Art & Critique » Painters

Caravaggio: The Cardsharps

elijah — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 02:03:22 +0000

This painting (hanging in Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, USA) follows The Fortune Teller in depicting a scene of sharp practice which very well might have been based in reality. This Wikipedia article on The Cardsharps mentions realism (the unglamorous theme, the ragged gloves, the dramatic tension) as the quality that made Caravaggio famous. The artist’s late works were also highly realistic — appallingly so to some contemporaries — but the realism evolved and overflowed into the artist’s methods. He would paint from live models directly on canvas (sometimes marking parts of it by incisions), neglecting the ever important part of preliminary drawing (Check also this article on The Cardsharps published by The Independent).

The Cardsharps

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Yet this piece, though realistic in conception, shows some elements of theatricality and artificiality, especially when compared to Caravaggio’s late religious paintings with more defined interiors and exteriors. For instance, the dupe’s face shows exaggerated saintliness and innocence — no doubt intended by the artist to epitomize just these qualities — while the man who peeks at his cards seems overly agitated. The resulting tension may seem so vivid as to distract us from the overall composition, in other words, too vivid. The extreme psychological contrasts blur somewhat the compositional unity — but they evince a distinct charm of their own.

Le Tricheur a l’As de Tre`fle

Georges La Tour

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I think that we can soundly hypothesize that this charm originates not only from the theme or from the actors, but also from the artist himself. While the notion of the loss of innocence takes the center stage in the painting, we are allowed to guess as to what place the painting itself was taking in Caravaggio’s life — could he have been taken emotionally by the theme, could he have seen in it some elements of his own situation? Indeed, could he be the missing link in this drama, having experienced it first hand, absorbed it and transferred it on canvas? Though the answers to the questions regarding the meta realm of this masterpiece are destined to remain in guessing land, the inquiry in itself adds another dimension to our understanding of the painting.

The Fortune Teller, circa 1594

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To get back to the technical details, it is the interplay of light and dark colors that supports the tension in this busy composition. Consisting mostly of black, brown, wine and dark, heavy yellows, it is incised with stripes and patches of white, which destabilize the entire set-up, generating a sense of precipice, or collapse. In this “mess,” the duped youth submerges into a very dangerous place — he is in the center of a whirlwind, without noticing it. The overall effect makes me want to scream “Watch out!”

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Caravaggio: Boy Bitten by a Lizard

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Caravaggio: Boy Bitten by a Lizard

elijah — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 22:34:41 +0000

Perhaps too much stress has been put into sexual interpretations of this early painting (exists in two versions, one hangs in National Gallery in London (Boy Bitten by a Lizard), the other in La Collezione di Roberto Longhi in Florence) by Caravaggio (Wikipedia Article on Boy Bitten by a Lizard, and Caravaggio Wikipedia Article). There is a broader context: the symbolical loss of innocence by way of experiencing sudden, unexpected pain. We witness a scene where the actor encounters the “painful” side of life, or world — and shrinks back, apparently taken by surprise. It is the pronounced element of surprise that allows to interpret the boy’s reaction as a first-time experience and the entire image as a dynamic juxtaposition of ignorance and knowledge.

Boy Bitten by a Lizard, c…

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The composition contains a subtle hint on the motif of Knowledge. The roundly shaped head of the boy is repeated symmetrically in the vase, which serves as a mirror — an object known to represent knowledge. The composition encourages us to draw an imaginary Cartesian coordinate system, one axis spreading between the two (also symmetrically mirror-like reflected) twisted hands, and the other between the two buds. The imaginary coordinates again suggest the clash between experience and innocence, perpendicularly opposing each other like the two axes. In a way, we witness the gaining of experience when viewing the painting from left to right, and of knowledge from down up, all in a allegoric continuous motion. The point where the boy is being bitten is locate somewhere in the lower left area, where both parameters carry the negative sign.

