Introduction
Rococo artist Charles-Andre van Loo is known primarily for his magnificent portraits of the European elite and fashionable society in the middle of the 18th century. Despite having many stylistic preferences and simple technical skills, he was regarded as a significant painter of historical and religious topics in France. Many painters were influenced by his extraordinarily realistic, intricate classic scenes (DeLouche, 2021). His paintings often show the vibrant and exuberant thirst for life that characterized the Rococo period. In addition to earning good money for his portraits, van Loo found that his “adorable” drawings of kids acting like adults were quite appealing (DeLouche, 2021). He painted a few pieces pertaining to the arts in 1753, specifically The Painter and The Architect. Van Loo’s paintings clearly acord to the carefree style of the Rococo and play an essential role in the art revolution, due to his wise choice of colors and motives.
Main body
All art is connected to the society that created it, and van Loo’s The Painter and The Architecture paintings perfectly fit into the Rococo historical period, in which they were made. This is because van Loo concentrated on light and pastels in his candy-colored settings that caught a more delicate essence, as did the artists of that era (DeLouche, 2021). That was also demonstrated in van Loo’s work through the elaborate costumes exhibited by the figures; some are dressed in 18th-century attire, and others in France garb with slashed silk sleeves and lacy ruffles. The use of organic motifs, curved lines, gentle hues, and subjects relating to nature, humor, lighthearted entertainment, youth, and love, all exhibited in van Loo’s paintings, were characteristics of the Rococo movement in the 18th century (DeLouche, 2021). Therefore, the works of the painter correspond to the Rococo stylistics.
Another reason why the paintings fit into the historical period, Rococo was due to several occurrences that were happening during that time in history, particularly the change of view on childhood. In France, childhood came to be seen as a distinct stage of human development from maturity in the 18th century. Before this new view of childhood, young people were perceived as weak, illogical, and primitive little adults who needed to be controlled to avoid succumbing to their inborn animalistic instincts. As a result, children came to be seen as role models of virtue and valued for their inherent goodness and innocence. This led French artists like Charles-Andre van Loo to start creating genre paintings and portraits emphasizing play, imagination, and mimicry as parts of a child’s intellectual, moral, and physical development, clearly portrayed in his 1753 paintings (DeLouche, 2021). Thus, his paintings reflect the historical period they were made in.
Van Loo’s paintings were organized in a complementary color scheme, which he thought was a simple yet effective way to express his design to highlight the narrative rhythm and the dramatic poses of the people. Additionally, it provided a dynamic image that fits in stylistically to the art historical context that followed. van Loo’s work is related to both the early tapestry art designs and subsequent etchings, which resulted to other artists drawing inspiration from van Loo’s style throughout their careers (DeLouche, 2021). His art style breaks free from the standard artistic style used in Madame de Pompadour, who employed a different creative approach than him.
Conclusion
It can be concluded, that Van’s use of symbolic themes and child subjects in his artistic depictions fit stylistically to the art historical context that preceded it. Art enthusiasts and historians today view Charles van Loo’s style as a game changer because his portraits were generally excellent, and his paintings of children were unique. Charles van Loo’s 1753 paintings, The Painter and The Architect, brought a tremendous stylistic revolution in children’s art paintings and had a substantial artistical impact on history. In general, Charles van Loo paintings are a part of the Rococo and offer a stylistic path for the artists that come later on in the future.
Reference
DeLouche, S. (2021). Art and architecture in 18th-century Europe. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Religion. Web.