement. The paper will discuss the formal treatment and iconography of “Nymphs and a Satyr" by Adolphe-William Bouguereau and "The Dance" by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux. It focuses on what they were used for and if they communicate a message and what is the cultural context behind. Adolphe William Bouguereau was born in France in 1825 and studied at Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris where he got his formal training in drawing. Later He joined a studio of a painter to study painting in an Academic style which was considered the best regarding historical and mythological concepts. He won the Prix De Rome in 1850 1. Many of his works exhibited the classical approach to form, composition and subject matter. He was a traditionalist who used Mythological themes to paint realistic genre paintings. On the other hand, Jean Baptiste Carpeaux born in 1827 was a leading sculptor who followed romanticism and neoclassicism in his art and created his own niche and stood apart. He like Boguereau went to the Ecole des Beaux during his beginning years and won the Prix De Rome in 1854 so, in a way both started their formal education at the same institute and also won the popular Prix De Rome 2 for their work. Bouguereau and Carpeaux both followed a well-planned approach to constructing their art
forms. Carpeaux while making “The Dance” (1865-1869) in white stone took two years to work
____________________1 "William-Adolphe Bouguereau Biography." 2016. bouguereau.org (May 10, 2016). http://www.bouguereau.org/biography.html2 "Jean Baptiste Carpeaux Facts." 2016. Biography.yourdictionary (May 10, 2016). http://biography.yourdictionary.com/jean-baptiste-carpeaux
on a series of modals to give the final shape to his sculptor. The Nude as a major motif surfaced frequently in Carpeaux large-scale allegorical works. His sculptures exhibited Romantic realism, which he outdid by his excellent skill of carving the human form and delicate and precise details of the surroundings. Bouguereau’s painting “Nymph and a Satyr” oil canvas (1873) showcased classical subjects, both pagan and Christian with a modern touch to it. His style can also be termed realistic; his creations had a photo-realistic style which he managed to create using detailed pencil and oil sketches.3 Bouruereau depicted a mythological story in his painting to be displayed at Salon of 1873 where as Carpeaux made the sculptor for the façade of an important second empire building “Garnier Opera.” There are quite a few similarities between the two creations such as both used nudes as a motif; both the creations present human body in a realistic way, “Nymph and a Satyr” presents three nymphs trying to allure the resisting Satyr. The fourth calling others for enjoying the presence of a Satyr being pushed into the water, one can see one of the hoofs in the water and “The Dance” shows Bachhantes naked around a winged genius. The subject matter discusses female sexuality in a bold and unusual way, in which females are portrayed seducing the male counterpart who is trying to resist the female touch. The body postures of the females show that they know as to what they want. Bouruereau painting used bright colors bringing life to the characters making it almost real. The fine lines used to depict emotions on the faces of the human figures is remarkable. It is because of the light and dark display of shadows that painting brings the right perspective. It beautifully shows the contrast between the feminine modesty and moral self-discipline. Although Carpeaux’s sculpture is white one does not feel the absence of
____________________3 "Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux Dance." 2016. musee-orsay (May 10, 2016). http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/collections/works-in-focus/sculpture/commentaire_id/dance-7147.html?tx_commentaire_pi1%5BpidLi%5D=842&tx_commentaire_pi1%5Bfrom%5D=729&cHash=7890be25a1-
colors, the emotions on the engravings are so clear that one can see the playful mood of the Bacchantes. There is no doubt that both artists were masters in their own style, and both represented an era in which they did not hesitate to share the nude motif considered as bad or vulgar. Although the media used by both the artist had been different, yet they share similarities echoing their love for bold and open expressions of art.
____________________1 Stevenho
BIBLIOGRAPHY
"Jean Baptiste Carpeaux Facts." 2016. biography.yourdictionary (May 10, 2016). http://biography.yourdictionary.com/jean-baptiste-carpeaux
"Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux Dance." 2016. musee-orsay (May 10, 2016). http://www.musee- orsay.fr/en/collections/works-in-focus/sculpture/commentaire_id/dance- 7147.html?tx_commentaire_pi1%5BpidLi%5D=842&tx_commentaire_pi1%5Bfrom%5D=729& cHash=7890be25a1
"William-Adolphe Bouguereau Biography." 2016. bouguereau.org (May 10, 2016). http://www.bouguereau.org/biography.html