Boy Bitten by a Lizard

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The geometrical framework encourages to envisage with more confidence a link between the mirror-like convex glass surface of the bowl and the boy’s face. The bitten victim would also have to process the event — to upraise it from the negative parts of the coordinate system to the positive ones; he would have to undergo realization and internalization after the initial shock subsides. While presenting us with this psychological evolution, the artist stands out not only as a painter, but also as a humanist — a sage and a visionary who truly understands human nature.

A Young Boy Peeling an Apple

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Considering the abundant flora and edible fruits on the table, a leap to the notion of tree of knowledge and thus the erotic (or homoerotic) viewing is more than reasonable — but in no way should be the the principal one. Perhaps it may serve as a point of departure, not as a decisive, final interpretation. Overall, I think that this painting testifies to the artist’s intellectual prowess — his ability to manipulate symbols and images to not only allude but also recreate a wider context that appeals to human condition.

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Caravaggio: The Cardsharps

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Caravaggio: The Fortune Teller

elijah — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 03:38:21 +0000

A serene composition unfolds before us (the piece was painted in two different variations: the one below hangs in Louvre, Paris, [visit the great Louvre official site too] , and the next one hangs in Musei Capitolini, Rome, and may be seen in the slideshow on the main page). It may seem as though Caravaggio (Britannica full article on Caravaggio) aimed to appease the audience, to make us feel safe with this serenity. Several features conspire to achieve that effect. First is the neat compositional symmetry: each model occupies roughly half of the canvas and mirrors accurately the gestures of its counterpart — the elbows, the head tilt, the angle of the eye level. Together, the two figures form a round arch, with the plume of the young man’s head-dress marking the pinnacle. Second is the palette: the warm golden-brown tones of the skin and of the background (mixed with soft light, and complemented by the interchange of whites, greens, reds and browns of the garments) underscore the symmetry to further soothe the audience.

The Fortune Teller, circa 1596-97

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And third, the prevalence of round and curving geometrical forms — gestures of the models (the elbows), their hats, the plump peach colored faces and the above mentioned arch add a half-veiled sense of languor. All of these features combined coax us to lower our guards and revel without reservations in this youthful, infused with sweet naivety, scene. Indeed it may appear that a small idyll takes place before our eyes, as if it is all were a part of a dream. Well, in a way it is — the young man’s dream. As a guy, I tend to think that the whole scene should be viewed from his perspective: it is him who is being appeased and showered with befuddling mead of color. But for what purpose?

The Fortune Teller, circa 1594

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The boy is being duped by the girl (whose traditional attire, the turban especially, gives away her gypsy origin) who slowly but surely slips a ring off of his finger. It is quite an amazing feat that occurs right in front of our eyes, yet almost impossible to spot. Same goes for the unsuspecting victim, as he is being bewitched by the girl’s gaze and charm. We too are drawn into the imaginary, but thick and powerful galvanism, balancing and quivering on the imaginary line between the two pairs of eyes. The theft is the singular most intense moment in this painting — yet it remains almost undetected, as if passing somewhere below the radar.

The Fortune Teller, circa 1594

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While the fortune-teller fools the boy, we are being fooled by both actors — by the overall image — by the painter himself. Perhaps Caravaggio’s greatest achievement in this genre scene (painted early in his career) was to force the audience to disregard the fact of larceny even after its discovery — and possibly view it as symbolic representation of the relationship between men and women. Thus, the artist discusses the idea of love, and make us fall in love with this piece along the way.

El Greco: View of Toledo

elijah — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 21:57:06 +0000

I would like to pick up the idea of electricity from the previous review and see how well (very well) it fits into this landscape (hanging in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York — and you will find an interesting thematic essay on this website). The raptured, electrified sky casts a distinct white glow on the city below. As it often occurs, the turbulent weather translates into an according inner sensation of fear and danger. The view presents an unwelcoming sight, which, however, conceals a certain charm and mystery — a fairy tale narrative quality that lures the beholder inside the vision. The composition plays an important role in this seduction: the line of the wall chalks out the ascent, where the cathedral and the royal palace appear to almost touch the stormy skies; this compositional apex promises a reward in the form of a visual feast — a lightning deeming itself an explosion, or a firework. The hole right in the middle of the cloud simultaneously channels and releases the tension.

