In art history, art is classified into a certain period or style based on the overwhelmingly similar characteristics that individual works of art share with one another. Both time and style are among the many of determinates that help art historians classify art into such a classification. This classification can be taken one step further as demonstrated by Heinrich Wolfflin in his book "Principles of Art History." Wolfflin wanted to make studying art more than a "dull recording of facts" (Minor, 110). He wanted to look at art with a scientific approach. With this in mind, we take a look at "Hagar and the Angel" painted by Louis de Boullogne the Younger around 1710. .
To better understand the "Hagar and the Angel," we should first understand the historical context in which it was produced. "Hagar and the Angel" came about between 1710 and 1720 in France. During this period Louis XV was the king of France. The Rococo is thought to be the final stage of the Baroque period. It lasted the span of Louis XV life 1715-1774. The term rococo comes from the French word rocialle meaning rock work. The rock works, like the paintings of this era, are light hearted, easy going when it comes to subject matter. The overall style of the 1700s can be summed up by its "lightness, delicacy, and elaborate ornamentation" (Rococo Style, Encarta). In one word the rococo phase is all about fantasy. It is a diversion from real life and a celebration of love. .
In an attempt to better understand the "Hagar and the Angel" in an art historical fashion we will look at it with a scientific approach as Wolfflin suggests. First we must determine is the picture is linear or painterly. This category deals primarily with line. If we take a look at the edges of the figures we can see the edges are blurred and not just a solid line structure standing out from the background. As a result the blurred edges portray the image as a whole and one continuous piece.
