Representations of Freedom - Degas, David and Greuze Essay

Representations of Freedom - Degas, David and Greuze - Essay Example The essay "Representations of Freedom - Degas, David and Greuze" gives a review of paintings of Degas, David and Greuze. The paper also discovers familial representations of freedom in their works. Degas’ early works, which dealt with his own family members, showed that the matriarchal figure was in a state of repression due to the bourgeois class style in which they were living. In his later works, such as the brothel series, a freedom of individuality and family values were shown. The painting by Degas, Name Day of the Madam, shows a madam and her concubines looking towards her in ultimate respect, whereas in the familial paintings of his own family Degas’ showed that there was no respect given to the patriarch of the family. Degas used the brothel to show that even though the whores sold themselves for other people’s sexual desires, they are freer to act as a family, than the bourgeois families where the patriarch ruled with an iron fist. Furthermore, he also represented the fact that the bourgeois families act more like a forced business decision where discontent and discord is prevalent. Jaques-Louis David’s painting, The Sabine Women, shows that family life and values tended to be freeing themselves from the repression of antiquity. Thus, while working on the painting, he had stated to his students that his approach to his painting would be to hearken back to the Greek style and out of the repressive, constrictive style of the Romans. He, also, suggested the idea of paying an entry fee.