View of Toledo, circa 159…

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The greenery in the foreground provides an antidote to the urban setting, albeit due to the dark mood it is difficult to define it as “pastoral.” Still, the artist efficiently presents the dichotomy of nature and an inhabited locality, and carries through the rich idea of wilderness both tamed and intimidating. Venturing outside the city walls seems like a daunting task, but a possible one, and, once again, a tempting one. Another recurring motif, technical this time, comes to mind: the lower parts of the painting exhibit remarkable accuracy and precision, the architecture and the wild growth being rendered realistically, whereas the upper part displays chaos and fantastical confusion. Randomly scattered blots of color defy the order below. Brush stroke grow bolder and wider; it appears that the artist uses these white patches as a palette, drawing color out of them to produce a ghastly whitish veil.

The Tempest, Gallerie Del…

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I want to suggest an interesting comparison. Giorgione’s The Tempest, (hanging in Gallerie Dell’Accademia, Venice — only in Italian) contains exactly the same set of features. There is the thundercloud and lightning, a city, and a creek below. The Venetian’s painting is still considered enigmatic, for many reasons that are not the theme of this review (Britannica full article about Giorgione).There is one thing that distinguishes it from El Greco’s piece: the man and the woman on both sides of the river. Simply by eliminating the similar features, we may arrive at the notion that either of the paintings — or both — deal with the female and male principle; with masculinity and femininity as the two opposites that charge our life with so much electricity, and which may imply countless variations on the theme of order and chaos. That El Greco studied in Venice may prove this comparison quite reasonable.

El Greco: Saint Martin and the Beggar

elijah — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 22:22:13 +0000

I think that (the painting hangs in the National Gallery of Art, Washington) the saturnine mood displayed by the faces seeps into the bodies, even that of the animal. The elongated, sinewy physique of the beggar appears to be melting, flowing downwards, as if unable to resist the gloomy sentimentality of the scene. The horse’s self conscious and inward gaze becomes the third angle of the imaginary triangle that connects the three pairs of eyes; its unsure, timid stamping accords with the general mood of a tense and meaningful moment. The artist employs an interesting, perhaps slightly ironic, compositional trick by placing the animal’s hind legs near the beggars elegant lower limbs (both are bony). This irony may be the only point of emotional rest in this painting, and it is not accidentally located at the lower part of the canvas, implying the hierarchy of comedy and more serious modes of psychic experience, manifested by those faces.

St. Martin and the Beggar

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Though it is obviously the physical weight and the shape of the armor that impedes the saint in his task, a broader symbolic interpretation suggests itself: the rich, secular and earthly (the ore used for making the plates literally being extracted from the ground) garments interfere with one’s progression towards holiness, as, for instance, was exemplified by St. Francis. Correspondingly, the protagonist is indeed depicted in the process of shedding his garb, cutting off a part of his robe in order to give it away to the naked beggar. The violence of the act clashes with the serene humility of the actors, generating electrifying atmosphere — the city of Toledo, depicted in the background, serves as the ground connection for this cycle, linking the two abstracts to a particular locale and providing an essential counterbalance.

View of Toledo, circa 159…

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The blue sky enframing the figures resembles very much a liquid threatening to drown everything in an engulfing cascade. It comes to mind that perhaps this is what the horse so urgently senses — animals being very in tune with upcoming changes in nature. Regardless, the cold (and to my mind somewhat repelling) hue creates a portending sense of uneasiness and unresolved tension, and even the blazing white color of the ungulate forces us to look away — or concentrate on the vision before us by overcoming emotional distress and making some sort of a spiritual achievement. In a way, this is a very personal communication of the artist’s faith, so intimate, it is difficult to continuously witness. Though it is clear what is about to happen in terms of action, the multitude of unfinished and impending things in terms of composition and palette casts an overwhelming sense of mystery and uncertainty — making this canvas a mesmerizing piece of art.

