Western Art Movements I Art Movements    

Lesson 18: Neoclassicism - Marie Antoinette and her Children (1787)

by Élisabeth Vigée-Lebrun

Directions

Study the artwork for one week.

Over the week:

• Examine the artwork.
• Read the synopsis.
• Study the vocabulary words.
• Recite the artist and artwork names.
• Read about the artwork's movement.
• Complete the enrichment activities.
• Discuss the review questions.

Synopsis

The next example of Neoclassical art is Élisabeth Vigée-Lebrun's 1787 history painting, 'Marie Antoinette and her Children.' In 1770, when she was only 14, Marie Antoinette, daughter of a Holy Roman Emperor and an Empress of Austria, married King Louis XVI of France and became his queen consort. The people of France believed the Queen was frivolous and wasteful with money. When the economy soured, the French people blamed the King and Queen. Both the King and Queen were found guilty of treason and executed. The painting shows Marie Antoinette clad in a red velvet gown and accompanied by her three eldest children. Her daughter, Marie Thérèse, looks up at her, holds her arm, and leans against her shoulder. Her youngest son, Louis XVII, sits on her lap. Her eldest son, the Dauphin, reveals an empty cradle in remembrance of Madame Sophie, the eleven-month-old baby daughter Marie Antoinette lost. In the background, a curtain is pulled back to show the location - the famed Hall of Mirrors at Versailles.

Vocabulary

Queen Consort: The wife of a reigning king.
Treason: The crime of betraying one’s own country.
Holy Roman Emperor: The monarch (ruler) of the Roman Empire, an area of Central Europe between 962 CE and 1806.
Empress: The female monarch (ruler) of an empire.
Empire: A political unit having an extensive territory and ruled by a single supreme authority.
Dauphin: The eldest son of the king of France.

Concepts

Featured Movement:

1. Timeline - 1700s-1800s
2. Name - Neoclassical

Neoclassical Movement Characteristics:

1. Inspired by Antiquity ('The Death of Socrates' [4] by Jacques-Louis David in 1787)

2. Simplicity - Line Drawings and Prints ('Scene in Homer's Iliad' by John Flaxman in 1795)

Neoclassical Movement Subjects:

1. Fiction ('King Lear in the Storm' by Benjamin West in 1788)

2. Greek and Roman Mythology ('The Fight Between Mars and Minerva' by Jacques Louis David in 1771)

3. History Painting ('The Death of General Wolfe' by Benjamin West in 1770 [5])

Neoclassical Architecture:

1. Colonnades - Series of Columns (The Madeleine Church in Paris, France, completed in 1828)

2. Porticos - Small Spaces with Roofs Supported by Columns (Portico of the U.S. White House, built starting in 1792)

3. Capital - Uppermost Part of Column (Capital with bundled corn stalks installed in the U.S. Capitol Building in 1809)

4. Friezes (Academy of Athens in Athens, Greece, designed in 1859)

5. Flat Roofs and Straight Lines (Altes Museum in Berlin, Germany built between 1823 and 1830)

Enrichment

Activity 1: Can You Find It?

Find the following in the artwork:

• Marie Antoinette
• Marie Thérèse
• The Dauphin
• Louis XVII
• Empty Cradle
• Lace Collars and Sleeves
• Red Velvet Gown
• Bows
• Sashes
• Something Fringed
• Foot on a Pillow
• Pearl Earrings and Bracelet
• Something in Remembrance of Madame Sophie

Activity 2: Narrate the Artwork

• After studying the artwork, narrate the scene shown aloud using your own words.

Activity 3: Discuss 'Let Them Eat Cake'

• The famous statement, 'Let them eat cake,' was attributed to Marie Antoinette in the 1800s.
• Legend is that Marie Antoinette callously uttered the statement upon hearing of the famine of the French people.
• However, modern scholars doubt Marie Antoinette ever said this phrase.
• Showing empathy for her people, Marie Antoinette wrote in a letter, 'It is quite certain that in seeing the people who treat us so well despite their own misfortune, we are more obliged than ever to work hard for their happiness.'
• Has anyone ever blamed you for something you didn't say or do? Discuss any instances.

Activity 4: Visit Versailles

• The featured painting is housed at the palace of Versailles in France.
• Study the immensity of the palace and the gardens below.

• The featured painting is set right outside the Versailles Hall of Mirrors. Examine the Hall of Mirrors below.
• Can you find any similarities between the windows in the featured painting of Marie Antoinette and the photo below?

• Versailles is located near Paris, France. Find Paris on the map below.

Activity 5: Classify the Artwork

• This artwork belongs to the Neoclassical art movement.
• Find the Neoclassical art movement on the timeline.
• During which (estimated) years did the Neoclassical art movement flourish?
• Which art movement preceded the Neoclassical art movement?
• Which art movement followed the Neoclassical art movement?

Activity 6: Recreate the Artwork   

• Click the crayon above and complete page 21 of 'Fourth Grade Art History Coloring Book.'

Review

Question 1

Who are the characters in the artwork?

1 / 5

Answer 1

The characters are Marie Antoinette and her three eldest children.

1 / 5

Question 2

What is the setting of the artwork?

2 / 5

Answer 2

The setting is the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles.

2 / 5

Question 3

To which western art movement does this painting belong?

3 / 5

Answer 3

This painting belongs to the Neoclassical art movement.

3 / 5

Question 4

How is this painting reflective of the Neoclassical art movement?

4 / 5

Answer 4

The Neoclassical art movement often featured notable historical figures, such as Marie Antoinette.

4 / 5

Question 5

During which century was this artwork created?

5 / 5

Answer 5

Kauffmann painted this artwork in the 18th century.

5 / 5

❮ ❯

1. Who are the characters in the artwork? The characters are Marie Antoinette and her three eldest children.
2. What is the setting of the artwork? The setting is the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles.
3. To which western art movement does this painting belong? This painting belongs to the Neoclassical art movement.
4. How is this painting reflective of the Neoclassical art movement? The Neoclassical art movement often featured notable historical figures, such as Marie Antoinette.
5. During which century was this artwork created? Kauffmann painted this artwork in the 18th century.

References

'Marie Antoinette.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.

'Let Them Eat Cake.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.

'Marie Antoinette and her Children: An Icon of French Painting.' National Gallery of Canada. www.gallery.ca/magazine/in-the-spotlight/marie-antoinette-and-her-children-an-icon-of-french-painting. n.p.

'Neoclassical Art.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.

'Neoclassical Architecture.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.