Talking about Paintings
When you talk about a painting, your subjective opinion of about what you like, or dislike, is just as valid as anybody else's opinion - as long as you can find the words to explain why.
However, subjective opinion is not the same thing as objective analysis, which is what you must do if you truly want to understand the painting - or any work of art for that matter.
When really trying to understand a painting it is important not to just describe what you see, but to try and gain insight into the reasons why the artist chose to present the artwork in the way that he/she did.
However, subjective opinion is not the same thing as objective analysis, which is what you must do if you truly want to understand the painting - or any work of art for that matter.
When really trying to understand a painting it is important not to just describe what you see, but to try and gain insight into the reasons why the artist chose to present the artwork in the way that he/she did.
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Content/Context/Meaning
We can all agree, that this painting portrays the tragic murder of a defenseless and vulnerable man, who has been stabbed in the chest with a knife and is about to draw his last breath. The Death of Morat, was painted during the period of The Great Terror, four years into the French Revolution which began in 1789. Jean-Paul Marat was a ruthless revolutionary leader and was murdered by Charlotte Corday, who was from an aristocratic family opposed to the bloody revolution. Jacques-Louis David was sympathetic to Morat and the revolution so, was interested in showing depicting Morat as a tragic hero. Painted in the Neoclassical style this painting was a sophisticated form of propaganda. Morat is portrayed in the same way Christian saints or Jesus in paintings of previous eras, as righteous martyr set in austere surroundings. The note in his left hand is from his assassin and suggests to the viewer (falsely) that he welcomed visitors. On his makeshift table is another note ordering money to be paid to a war widow, when in reality it would have more likely been a list of citizens to be executed. |
The Death of Morat by Jacques-Louis David
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COMPOSITION AND FORM
Morat is portrayed in a Neoclassical style, as a righteous martyr, set in austere surroundings and bathed in a soft glowing light. His body has the qualities of a sculpture and the surfaces have a polished quality to them. This was how Christian saints or Jesus were often depicted, giving the painting an almost religious feel to it. In reality, Morat was a weak and feeble man with a debilitating skin disease, which is why he spent much of his time in the bath.
The paining is divided into two halves with all of the 'action' below a dark background which itself is illuminated by a heavenly glowing light. The straight lines of the bath and the table contrast with the rounded contours of Morat's body and face. The painting is does not show any of the reality of what happened. The space is condensed to show only what the artist feels is necessary. Morat's bathroom served as his office so, it would have been quite large and almost a public space. We do not get a sense of this at all through the painting, indeed, we are presented with a 'zoomed in' perspective of the lonely death of the martyr who's only interaction now will be the source of the light, which seems to be hold the body of Morat up, preventing a complete slump and even preparing to lift up his body towards it. The position of Morat is similar to other classical
paintings including, Jesus in Descent from the cross.
The colours of the scene are sombre and although a gruesome murder has occurred there is little use of red to show blood. David has granted Morat the serene death of one of Gods servants.
Symbolism
The pen and ink well symbolize Morat's profession as a journalist, David's signature in the style of a stone engraving suggest a tombstone and the bath itself could be interpreted as a grave.
Morat is portrayed in a Neoclassical style, as a righteous martyr, set in austere surroundings and bathed in a soft glowing light. His body has the qualities of a sculpture and the surfaces have a polished quality to them. This was how Christian saints or Jesus were often depicted, giving the painting an almost religious feel to it. In reality, Morat was a weak and feeble man with a debilitating skin disease, which is why he spent much of his time in the bath.
The paining is divided into two halves with all of the 'action' below a dark background which itself is illuminated by a heavenly glowing light. The straight lines of the bath and the table contrast with the rounded contours of Morat's body and face. The painting is does not show any of the reality of what happened. The space is condensed to show only what the artist feels is necessary. Morat's bathroom served as his office so, it would have been quite large and almost a public space. We do not get a sense of this at all through the painting, indeed, we are presented with a 'zoomed in' perspective of the lonely death of the martyr who's only interaction now will be the source of the light, which seems to be hold the body of Morat up, preventing a complete slump and even preparing to lift up his body towards it. The position of Morat is similar to other classical
paintings including, Jesus in Descent from the cross.
The colours of the scene are sombre and although a gruesome murder has occurred there is little use of red to show blood. David has granted Morat the serene death of one of Gods servants.
Symbolism
The pen and ink well symbolize Morat's profession as a journalist, David's signature in the style of a stone engraving suggest a tombstone and the bath itself could be interpreted as a grave.
Impressionism
Study of a Figure Outdoors Woman with a Parasol facing left by Claude Monet
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In contrast to David's polished and almost cartoonish, Death of Morat which attempts to tell you what you should think, the impressionism of Monet captures a moment and invites you to feel it. He achieves this through colour, light and texture which give the impression of movement.
Impression, Sunrise is the painting from which Impressionism itself derived its name. It is a method that seeks to extract the most important elements of a scene which give it an inner-truth and reveals much more to us than a realistic painting ever could. In Impression Sunrise, we can feel the calmness of the early morning scene as the world awakens. We can feel the fresh breeze sweeping across the exposed hill top of the woman outdoors and the chill of the winters morning as the train approaches. But more than this, we experience the emotion of the moment far too complex for language to explain. The scenes and locations are unknown to us but the emotional experience they give seem to be familiar. |
Impression, Sunrise by Claude Monet
Train in the Snow, the Locomotive by Claude Monet
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An analysis of Las Meninas
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