El Greco: The Burial of the Count of Orgaz

elijah — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 21:55:01 +0000

That’s a pretty odd sounding name. But let’s not hold it against the owner. Though, there is indeed something orgiastic in the happenings above the funeral, and I mean that in the strict formal sense, without any cynical attempts at blasphemy. The artistic confusion taking place in the celestial scene (the painting is located in the Church of Santo Tomé, Toledo) appears like the exact opposite of the appropriately grave conduct below: disorderly, joyfully inspiring, fantastical and fanciful to the point of being bizarre. There is great sense to such distribution of imaginative chaos and order; after all, the artist may have well witnessed analogous processions, and could have had the privilege of depicting from memory, whereas the only guide for the metaphysical scene above the physical one might have been only his fantasy. And as long as he stayed within the catholic doctrinal framework, pure invention was probably encouraged.

The Burial of Count Orgaz…

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Though I am only familiar with Spanish physiognomy from literary descriptions and television, I believe that El Greco tapped into the basic pattern of facial features of people inhabiting the peninsula. Inherently pale and dark-haired, the men depicted at the gathering look characteristically Spanish; it’s difficult to determine whether the melancholia is another intrinsic quality, or simply one emanating as the naturally resulting mood of the sombre event. The artist endows his actors with local physical peculiarities — this is a normally accepted strategy, perfected by Michelangelo, who used quarry workers as models for his sculptures and paintings. Viewers would recognize the type and connect more willingly with the image. In fact, the only obvious factor linking both scenes is the physical similarity: both saints and mortals possess resembling features.

The Burial of Count Orgaz…

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The broadness and scope of the ethereal part of the painting reminds me of Hieronymus Bosch’s large scale portrayals of heaven and hell. El Greco’s rendering similarly contains numerous independent activities that cohere harmoniously into a unified devotional vision. Bosch’s wild imagination has led him to somatic inventions, but of a kind that differed stylistically from those of the south-European: where the former preferred to transplant inanimate mechanical objects, the latter elongated the flesh of his painted subjects, making their torsos and limbs exceptionally mannerist — and beyond. I think that eventually there are two paintings on this canvas (read this Wikipedia article about the piece), and the joining is optional. The overall size (460 × 360 cm) plays the crucial dividing role: it is simply impossible to visually encompass everything, and the viewer will tend to observe the piece in line with the preordained separation.

Self Portrait, Detail fro…

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El Greco: The Holy Family (with Saint Anne)

elijah — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 22:05:44 +0000

The first thing I noticed about this painting was St. Joseph’s hand supporting the baby’s foot: Raphael’s invention in a different variation. The second was the strange looking clouds, the gape above the Virgin’s head serving as a halo. While these features differ significantly in their specificity, they may both index El Greco’s ability to convert, reinvent and subordinate ideas, for his own particular needs. The clouds, a background element, suddenly assume the utmost role of signifying sainthood, while Raphael’s gesture becomes reincarnated to involve a different actor, a man, standing behind Mary. I think that this is an essential quality of the artist, as it reveals broad intellectual capacity — something that I found convenient to write off as secondary to El Greco’s dominant emotionalism. It seems that after all the head and the heart are together in this ploy, without any preferences.

Holy Family, Madonna Feed…

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The third thing was the gradation of skin tones. Every face has its own distinctive shade; together they create a coordinated rhythm of color, further underlined by similar distribution of hue intensity of the robes. The darker the face, the darker the garment. Perhaps the purpose of the gradation was to suggest an hierarchy between the saints on the canvas. There is another interesting feature: the eyes are all blackened, as if masked in deep shadow. This choice of palette contributes to the sense of mystery, as we stand unable to decipher the innermost feelings of the saints from their eyes. In fact, pockets of black scattered throughout the image secretly impose an atmosphere of tension, enigma and vagueness. The colder blue and white of the sky balance it only to some degree, as the violent opposition of reds and yellows with the black sets the principal tone.

