Symbolism and allegory have always been prevalent themes in art, but before the 18th century, they appeared in western art mainly existed in religious, history, and philosophical painting. During the 18th century this changed as the art world shifted towards more secular subjects and settings. Jean-Honoré Fragonard in his 1766 painting The Swing uses symbolism and allegory to convey a scene of eroticism, scandal, and hidden meaning. Even though it was painted 250 years ago, these hidden meanings are still understandable and relevant today. The central figure of The Swing is a woman on a swing at the peak of her ride. Her pink dress is painted with delicate curves that give it a light and airy nature. The forms and shapes created in the dress are further accentuated by a similar characteristic in the painting of the tree from which the swing hangs that frames the right-hand side of the painting and in the delicacy of the leaves throughout. The woman stretches out one shoeless leg, pointing directly at a statue of a cupid whose pose indicates discretion. Her shoe from the outstretched leg sails through the air towards this cupid, and her other shoe hangs precariously on her other foot. Light plays a very important role in this painting both in what it illuminates, and in what it does not. Light enters through a hole in the dense canopy of the forest highlighting mainly the woman and the tree from which she swings. Also illuminated, but less than the woman, is the man in the bushes and the cupid on the left. Although the man on the bench pulling the swing is cast in shadow, he is brought to our attention by the illuminated tree that is directly next to him. This play on light is highly symbolic of the relationships at wo... ... middle of paper ... ...ws us towards activities mostly occurring once the sun goes down. The scene is also set in a location seemingly not suitable for swinging. The forest is dense and overgrown, the leaves are shimmering, and the trees are twisting and tumultuous. This suggests not only the excitement of the lover’s tryst, but also a secrecy mirrored by the silent cupid. For a work of any kind to become a classic it must transcend its own time. The Swing is not only a beautifully constructed work of art, but its allegories and symbols are still readily relatable today. Fragonard had the incredible ability to create an entire drama still unfolding on one canvas. Everywhere we look on this elegantly composed stage, we are given another insight into the nature of their relationships. I believe that these reasons made, and will make, The Swing a classic then, now, and in the future.
The artists Jean-Honore Fragonard and Jaques-Louis David both successfully embody their respective stylistic differences. Fragonard’s style of painting is Rococo, which is characterized by its softness, asymmetry and curviness. Contrasting these ideals is David’s style of painting, Neo-Classicism. Neo-Classicism is synonymous with strong gestures, symmetry, and solidness. Two works that best exemplify the ideals of each style of painting are Fragonard’s The Swing, 1767 and David’s The Death of Socrates, 1787. Although at first glance, it is easier to focus on how each work is different to the other, one can argue that they are similar in theme. Both The Swing and The Death of Socrates are works that deal with the theme of decision making. However, they differ in how each work portrays the theme of deciding. While The Swing focuses on infidelity and the process of deciding, The Death of Socrates makes it clear that loyalty to government is stronger than the ties of friendship or acquaintance. By examining use of light, form, subject matter as well as other artistic elements, one can see how each artist conveys a message by utilizing their style of art.
The Interpretation/Meaning (III) will be written without any guideline points, the aim of this part will be to determine what the painter wanted to express with his piece of work and what it tells us in a symbolic or not instantly clear way. This part will also handle why the artist drew the painting the way he did it and why he chose various techniques or tools.
Fragonard was a product of the late Rococo period in the early eighteenth century a period that consisted of pastoral images of both men and women participating in games, having lunch together or a passionate scene between two people. Rococo created for the rich of France, consisted mainly of two types gallant and libertines. Fragonard’s paintings were mostly gallant which represented love as a playful game. This can be seen in his two paintings Blindmans Buff (fig. 1) and The Swing (fig. 2). These included interactions with figures in the paintings that suggested courtship; in this case it would be the pastel colors that he used which created a more playful look for the figures. In his 1775 version of The Swing (fig. 2) Fragonard presented a vision of nature and shows tremendous growth from his previous work painted during his second trip to Italy. This version is less erotic compared to his previous version of The Swing (fig. 3). The Swing (fig. 2) bares many similarities to some of his other works none more than Blindmans Buff (fig. 1) that was painted at the same time as The Swing. Both paintings shared various similarities and featured playful scenes of love.
There is a lot of repetition of the vertical lines of the forest in the background of the painting, these vertical lines draw the eye up into the clouds and the sky. These repeated vertical lines contrast harshly with a horizontal line that divides the canvas almost exactly in half. The background, upper portion of the canvas, is quite static and flat, whereas the foreground and middle ground of the painting have quite a lot of depth. This static effect is made up for in the immaculate amount of d...
Symbolism is a part of human nature; it has been a form of communication long before the written language. Ideas are conveyed through symbolism. It is frequently used in pop culture today. Many songs and music videos have symbolism in them. The music video for “Wrecking Ball” by Miley Cyrus is symbolic for a destructive relationship. Her being stripped to nothing but her skin represents her vulnerability and how love destroyed her; she emotionally becomes ‘stripped and naked’. The wrecking ball represents how she feels. Miley Cyrus becomes the building and the wrecking ball crumbles her to pieces, leaving her in the middle of it all. Another song with symbolism is “Love Club” by Lorde. When Lorde says “love club,” she is using it as a symbol for equality. In this club there are no fights for being someone’s best friend, girls don’t fight over the littlest things, popularity doesn’t matter, you don’t have to worry about fitting in, and the thoughts of suicide are gone; everyone is equal. “Firework” by Katy Perry displays many cases of symbolism. Symbolism is used when Katy Perry says,...
