es the use of light help the viewer understand the ideals of each form of art? While Fragonard chooses to focus on a female and David chooses to focus on a male, the viewer now understands how Rococo can be a feminine form of art and Neo-Classicism the opposite. In addition, other stylistic elements like color and form depict how each art form differs from the other. By using all this visual evidence, we will later see how the concept of deciding is presented depending upon which form of art is conveying its ideals. Soft colors like, pinks and pastels are usually linked to femininity. The colors used in The Swing are soft pastel-like colors that best illustrate the painting’s femininity. The masculine ideals imposed by Neo-Classicism are even evident in David’s use of color. The colors presented in his work are solid, which suggest a male’s ability at making a solid and just decision. On the other hand, the colors used in The Swing are not pure but mixed. Mixing red, yellow, and white probably created the shade of pink in the young woman’s dress. This lack of purity conveyed in the colors of The Swing makes it clear to the viewer that a female’s decision lacks solidness as well as clarity. The forms used in the painting also illustrate how the process of deciding is dependant upon which style of art is representing the process. As we continue to utilize this theme of femininity versus masculinity, we can see how the composition of each painting depicts each contrast. The Swing places the viewer inside an outdoors setting that is clearly soft, curvy, and feminine. The Death of Socrates takes place in an indoor setting marked by its attention to geometry, straight lines, and 90-degree angles. When looking at the setting in Fragonard’s work, we can see that there is no sense of order or structure, the same that are conveyed in David’s The Death of Socrates. This lack of order or struct...
