A. Almanzar Final Comparitive Art Analysis Essay PDF

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Artist: Jan Steen Title: The Merry Family Date: 1668 Medium: Oil Dimensions: 110.5 x 141 cm Cultural origin: Dutch Stylistic movement: Dutch Baroque Current location: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Artist: Van Gogh Title: The Potato Eaters Date: 1885 Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 82 x 114 cm Cultural origin: Dutch Stylistic movement: Postimpressionism Current location: Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

Apolonia Almanzar FAS 202: Introduction to Humanities II Southern New Hampshire University December 12, 2021

Art and Portrayal of Family Meal

In this paper, I will evaluate two works of art that share the theme “portrayal of family meal.” The first work of art is a Baroque oil painting by the Dutch artist Jan Steen and is titled The Merry Family. It was painted in 1668, its dimensions are 110.5 x 141 cm, and it is kept at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The second work of art is a postimpressionist oil on canvas painting by the Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh and is The Potato Eaters. It was painted in 1885, its dimensions are 82 x 114 cm, and it resides at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. Although these works of art portray two very culturally different families with different up bringing, they represent not only family values but also the loss of the traditional family meal. No matter the circumstances or the culture, both families come together with one another, take time out their day to enjoy a meal together, but not in the customary way. Although both paintings were created during different time periods, they both represent the idea of family, morals, and the departure of tradition. These two famous works share a similar theme with an art piece by Matt Wuerkers. The image shows a family having a thanksgiving dinner, but everyone is on their phone. This coincides with the theme because this shows the loss of tradition when it comes to enjoying a family meal together.

Jan Steen’s oil painting, The Merry Family, was painted in the Netherlands during the Baroque period. Jan Steen depicts family morals and structure based on the actions of the elders. He normally tried to depict his own family and the Netherland way, but with some humor. Jan Steen’s painting depicts family morals and structure by showing the messy home, the kids drinking wine, the young boy smoking a pipe, which shows how the actions of the parents have trickled to the kids where there is no longer order (A Discussion of The Merry Family). Although Jan Steen dabbled in biblical and mythological paintings as well, people leaned towards his painting of everyday life with a twist. In the contemporary world, this type of family structure seems to be a little bit more common as there is now technology, so you can imagine a family enjoying a meal together at the table, but with a phone in hand at the same time. Artwork during this period was focused on realistic movements, the use of chiaroscuro and the distinction of theatrics. In, The Merry Family, we can see all these elements come together. The family is shown to be moving all over the place, playing instruments, and doing all types of thins together. The use of chiaroscuro is present where the outer image is darker than the middle of the painting, making the table and the family the focal point, and your eyes being automatically drawn to the center. The theatrical part of the painting is really the whole painting all together. All the aspects make it very dramatic and excessive, to the point of having chaos everywhere, even on the floor. The family is depicted to be doing things at the dinner table that are not at all normal, which really dramatizes the whole thing. The parents are paying no attention to anything, which allows the kids to do things like smoke and drink. There is also a paper that is floating at the top of the painting, which reads, “Soo d’ ouge songen, Soo Pypen de Jonge.’ This is translated to ‘As the Old Sing, So Pipe the Young,’ basically saying what the children see the parents do, they will follow and do the same (A Discussion of The Merry Family).

During the Post-impressionist period, artists evolved from the impressionist style, to focus on expression and form. Post-impressionist artists fell into two categories. The formalists, which focused on dimension, and expressionists, which focused on expression of art, evoking emotion, dramatic emphasis, and symbolism. Post impressionists found new ways to use color, which was not regular in the normal world (Mind Edge 5.07). Postimpressionists, like Van Gogh were known for their exaggerated presentation of art and began using different brush strokes and color to add to the emotion and feeling of his paintings. Post Impressionism gave artists a new way to use color, which really was a game changer for artists during this period. Van Gogh’s oil painting, The Potato Eaters, which was created in Amsterdam, is the perfect representation of his stylistic work and post impressionism. The family in this painting are depicted in a very exaggerated way. They are shown to be, what looks like, malnourished. They only have a bowl of potatoes, which they seem to be sharing and their chiseled faces show the deprivation of food. The use of light and dark in the painting emphasizes the dark, quiet, and lonely atmosphere that encapsulates the room. It also makes the table and the faces of the family the focal point of the painting. The use of color also makes the scene look cold and empty. The painting is made up of greys, browns, and green colors, but Van Gogh used many different colors to achieve the muddy tone that is depicted in the painting (Van Gogh’s Potato Eaters). Van Gogh was a very ill man, perhaps this painting was a depiction of his true feelings. Having lost a battle with depression and other mental illnesses this piece can be also looked at his personal intricacies which he faced. This painting was created to show the hardships of country life, and in comparison, with Jan Steen’s painting it aligns with the theme at hand because this is not the norm for a traditional family meal and it also shows family values and morals, although differently from the Jan Steen painting.

