Why do artists choose to work in a particular style? And how can style help viewers understand the meaning and historical significance of a work of art? This program seeks to answer these questions by contrasting Neoclassicism and Romanticism through the works of Jacques-Louis David and Caspar David Friedrich. David’s The Oath of the Horatii and Friedrich’s Abbey in an Oak Forest are examined in detail and compared to some of their other canvases as well as to paintings by Poussin, Boucher, Peyron, and Turner. An interview with renowned art historian Thomas Crow is included. Produced by the Open University. (30 minutes)