Juste Milieu Movement...

July Monarchy and Juste Milieu Movement

The July Monarchy (1830-1848) was a period of liberal monarchy rule of France under Louis-Philippe. Charles X of the House of Bourbon was overthrown in the July Revolution, and was succeeded on August 9, 1830 by Louis-Philippe. July Monarchy is the name given to the reign of the Orléanist king Louis-Philippe. He came to power in 1830 after the Parisian insurrection of the July Day had driven Charles X from power into exile. In some respects the July Monarchy was a continuation of the previous regime, with a monarch, two chambers, and a small, wealthy electorate (though this continued to grow significantly throughout the reign). On the other hand, the style of the regime was less reactionary; there was greater press freedom and an extension of popular education. It was a period of industrial growth, in which the power of the rich bourgeoisie was consolidated (and became a favourite target of satirical writers and artists, from Stendhal to Daumier). Henri Monnier's Joseph Prudhomme symbolizes the middle-class smugness associated with the regime.

There were pro-Bourbon movements under the July Monarchy, but it also saw the growth of working-class movements. The regime fell in February 1848, partly as a result of economic difficulties, though the immediate trigger was the government's refusal to allow a patriotic banquet. Louis-Philippe abdicated on 24 February and took refuge in England.After Louis-Philippe became a king; he called himself “the king of French” instead of “king of France”. Why? Because he wanted to show the people he was the king of people and he was there for people of France. July monarchy witnessed two major events, 1- expansion and arrives of middle class, 2- begging of socialism.
Louis-Philippe ruled for a political policy called Juste milieu. "Juste milieu" translates as “the right mean,” or the “happy medium” or “ just medium”. These artists aimed for a middle way between the Impressionist and Academic camps. Juste milieu was not extremely conservative and was not very liberal. It was right in the middle for everyone. Juste milieu is a name given to both a philosophy of painting and a movement of painters in 19th century France. During Juste Milieu period there were several changes in art. At the end of July monarchy Juste Milieu became a style and movement. It means that artists took the best of Romanticism and Neoclassicism and put them together in order to make this particular movement. We also see some orientalist subject matter and landscape paintings. Gerome, Flandrin, Couture, and Cabanel are some artists who painted in Juste Milieu.
There was also a crucial period for French art culture. Before that time high art was only for upper class people to see them. So they would go to the museum to see the art pieces. Whereas so many people could not be able to see them. Salons were highly event at that time. There were held one or two times per year. Because of the expanding of the middle class during at that time, and portraits became everybody’s life. Before July monarchy they had 100 to 2000 entries for paintings but during July monarchy raised to 3400 paintings, which exhibited at salon. So with arise of paintings we had arise of people as well. People who used to go to the salon were wealthy, educated about art and knew the artists, but now there were so many people that had no idea about art and did not know anything about artists at all. So artists realized that and tried to paint something more acceptable for majority of people. Because artist exhibited their work at salons in order to sell them and make money, so salons basically became commercial industries and a business place for them. Therefore they took neoclassicism and Romanticism and made sure there was nothing too difficult for people on canvas. So there was no philosophical or political aspect between the piece and viewers unlike what Delacroix believed.
The artists wanted you to feel and realize that you know what art is and flatter you in some sense. Other wise they could not sell their pieces at all and people would walk away like Tony smith piece.

http://charon.sfsu.edu/publications/ParisExpositions/JulyMonarchyExpos.html
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1848guizot.html
http://www.answers.com/topic/july-monarchy