Holy Family with Saint Anne

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The composition also offers a series of clashes. There are several imaginary perpendicular angles (the fourth thing): between the head of St. Joseph and the baby’s body, between his arm and his foot, St. Anne’s head and the baby, the latter and Madonna’s breast, his miniature hand and her long, scissor-like fingers (intersecting only slightly off the center of the piece). Mary’s head, in another characteristically Raphaelian tilt, becomes the central axis of the configuration; in a superb harmony of design, the compositional device unites with the notional Christian concept. Despite the general two dimensional setting, foreshortened faces add just the amount of perspective and depth needed for the beholder to perceive the image relatively easily. Still the, the setting is evidently abstract and forces the viewer to higher realms of imagination and fancy. That was the fifth, though probably not the last, thing I noticed about this painting.

Holy Family with Saint Anne

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Holy Family with Saint Anne

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El Greco: The Disrobing of Christ (El Espolio)

elijah — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 20:12:42 +0000

I am already used to the imposing sense of helplessness reemerging whenever I try to think up accolades for the masterpieces discussed on this website.The visual and technical grandeur of this painting (hanging in Toledo Cathedral, a magnificent Gothic monument — click here to see more explained photographs of Toledo Cathedral), described in numerous essays and books on El Greco (britannica full article), overwhelms, while the texts deal the final blow of futility. Blah…blah…blah. Let’s pretend I haven’t written anything yet and start afresh. The shocking red of the protagonist’s garment immediately forces the mood; color dominates the image unconditionally, with facial expressions following far behind, supplementing the psychological tension, and composition serving only a rudimentary purpose, as to not to interfere with the red solo. The latter’s explosive power is disproportionate to that of composition, marking palette as outright exotic and grotesque.

The Disrobing of Christ, …

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But that is not to say that composition is somehow ineffective. On the contrary, it interweaves harmoniously with the main concept of color, as a sort of adornment, or mounting (the rest literally encircle Christ) — and some may find such role designation difficult to comprehend (one interesting example would be the inquisition, which even jailed the artist for putting Christ in the center, instead of high above his tormentors). The effectiveness of the composition in this case equals a reduction of sorts. It is known that color appeals to the psychic perception, whereas composition and arrangement addresses the intellectual core. Perhaps the latter is irrelevant here: the central role of palette suggests that emotional response is more adequate than any mental processing. El Greco’s preference of unblended hues also indicates his aiming at the most primal emotions.

The Disrobing of Christ, 1577-1579

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Facial expressions, particularly that of Christ himself, complements the tragic atmosphere. His countenance is unusually serene in the midst of a bustle, the white complexion already radiating the divine light of sainthood — either of inner or outer source. The haughty, mocking physiognomy of the guard wearing the green robe, transported here along with some other biblical contemporaries, in the painterly tradition of combining the historical with the modern, is a direct opposite. Shadow covers his face, implying on the darkness of the force that moves him. The foreshortened worker in the yellow, below, appears fully engrossed in his morbid task, while the two females (the two Marys?) in the lower left part observe in apprehension. Finally, the armored man to Christ’s right, gazing in melancholia at the viewer, and the two nearly mad offenders behind them describe the emotional scope of the picture from one end to another.

Raphael: The Sistine Madonna

elijah — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 18:24:20 +0000

This painting (Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden) combines secular and earthly clerical elements with the divine in an ostensible theatrical interplay. The lid of the coffin of Pope Julius II forms the stage, while the tableau curtains are drawn apart to reveal the divine action. This hierarchical pastiche communicates the heavens to the devout in a known way: from the bottom of the painting — the church, along with its highest representative, — through the center, where the saints hover, — and to the top, where Mary with baby Christ on her hands treads the clouds. The myriad of seraphs in the background testifies to the transparency of the scene to both worlds, and its consequent significance to our existence here, as well as there. Perhaps the artist intended for every little alabaster face to find a counterpart in someone on the side of the beholder.

