1 Mary Raum,PhD Educaonal Shorts: Central Values of the Academies in the 17 th and 18 th Centuries Central Values of the Academies in the 17 th and 18 th centuries i By the 17 th and 18 th centuries, art academies had been established in France, Florence, Rome Italy, and England. ii Academic standards were derived from ongoing debates concerning arsc styles and techniques. What should take primacy, color, or design? Was the Frenchman, Poussin, or the Flemish Rubens the superior arst? iii From these arguments came several convenons concerning raonality, message, a depicon of historical figures in proper dress for the period, creaon of rules for linearity and foreshortening or, how to handle light. iv At the Academy of St. Luke in Italy, founded by Federico Zuccari (of the 16 th century) mannerism, then Northern mannerism style was desired with its intellectually sophiscated and exaggerated asymmetry and arficial and unrealisc rendions of beauty. Florennes respected painng style that combined shape equally with design plus color. To a Venean, a painng was esteemed if the shape was combined equally with the design fused with color. In Venice too, the ability of the student to mix color pigments was a requirement for ‘good’ art. French academies established a hierarchy of genres. v From preeminent to lesser they were history, portraits, genre, landscape with sll life being least esteemed. History painngs were beer plaorms from which to communicate a high-minded message. (“Academic Art: Characteriscs, History: Fine Arts Academies”) The Academy of Art in Rome promoted the style of academic art which prized true to life high-minded realism. In France, academic respect was for a style of art that fit neoclassical technique and symbolism. vi In England, the academy promoted the art of design due to the King’s emphasis upon commerce and placed less emphasis on ideals. vii Salons developed around each of these academies to show their pupils works of art. viii The Death of Socrates, by Jacques Louis David, painted in 1787 while associated with Académie Royale and submied at the Paris Salon perfectly captures the neoclassical style so valued by the Royal Academy. Its manner is subdued and austere and it is a statement against the fanciness and frivolity of Italian Rococo stylizaons. Coloraon is dark and uses rich tones of warm reds and cool blue hues. Those represented in the painng are wearing period-correct clothing and the subject maer is drawn from a historical era in classical anquity. “ As the academy had a tradional approach to art, realiscally-rendered painngs of historical, mythological, and allegorical scenes were favored, making David's piece an instant hit.” (“'The Death of Socrates,' a Neoclassical Painng by ...”)ix Some of the characters seem awkward however in the stance of their arms as if standing in the middle of a forum on the street ponficang. It is evident statues were used as references to the humans in the painng. There are no brush strokes, the work is smooth and glossy.