Arts & Culture - War
Throughout the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries, there were many European conflicts, many of which resulted in vast wars. While interconnected warring throughout Europe was constant, the reasoning behind going to war changed greatly during the early modern period. At the beginning, Renaissance art was at its peak with many “wealthy cardinals and popes” desiring to display their power through art (Wiesner-Hanks, 161). Scholars began to use “Roman and Greek literature and art” to understand the world, marking the beginning of the Humanist movement (Wisener-Hanks, 158). Humanism focused on celebrating human achievement and helping people to become their best selves.
As people thought differently, it gave way to a rise in many divisions from the Catholic church, the most notable being Protestantism. Many rulers strove to keep their states religiously unified, resulting in bloody, religious warfare. A prime example of this is the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, where thousands of Protestants were killed. While rulers sought to quell the fighting by passing treaties like the Edict of Nantes or banning the open practice of religion, there still were many clashes.
This is a painting by François Dubois displaying the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre, an event in which thousands of French Protestants were killed by Catholic mobs. It marked a time in France where there was little religious tolerance, causing huge conflicts throughout the country.
[Original author: Connor Richards]
The issues of religion reached a critical point when intertwined alliances caused the majority of Europe to become enmeshed in the Thirty Years War. As the late Renaissance came to a close Baroque art became more widespread. This style of art worked to evoke strong emotions from its viewers with its heightened sense of drama (Motta). This made it perfect for capturing the spectacle of conflict, especially the immensity of the Thirty Years War.
This is a painting of a battle in the Thirty Years War by Jacques Courtois. The Thirty Years War caused immense destruction across Europe but disproportionately hurt the Holy Roman Empire’s lands, where fighting largely occurred. It left clear winners and losers: some countries like Italy were racked with immense debt and no way to pay it off.
At the end of the Thirty Years War the Peace of Westphalia was signed and the conflict came to a close. While the treaty marked the end of major religious conflicts, it did start the shift to political wars. Absolutism was on its rise; rulers wanted to consolidate their power, altering the logistics of war. The best example of this can be found in the Sun King, Louis XIV, and his royal court. Noblemen’s roles shifted from running armies and managing lands to vying for Louis’ attention at Versailles. Rococo art simultaneously became immensely popular among nobility. It was grandiose and put their wealth on display. Louis XIV utilized their competition to take over all “political and military affairs” showing how he consolidated power for himself (Wiesner-Hanks, 366).
This is a painting called the Triumph of Marius created by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. He was a popular Rococo painter. This style of painting was especially popular among nobles who wanted to display their wealth and power. The nobles found new ways to assert their powers as the rise of absolutism occurred.
People did not enjoy Rococo’s grandiose style forever and Neoclassicism formed as a reaction to it. Artists wanted their art to have a greater societal impact and they wanted to “transform society” with their work, instead of just having it be beautiful to look at ("Neoclassicism Movement Overview and Analysis"). This change in artists’ messages aligns with Enlightenment thinking.
Great thinkers of the time wanted to find new ways to improve humanity. Individualism became more prevalent and people actively sought out knowledge to keep themselves informed about politics. With the rise of print media, people also began to form nationalistic identities. Rulers used Enlightenment ideals to justify their authority in taking executive decisions with war. While the reasons behind warring changed, it still remained consistent throughout early modern Europe. Art cycled similarly throughout the period; while artists' purposes changed, it remained a prevalent part of Europe’s culture.