Sistine Madonna, Painted …

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Raphael (read this Britannica article on the artist) includes two little angels as a comic relief to the grave scene, in the best of theatrical traditions. These two seem ungainly in comparison to the Madonna’s stately posture, but not repulsive: on the contrary, they appeal to the viewer in a sympathetic, familiar way (the reason for their incredible popularity, even separately from the Madonna), facilitating contact with the rest of the image. The humility of the saints becomes the next preparatory psychological step to be taken in order to confront Madonna herself — for she is truly formidable here, unlike Raphael’s usual depiction. She looks straight forward and down at the viewer, self-conscious and ecstatic, mystical and tragic, qualities underlined by the eerie light surrounding her frame.(Perhaps there is some similarity to Correggio’s use of light, or vice-versa.)

Detail of the Sistine Madonna, c.1514

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Christ’s expression is polar to that of the resting angels. He looks apprehensive, his eyes and pose betraying an almost adult awareness and seriousness. While the lower babes display boredom and impatience, Christ appears caught in the moment, aware of its significance for himself, in the future, and for the devout, in the present. In fact, he may be returning the gaze here, reflecting that of the viewers’ and deliberately engaging them. All of the mentioned qualities endow the painting with unprecedented intensity. The clarity of the composition (the symmetrical arrangement of the actors) and the modest but strategical use of color make the tension even more lucid and almost palpable, almost unbearable I would say. This is a stark departure from the artist’s previous tame versions, and it signals a shift towards more complex psychological interpretations.

Raphael: The Esterhazy Madonna

elijah — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 20:44:55 +0000

This painting (hanging in the Budapest Museum of Fine Arts) manifests a powerful classicist gist. The odd coloring of the babies, the musical instrument in the hands of one of them and the more obvious ancient architectural elements in the back, they all contribute to the thematic epochal dating. The flat hue of the children’s skin seems to have been imported from another era, and coincidentally echoes the more tinted ruins in the background. The lyre occupying the lower seated infant serves as a direct reference to deities preceding Christianity. But it would be incorrect to compare these babes with cupids or otherwise merry pagan seraphs from mythological Renaissance paintings: they demonstrate seriousness and gravity uncharacteristic of their classical counterparts. The somewhat angular, nearly grotesque composition acts as a neutralizing component, and carries the Christian message through; an exaggeration is needed to oppose, and prevail over the strong classicist motif.

The Esterhazy Madonna

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The backs of two of the actors turn ostensibly towards the ancient past, baby Christ being protected by Mary’s frame. This immanent gesture identifies the spiritual clerical perception of the devout beholder: deny and leave the heresy behind and fully accept the holy figures in front of you as the only true divinities and saints. Once again, Mary’s head unequivocally crowns the entire composition, as if to reaffirm her ultimate precedence over other religious heads, in both meanings of the word. There is another interesting observation to be made — she, as a woman, represents the continuation of life, in this case, the life of the Catholic faith. We witness her “fertility” in the form of two small children, playing busily beside her; the dilapidated, colorless structure behind her represents the sterility and inevitable degeneration. The painting becomes a playground for a theological dispute.

Sistine Madonna, Painted …

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Conceptually, this is an even more demanding piece. Raphael imports extraneous cultural elements, sets them off against Catholic religious characters and prompts the beholder to conduct the synthesis. Though the artist guides the viewers with palette, giving only the Madonna a fully colored outfit, the complexity of the overall design is undeniable. Additionally, a strange air of mystery transpires from the painterly surface; it could be the haunting blue of the sky, or the monotonous, light brown of the hills, encircling and perhaps threatening the main event. There is an air of notional abstraction, akin to that emanating from da Vinci’s Gioconda — it could be the result of the combination between the particular central images and the distant, both physically and psychologically background. And as it often happens, the mystery only adds to the appeal of the piece as a whole.

Art & Critique » Painters

Caravaggio: The Cardsharps

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Caravaggio: Boy Bitten by a Lizard

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Caravaggio: The Fortune Teller

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El Greco: View of Toledo

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El Greco: Saint Martin and the Beggar

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El Greco: The Burial of the Count of Orgaz

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El Greco: The Holy Family (with Saint Anne)

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El Greco: The Disrobing of Christ (El Espolio)

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Raphael: The Sistine Madonna

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Raphael: The Esterhazy Madonna

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