Painting for money : the visual arts and the public sphere in eighteenth-century England
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
Painting for money : the visual arts and the public sphere in eighteenth-century England
Published for the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art by Yale University Press, 1993, c1992
- : pbk
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Note
Includes bibliographical references (p. 302-306) and index
Description and Table of Contents
- Volume
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ISBN 9780300057416
Description
A distinctly modern art world energed in 18th-century England. The period witnessed the establishment of the first public spaces for the display of art, widespread discussion of artistic issues and commercial patronage of painting and sculpture. In this book, David Solkin discusses these phenomena, showing how developments in painting were related to the rapid growth of commerce and analyzing how the sudden light of public exposure affected pictorial practice and theory. Solkin examines the attempts by artists in the early 18th century to represent the world of commercial modernity. He finds that by the 1730s, the foundations had been laid for the production of certain innovative forms of public art that were designed specifically for a middle class audience. Market forces quickly transformed the traditional subject matter of historical paintings into something less high-minded and more popular, and many painters abandoned idealized forms and classical subjects and offered instead detailed portrayals of modern British themes.
At the same time, the image of the hero was transformed from a character of stern and stoic masculinity into a new paragon of sensitivity and benevolence, tailored to a non-heroic audience. The founding of the Royal Academy in 1768 marked an attempt to return to the standards of the past, but this did not check the growth of a new genre of British painting with its own inner dynamic, meaning and ambition.
- Volume
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: pbk ISBN 9780300067200
Description
The author of this study considers that a distinctly modern art world emerged in 18th-century England. The 18th century witnessed the establishment of the first public spaces for the display of works of art, widespread discussion of artistic issues, and the rise of an art market responsive to the tastes of a wide audience. This book discusses this phenomenon, showing how major developments in English painting accompanied rapid economic expansion, and how the sudden light of public exposure transformed pictorial theory and practice.
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