Berlin Painter, Red-Figure Volute Krater

Red-Figure Krater showing Achilles fighting Hector, attributed to the Berlin Painter, c490 BCE

 detail of Achilles and Hector

This Attic vase, painted in red-figure style, shows the fateful battle between Achilles and Hector at a moment just before Achilles' victory.  The battle, which would decide the outcome of the Trojan War, forms the climax of The Iliad.  The figure-scenes only occupy a narrow band on the lower neck of this krater, leaving the body an uninterrupted expanse of black.  We see Achilles attacking Hector from the left, the traditional direction for the victor, each hero backed by his patron, Athena and Apollo respectively.  The two figures mirror each other as Achilles advances and Hector falters.  Achilles stands in a powerful pose, with his weight on his front left leg as he prepares to thrust with his spear.  His back leg is straightened, about to spring forward, and he holds his shield in front and next to him, ready to defend himself should Hector surprise him with an unexpected blow.  Hector’s stance is the exact opposite: his front leg is straightened and his back leg bent as he falls backward.  His shield-bearing arm extends behind him, the heavy shield falling useless away from him.  Achilles appears completely protected, both spear and shield poised and ready; Hector is completely exposed with both arms flailing widely.  In mirroring each other the two men create a strong shape; their two straight legs parallel to each other, and their spears the distinct intersection of two lines.  The two gods appear in endorsement of their chosen hero, but in this final confrontation of Hector’s life their roles are very different.  Athena fully supports Achilles with her arm raised in the direction of his attack.  Apollo, however, has fully supported the Trojans, but now must yield to fate.  Hector is fated to lose this confrontation and Troy the war.  Therefore Apollo has no choice but to turn away from Hector and he appears to be leaving the scene.  However, he holds an arrow parallel to Hector’s spear to show that still supports him, but can simply do nothing to help him.  To me, the anonymous painter (though perhaps known through other examples of his work) very successfully conveys the pathos of this scene.  Although Hector's death is imminent, the two heroes still face each other as equals, and the defeat of Troy will be the sad result of this clash.

Aubrey Williams, Hymn to the Sun IV

Aubrey Williams, Hymn to the Sun IV, 1984

Aubrey Williams (1926-1990) was a Guyanese artist known for large, bright oil paintings like this one. Williams typically incorporated Pre-Columbian motifs into his works, both abstract and figurative, for example this piece is from his Olmec Maya series.  I am captivated by Williams' ecstatic use of color and his rendition of light.  To me this painting looks as though sunlight has penetrated a cave and shines so brightly in the wake of darkness.  The abstract forms portray a deep connection to the world Williams represents.  The painting feels quite spiritual, worthy of being called a hymn.

Claude Monet, Houses of Parliament, Sunset

Monet, Houses of Parliament, Sunset, 1902

Today I decided to post about one of the paintings I discussed in my MA thesis.  Monet made three trips to London between 1899 and 1901 and painted over one hundred canvases there.  What Monet was really interested in was the interplay of the London pollution and the light on the Thames, and it is that smoky atmosphere that becomes the real subject of the series.

Houses of Parliament, Sunset is among the series’ most striking pieces, partly due to its clearly delineated clouds.  In this entry, as with many of the paintings, the position of the sun dictates the coloring to a precise degree.  Although the sun itself isn’t visible here, we can see that it is roughly behind Victoria Tower (the tallest in view).  The orange boundaries that indicate the bottom edge of each cloud seem to diverge from the tower, and the lightest areas in the painting are the two yellow spots at the top of the tower (just above and just right of the turrets), and the light pink that borders the tower on the right.  This painting shows us the intense coloration caused by the fog, and it also explores perspective, showing the fog at different distances.  For example, the Palace of Westminster, which is relatively near our vantage point, is not obscured by the fog.  Instead, hanging vapors are visible in front of it, which make the silhouette, caused by the sun’s position, even darker.  At the same time, in the distance, the left side of the painting shows some distant, unidentifiable buildings entirely obscured in smog.  In this painting and throughout the series, Monet portrays the fog’s effect on the city, the city’s effect on the fog, the fog’s effect on the sun, the sun’s effect on the fog, the fog’s effect on the river and sky.  

Jan Brueghel the Younger, Aeneas and the Sibyl in the Underworld

Jan Brueghel the Younger, Aeneas and the Sibyl in the Underworld, 1630s

To be honest, what I especially love about this painting is the subject.  It is from my favorite section of The Aeneid, when Aeneas travels to the Underworld to see his deceased father and learns about the future of Rome, the city he is destined to found.  Brueghel (1601-1678) was a Flemish Baroque painter who demonstrated many hallmarks of the Northern Renaissance and Baroque.  In this painting, for example, we can see a crowded scene populated by numerous varied figures, set against an elaborate background.  The hellscape draws on the work of Brueghel's father (Jan Brueghel the Elder) who was in turn inspired by Hieronymus Bosch.  The dark scene conveys the perils of Aeneas's journey and the many diverse sights he witnesses as he travels the Underworld with the Sibyl.  The detail is astounding and Brueghel successfully communicated the scale and ominousness of the surroundings.

Eugène Delacroix, Lion and Snake

Delacroix, Lion and Snake, 1846

Eugène Delacroix (1798-1863) was one of the most important and influential artists of the 19th century.  His paintings draw on a wide variety of sources, from mythology and religion to contemporary literature and politics.  Here we see a rather simple scene.  The lion has captured the snake under his paw and remains calm while the snake writhes desperately to break free.  The rendering of the lion in this work is quite outstanding.  The fur and body are incredibly lifelike.  The face is beautifully detailed, his expression almost anthropomorphic in its depth and complexity.  Meanwhile the tense coils and anguished movement of the snake are expertly conveyed in the drawing and shading, ton contrast beautifully with the lion's stillness.  I personally find this painting quite intense and engaging, as though we could never finish staring into those lion's eyes.

Jozef Israëls, Alone in the World

Jozef Israëls, Alone in the World, 1881

Jozef Israëls (1824-1911) was a Dutch painter, one of the most respected of his time.  Most of his work portrays a simplicity of humble peasant life, sometimes with Jewish themes, and often expressing a certain amount of woe.  This painting of a man sitting by his wife's deathbed is full of pathos.  The stoic sadness in the man's face is beautifully rendered and one can feel his confusion and loneliness.  Although it is bright outside, the room remains dark.  The sparse furnishings and textured darkness and to the overall sadness of the scene.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jozef_israels_solo_en_mundo.jpg

Jules Olitski, With Love and Disregard: Rapture

Jules Olitski, With Love and Disregard: Rapture, 2002

Jules Olitski (1922-2007) was a Ukranian-American painter who came to prominence at the tail end of Abstract Expressionism.  Best known for his color field works of the 1960s, Olitski had a long and diverse career, attempting new techniques every decade and even exploring sculpture.  This late work, painted only five years before the artist's death, exhibits his latest style, made up of vibrant color and evocative, abstract shapes that suggest cosmic themes.  I love the way the colors blend and swirl around each other; they seem to pulse and glow.  The painting evokes the birth of the universe, the crackling of a star.  I find it stunning and it blows me away.