April 3 2016
Painting Critique
HUM 101
Perseus and Andromeda
Narrative paintings tell a story, but a story without words. Narrative paintings set themselves apart from other forms of paintings for their complexity. The idea of telling a story with nothing more than brushstrokes is most certainly something to be impressed by. I was very impressed by Joachim Anthoniszoon Wtewael 1611 paining Perseus and Andromeda.
This painting depicts the mythological story of Perseus and Andromeda. Andromeda’s mother boasted that her daughter was more beautiful than any of Poseidon’s nymphs. In return Poseidon unleased a powerful sea monster upon Andromeda’s kingdom. To save the kingdom Andromeda’s father decided to sacrifice his daughter to the monster. The painting features the climax of the story where Perseus, on the back of Pegasus, comes to rescue Andromeda from the monster. It should be mentioned that artist Cavaliere d’Arpino painting this story earlier, in 1594, but I have chosen to discuss Wtewael’s piece because I feel that it is a more interesting piece.
There is much to be discussed about the elements of design in this painting. The medium used in this piece is oil on canvas and this creates very soft lines. Detail however is not lost in any way in this piece. The texture is also very soft because of the medium used in this painting. The shapes and forms are very organic. The female nude being the best example of this. I believe her form seems to be idealized and is not entirely realistic. The color choices in this piece are very interesting. Overall the colors are much muted. It seems that Wtewael has chosen a more pastel pallet. The color pink can be seen quite a bit within the painting, as well as greys, blues, and greens. These color choices may play a big part in the overall feel of the painting Wtewael was trying to achieve. Additionally the value of the colors in this piece help create the depth needed in such a powerful narrative painting. Shadows are created on Andromeda suggesting that a light source is being cast on her from her right side. To me this seems strange because the sun can be seen through the clouds behind her. Perhaps this false light source was used to create emphasis on the subject. The use of space is also interesting in this painting. The female form takes up one side of the painting in the foreground and the battle between Perseus and the monster take up the other side of the painting in the middle ground.
To discuss the principles of design one must first start with contrast. There is a good example of contrast within this painting when looking at the foreground and background. In the foreground of the painting exists the warm toned female form, and in the middle ground there is Perseus and the monster. These figures are all warmer tones like pinks and greens. In the background however there is contrasting secondary colors like darker blues and greys. As mentioned above the false light source creates emphasis and focus on Andromeda and the actual light source puts emphasis on Perseus and the monster. Repetition can be seen in the shells at Andromeda’s feet and movement can be seen in Pegasus and the monster.
When analyzing and interpreting the painting I feel the elements and principles of design work very well together to create an interesting piece of art. The eye is drawn to the proper places and emotion and movement are created within the piece. The motivation for creating this piece seems to be to convey some sort of moral. According to NGA.gov Dutch painters of the 1600’s wanted to create a sort of moral dilemma for the viewer and Wtewael’s most certainly achieved this.
When judging the painting the very prominent female form in the foreground makes me think the main theme would be feminist but I suppose power could also be a secondary theme of this painting. The overall feel of the painting is soft and the use of oil paints help in this feel. The nude female form is also very soft so a feminist theme can be seen. The pink shells at Andromeda’s feet can be seen as suggestive, if you choose to look at them that way. Andromeda is seen as vulnerable and in distress, not able to take of herself. Lastly the color choices of pinks and muted pastels help create a more feminine feel. The sea monster in the background is a very formidable enemy and the theme of a hero defeating a vicious creature is very much power related. The story behind the painting is more power related as well. I do believe the artist was successful with this painting. The story is accurately portrayed and the painting is very appealing to the eye.
In conclusion narrative painting are interesting for a number of reasons. They explain a story without using words and require that a masterful artist use all his skills. Narrative paintings like Andromeda and Perseus require much more in depth analysis than your average painting.
Work Cited
Photo From: WikiArt. Perseus Rescuing Andromeda. n.d. 26 March 2016.
National Gallery of Art. Pleasure and Piety: The Art of Joachim Wtewael. 4 October 2015. 26 March 2016.
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