Staircase Group, otherwise known as Portrait of Raphaelle Peale and Titian Ramsay Peale, by Charles Willson Peale gives off the “window on the world” feeling by making it look like the viewer could step into the frame with the two sons of the artist. This portrait in particular was actually made for a museum of both art & science, so this painting is actually meant to show off illusionism, which is possible because the first two steps are actually a part of the frame & not the portrait. There’s also a reference to the museum in the painting, that being the very tiny piece of paper that's fallen on the second step.
From this painting, I took that illusionism idea to use in my own painting. I specifically wanted to make it seem like you’re actually in Squidward’s house watching him leave for work in a very disgruntled manner.
Oath of the Horatii by Jacques-Louis David portrays a story from Roman history, which instantly connects it to the re-revival of classic Rome. The father of the Horatii handing his sons swords & the sons willingly taking those swords to fight against the Curiatii of Alba, which shows them doing their civic duty, a very common theme in Neoclassical art. Similar to Renaissance pieces, this composition is very idealized with everyone in this 3D space standing (& sitting) in a straight line which also makes this composition rather simplistic as well. Adding on to the similarities of this painting & the classical works that inspired it, everyone in the piece looks very stoic, even the women in the background, who are supposed to be grieving over the inevitable loss of their partners, look like they’re just falling asleep on each other.
One of the main ideas I took was the general idea of fulfilling civic duty, shown through Squidward picking up his work hat. The one point perspective of the piece was also taken from this piece.
