GE20 First Exam Canuto. Reading Visual Arts PDF

Preview

Summary

Download GE20 First Exam Canuto. Reading Visual Arts PDF

Description

UNIVERSITY OF MINDANAO

Artwork Analysis: “Suffer the Little Children to Come Unto Me, a painting by Jacob Jordaens Course Title: GE20 (2158) Reading Visual Arts Submitted by: Claudane Ann O. Canuto

Submitted to: Prof. Ruben C. Fajardo Date Submitted: November 6, 2021

“Suffer the Little Children to Come Unto Me, a painting by Jacob Jordaens”

In this paper, I will be responding to “Suffer the Little Children to Come Unto Me, a painting by Jacob Jordaens” that can be found in the St. Louis Art Museum. This is a relatively large oil painting (44 x 66 ⅞ in.) created between the years of 1615-16 (Jordaens). The painting depicts a biblical story from Mark 10:13-16, in which parents bring their children to be blessed by Christ while several of his disciples look on. I choose this artwork because the style of this work is fairly characteristic of Northern European Baroque art and I love to see arts that has deep definition.

Based on my research, Jacob Jordaens was a Flemish artist born in 1593 who painted this work at the young age of 23. He was painting in Antwerp at a time of great religious tension between the Catholics and Protestants. The Protestant religion was forbidden, so his work was very much influenced by Catholic ideals and similar religious artworks, such as the art of Rubens, who was working around the same time and place and Jordaens. The influence of other artists can be seen in his use of tenebrism and chiaroscuro to highlight the figures in his painting. However, Jordaens stayed in Antwerp for nearly his whole life and never travelled to study the works of others as many artists during the Rennaissance and Baroque era did (“Biography”). This meant that although this painting is characteristic of Baroque art, most of Jordaens’ work is steeped in the local traditions of Flemish artists.

I believe that Grandiose depictions of religious scenes were characteristic of the Baroque era, but Jordaens was more interested in realism and the personal relationship people had with their faith. Jordaens does highlight the divine nature of the subject matter with the halo and slight glow visible around the figure of Christ. However, Christ is not the focus of the painting. Instead, the viewer’s eyes are drawn to the figures of the mothers and children. They are painted paler than the rest of the figures which makes them stand out, especially because they are surrounded by other figures that are darker and seem to stand in the shadows. This has the effect of both drawing the eye to specific figures, as well as using light to highlight the innocence of these children who have come to be blessed by Christ.

Moreover, the use of light and shadow to highlight certain figures may also reference the biblical story that is being told. Much like the use of light and colour, the composition of this painting and posing of the figures also highlights the personal relationship these people (and by extension the viewers) may have with God. When you first look at this piece, your eyes are drawn to the small crowd of figures standing in the light at the center. The viewer’s gaze is directed across the piece by following the eye line of Christ to see who or what he is looking at. He appears to be making direct eye contact with the mother in the center of the painting, reaching out a hand to bless the child while holding hands with another child at his side. The women in front kneel or bend down, asking Christ to bless their children as well. The posing of these figures means that the woman Christ is looking at is clearly visible, and likely the first figure people will notice. The way Jordaens has composed this piece highlights the personal relationship faithful people can have with Christ. The woman also has a slightly darker oval shape behind her head. This is possibly some kind of hat, but it parallels the shape of the halo seen behind Christ’s head here and in many other works. This parallel could be the visual depiction of Christ transferring his blessing to these women and children.

In conclusion, Jordaens depicted his figures with a realism that was characteristic not only of Baroque art but of Flemish art as well. Flemish artists were concerned with depictions of real, common people going about their lives. Although Suffer the Children is a religious scene, the influence of this concern for realism is still evident. The attention to detail is most evident in the disciples. The artist has given them ruddy cheeks, lines, wrinkles, uneven complexions, all serving to make them appear more like real people you might see on the street than characters from the Bible. The mothers, although painted to be beautiful, are not otherworldly so or idealized. Their interactions with their children also serve to make them seem more real. One child sleeps against his mother’s chest, peaceful but seemingly unaware of Christ’s presence. One child clings to his mother’s neck while another reaches a hand out to Christ, leaning away from his mother as she tries to balance his weight. These small human moments make these figures seem like real people the viewers at the time might have known. Jordaens’

Suffer the Little Children to Come Unto Me is characteristic of Baroque art in many ways. The bright colours, sharp contrast of light and shadow, and greater attention to realism all reflect the artists’ awareness of the artistic movement. In this way, Jordaens is a perfect example of an artist who blended the influence of the wider artistic movement with local traditions.

EXAM PERMIT...