Art in Europe 1700-1830

by Matthew Craske

In an era of unprecedented change--rapid urbanization, economic growth, and political revolution--European artists from 1700-1830 were in the business of finding new ways of making, selling, and talking about art. Matthew Craske creates a totally new and vivid record of eighteenth- and early
nineteenth-century art in Europe, taking a critical view of such conventional categories as the "rococo," the "neo-classical," and the "romantic." He goes on to explore crucial thematic issues, such as changes in "taste" and manners, and the impact of enlightenment notions of progress, and at the
same time goes well beyond the usual geographic limits of surveys to include St. Petersburg, Copenhagen, Warsaw, and Madrid. The result is a refreshingly holistic text which sets the art of the period firmly in its social history.

Genres: Art, Art History, History, Nonfiction

320 pages, Hardcover

First published May 8, 1997

Reviews

[David C Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wide ranging survey with a lot of informed interpretation. Although Craske says he’s grounding his study in economic and social change (the growth of cities etc) it actually focuses more on contending nationalisms especially England v France. Covering so much ground there’s also occasional problems in defining trends: a few pages after saying artists moved away from court patronage positions, preferring the independence of the market, we find artists seeking such positions especially in Eastern Europe and Russia. The trend depended on the uneven modernization of European countries. Especially useful, particularly for an American, is the discussion of the how the time period saw history as biological.