FREEDOM AND REVOLUTION IN ART: 3D Gallery

George Washington

George Washington is a sculpture by Jean Antoine Houdon from 1790 CE. In the sculpture, Washington is dressed in contemporary clothing which not only displays his status as a general but also as a plantation owner. After the successful conclusion of the American Revolutionary war, many governments commissioned portraits of heroes to commemorate the occasion. Given his critical role in Virginia and the colonial cause, it is no surprise that Washington was a prime candidate for these commemorative portraits which communicate notions of freedom.

Death of Marat

The Death of Marat is an oil painting by Jacques Louis David from 1793 CE. This painting was completed during the French Revolution, after the radical Jacobins had taken control of the French government. The subject, Marat, was a violent man and a fiery orator who strongly supported the radical groups in power. This painting shows how gruesome revolution can be and the lengths to which people will go for their freedom.

And There's Nothing To Be Done

And There's Nothing to be Done is an etching by Francisco Goya from 1810 CE. This etching is one of a series of 82 images depicting the horrors of the Napoleonic Wars in Spain. These were wars in which Napoleon Bonaparte of France put his own brother in charge of Spain, causing violence throughout the country. This piece shows that war and revolution are horrid and destitute, and have lasting effects on the people.

Greece on the Ruins of Missolonghi

Greece on the Ruins of Missolonghi is a romantic oil painting from 1826 CE. This painting was inspired by the Third Siege of Missolonghi by the Ottoman forces in 1826, during which many people of the city after the long-time siege decided to attempt a mass breakout to escape famine and epidemics. This painting is part of the Romanticism movement, a new interest in the glory of battle, revolution, and the exotic. Delacroix, like many European artists and intellectuals, was a fervent supporter of the Greek cause, and used this work to romanticize the struggles of the Greeks in battle fighting for their freedom.

Liberty Leading the People

Liberty Leading the People is a romantic oil painting by Eugene Delacroix from 1830 CE. This work illustrates the events of the Revolutions of 1830 in France. During these revolutions, the people of France attempted to overthrow the Bourbon monarchy in favor of Louis Philippe, the “citizen king.” Delacroix would have us believe that everyone can be a revolutionary. In doing so, Delacroix completed what has become both a defining image of French romanticism and one of the most enduring modern images of revolution.

The Slave Ship

The Slave Ship is a romantic oil painting by J.M.W. Turner from 1840 CE. This work shows an incident where a slave ship captain threw his sick slaves overboard in order to avoid losing money. Here, Turner highlights the unfair treatment of slaves at the time and makes a statement about the horrors of slavery and the modern age. This painting communicates notions of freedom by depicting a scene with roaring and tumultuous waves that seem to destroy everything in their path. Turner's aims were to take unique aspects of nature and find a way to appeal strongly to people's emotions.

The Burghers of Calais

The Burghers of Calais was a sculpture by Rodin from 1885 CE. Rodin was commissioned by the French city of Calais to create a sculpture that commemorated the heroism of Eustache de Saint-Pierre, a prominent citizen of Calais, during the dreadful Hundred Years’ War between England and France. Instead of depicting the elation of victory, the threat of death is very real. Furthermore, Rodin stretched his composition into a circle causing no one man to be the focal point which allows the sculpture to be viewed in-the-round from multiple perspectives with no clear leader.

A Book From The Sky

A Book From the Sky is a multimedia presentation by Xu Bing from 1987 CE. Unlike previous works in this exhibit, this piece deals with a cultural revolution, Chairman Mao’s radical transformation of Chinese culture (1966-76). Book from the Sky appeared in the famous "China/Avant-Garde" exhibition in 1989, where China’s artistic "radicals" first entered the National Gallery in Beijing on a grand scale. The work incorporates four books, composed of some 4,000 Chinese characters invented by the artist and wholly unreadable. The written word became his art, his weapon, and the means for his critique of Chinese art and culture.

Rebellious Silence

Rebellious Silence is a photograph with ink by Shirin Neshat from 1994 CE. This work deals with the Islamic revolution in Iran, and the cultural implications it had for women. As an outspoken, feminist and progressive artist, Neshat was aware that it would be dangerous to show her work in conservative modern-day Iran, and she was exiled from her home. For audiences in the West, the "Women of Allah" series has showed a contemplation of common stereotypes and assumptions about Muslim women, and served to challenge the suppression of female voices in any community, however in the East, it serves to show how women in Iran would die for their religious beliefs.

Sunflower Seeds

Sunflower Seeds is an installation by Ai Weiwei from 2010 CE. Like a Book from the Sky, this work also deals with the cultural revolution in China. In Chinese propaganda, Chairman Mao is often depicted as the sun with his people, sunflowers, surrounding him lovingly. Ai Weiwei critiques political and economic injustice in this work by advocating for the freedom of his fellow citizens. By commissioning 1,600 people to hand craft 100 million porcelain sunflower seeds, Ai Weiwei shows the importance of individuality, breaking with the ideals of Chairman Mao’s cultural revolution.

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FREEDOM AND REVOLUTION IN ART