When first approaching this work, one feels immediately attracted to its sense of wonder and awe. The bright colors used in the sun draws a viewer in, but the astonishment, fascination, and emotion depicted in the expression on the young woman keeps them intrigued in the painting. It reaches out to those who have worked hard in their life and who look forward to a better future. Even a small event such as a song of a lark gives them hope that there will be a better tomorrow, a thought that can be seen though the countenance by this girl. Although just a collection of oils on a canvas, she is someone who reaches out to people and inspires them to appreciate the small things that, even if only for a short moment, can make the road ahead seem brighter.
Theo and the young Narrator similarly discover the revelatory capacity of art through a single pivotal painting and author respectively, both which become significant motifs in either text. Tartt utilizes an existent painting ‘The Goldfinch’ as a fixed point of reference, which, for both Theo and the reader provides a sense of reality and constancy ‘rais[ing him] above the surface’ of an otherwise tumultuous childhood. Whereas Proust uses a fictional author, ‘Bergotte’, to communicate the universality of art, and invite the reader, through the vivid immediacy with which the Narrator’s early reading experiences are described, to participate in his epiphanic discovery that art can translate ‘imperceptible truths which would never have [otherwise] been revealed to us’ (97). Artistic imagery becomes a motif in Proust’s descriptions of scenes of domesticity and nature. In a scene recounting Francoise ‘masterful’ preparation of a family meal the Narrator describes asparagus in the technical language of painting as ‘finely stippled’ provoking an association between his observations of asparagus and the creation of a painting. By forming this improbable link he elevates unremarkable asparagus to the ‘precious’ status of art in the eyes of the reader. Proust’s presentation of his Narrator’s ‘fascination’ and pleasure at their ‘rainbow-loveliness’, forces the reader to consider asparagus with unfamiliar and attentive appreciation, conveying the idea that art can uncover the overlooked beauty of the mundane. Though Theo reveals a far more cynical view of ordinary life as a ‘sinkhole of hospital beds, coffins and broken hearts’ Tartt conveys the similar belief in art’s capacity to create a ‘rainbow-edge’ of beauty between our perceptions and the harshness of reality. In the most
“It was a large, beautiful room, rich and picturesque in the soft, dim light which the maid had turned low. She went and stood at an open window and looked out upon the deep tangle of the garden below. All the mystery and witchery of the night seemed to have gathered there amid the perfumes and the dusky and tortuous outlines of flowers and foliage. She was seeking herself and finding herself in just such sweet half-darkness which met her moods. But the voices were not soothing that came to her from the darkness and the sky above and the stars. They jeered and sounded mourning notes without promise, devoid even of hope. She turned back into the room and began to walk to and fro, down its whole length, without stopping, without resting. She carried in her hands a thin handkerchief, which she tore into ribbons, rolled into a ball, and flung from her. Once she stopped, and taking off her wedding ring, flung it upon the carpet. When she saw it lying there she stamped her heel upon it, striving to crush it. But her small boot heel did not make an indenture, not a mark upon the glittering circlet.
Mallard gets close to the window and sees the new outside life which a tall tree represents. The narrator shows, “The delicious breath of rain was in the air.” For Mrs. Mallard it can represent a lot of things, but this day she feels like it is a sign of her new beginning. Now she will have the opportunity to be herself and not to be what everyone wants her to be. “She [is] young, with a fair, calm face, whose lines bespoke repression and even a certain strength.” She has an entire life in front of her eyes, which now she is able to do what she wants with anyone on her back stopping her. The narrator shows the reader how Mrs. Mallard is not going to live for someone else but herself and even though “…she [loves] him—sometimes. Often she [doesn’t]” No matter how much Brently loves her, sometimes Mrs. Mallard does not feel like loving
Under the pear tree on that spring afternoon, Janie sees sensuality wherever she looks. "The first tiny bloom had opened. It had called her to come and gaze on a mystery. From barren brown stems to glistening leaf-buds to snowy virginity of bloom. It stirred her tremendously" (10). Gazing across the garden...
This painting has deviated from the standard Renaissance model in that it goes beyond depicting subjects and scene, and employs exaggerated form, color emphasis, abnormal planar depiction, and visual directionality. The aspects of this painting have become the embodiment of the story told and the characters there held. The artist has used various techniques of color, line, and juxtaposition in order to portray an idea which supersedes the sum of its parts, and thereby leads the viewer through a thought.
After locking her self in the solitude of her bedroom she begins to recognize things that one would not think of after a loved one just passed away. " She could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life (paragraph 5)." This is the point at witch she begins to deal with the grieving process, but also starts to realize the beauty of life. She begins to see that ...
This painting is considered one of the more unusual paintings because of its perspective. We are able to both ends of the space due to the mirror that he has chosen to include in the painting. This technique was very interesting at the time because it stimulated more of the viewer’s sense of space. The mirror evoked a feeling of being in the scene of the painting and witnessing it for yourself.
Like many of Van Gogh’s paintings, Olive Trees commences as a landscape and expands into a complex work, disclosing influences from other times and places. Using the color theory and separated brushstrokes of the Impressionists, the movement and vivid colors of the Romantics, and lighting and composition inspired by Millet, Van Gogh achieves the potency and significance that characterizes his work. Van Gogh’s paintings can’t possibly be mistaken for those of another artist of his time because, despite the fact that all of his means have criterion, his end results do not.
Paul Celan composed his feelings for his mother regarding both her life and her passing in his poem “Aspen Tree.” The entire work is a vessel for his emotions toward her early departure and comparisons of the life she lived with various objects in nature. However, one emblem in particular perfectly represents Celan’s idealization of his mother. It can be argued that Celan uses the dandelion to epitomize his mother’s life because it highlights his themes of transiency, the light of life within darkness, and the cheating nature of death. Comparison between the dandelion, other wonders in nature, and his mother’s life support this claim as well as contextual hints from the piece itself.