Both Jan Steen’s and Van Gogh’s works show two completely different families, with the common distinction of family tradition, morals and living. In The Merry Family, there is nothing but chaos throughout the whole painting. The focus of the painting is at the center, which shows the family playing instruments, the dad drinking alcohol, the mom sitting at the table with all her cleavage out and all the kids just up to no good. In The Potato Eaters, a less chaotic scene is present but a gloomier and sadder one is shown. Like the previous painting, the focal point is the center, which shows the family sitting together but not looking very healthy and they seem to be rationing their food. The depiction of movement is evident in this image, much like The Merry Family, but they seem more separated and sectioned. The Potato Eaters is a painting of an actual family that Van Gogh knew. The connection between the two paintings is shown through their differences and the fact that they were created with the image of real people in mind. In both works, the use of color is a big factor in depicting the mood of each painting and the atmosphere in which it is portrayed in. In The Merry Family, Jan Steen uses bright colors like, oranges, greens, and yellows, which align with the movement and facial expressions of the characters. Everyone is dancing, laughing, and playing instruments. The use of bright colors really amplifies the feeling of happiness and satisfaction but, on the other hand colors are thrown all over the place which coincides with the chaotic scenery. In The Potato Eaters, the use of the monochromatic colors gives the artwork a sad and depressing tone. Much of the piece is very dark but shines very brightly around the peasants, which really shows their facial expressions in that moment. The use of chiaroscuro on the hands and face can imply that they have had a hard day’s work (Analysis of The Potato Eaters). The symbols portrayed in each artwork display the story that the artist is trying to tell. In The Merry Family, the symbol of carelessness is seen in the whole artwork. What looks like a merry family enjoying a meal, really is a catastrophe. The father is shown, having

just finished playing the violin and drinking a cup a wine, while the other three adults in the painting are seen playing instruments and laughing amongst each other. Due to the unawareness of the parents, all the children are seen either smoking or drinking around the frame of the painting. All of this alludes to the message that you should watch what you do around your children because it can affect them to do the same (Discussion of The Merry Family). In The Potato Eaters, the symbol of oppression is very significant throughout the painting. The darkness in the room shows that it is late, and in a brightened version of Van Gogh’s painting, you can see the time on the clock that sits on the wall to the left, which reads seven o’clock (Vincent Van Gogh). This can be a symbol that the family worked hard all day to get the food they needed to finally be able to have a meal. The seating arrangements give off a feeling of isolation (Analysis of The Potato Eaters). There is a wall in the middle of the room that separates two of the family members and there is one person whose back is at the front of the painting; the ceiling is also very low. This technique by Van Gogh gives the viewer a sense of being boxed in. The faces of the peasants show the unhappiness and the lack of enjoyment of the pleasures of peasant life. Altogether, the painting symbolizes the adversities that peasants faced (Vincent Van Gogh). All the symbols in both works show us the non-traditional setting of family meal and different family morals. In contemporary life, the idea of a traditional family meal has vastly changed. With the addition of things like technology, time at the dinner table is no longer the same. There are added distractions that take you away from tradition. In Matt Wuerker’s editorial image, all eleven of the family members are preoccupied with their phones and tablets, that no one is really paying attention to each other. The mother is serving turkey but has a Bluetooth piece in her ear so that she can speak on the phone although her whole family is in front of her. All these artworks have different meanings to them, but they all show differences in morals, in tradition, and in family.

Van Gogh, Steen and Wuerker’s pieces all show great emphasis on change and seek to prove one message. Tradition never last and if they do, there is a tweak to it. Although each paintings were from different time periods and were created using different techniques, they all give you the same effect and feeling. They give you a feeling of being overwhelmed. In each photo there is so much going on and so much to notice, the more you look at each photo the more intensity you see. Although they have the same message, they sought to prove the loss of tradition in different ways. Jan Steen used chaos to show how out of control the situation was. Van Gogh used poverty to portray not having the means to keep up with tradition and Wuerker used technology to show how tradition is being set a side by distraction. In conclusion, delving into these art works really show the impact art has on selfawareness and how the simplest of artworks can be the most meaningful.

Works Cited

1. Anon, A discussion of the merry family by Jan Steen. TripImprover. Available at: https://www.tripimprover.com/blog/the-merry-family-by-jan-steen [Accessed December 1, 2021]. 2. Anon, Van Gogh's Potato Eaters. Van Gogh Museum. Available at: https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en/art-and-stories/stories/6-facts-you-need-to-knowabout-van-goghs-potato-eaters [Accessed December 1, 2021]. 3. Google. (n.d.). Analysis of the potato eaters by Vincent Van Gogh hi. Google. https://www.google.com/amp/s/designercityline.wordpress.com/2010/03/15/writinganalysis-of-the-potato-eaters-by-vinvent-van-gogh/amp/. 4. Anon, 2019. Vincent van Gogh – the potato eaters – analysis: C. Classical Arts Universe. Available at: https://classicalartsuniverse.com/vincent-van-gogh-potatoeaters-analysis/ [Accessed December 3, 2021]. 5. Wuerker, M., 2010. Matt Wuerker's Editorial Cartoons. Available at: https://www.cartoonistgroup.com/store/add.php?iid=54562 [Accessed December 3, 2021]....