StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Piece of Art from San Francisco's Legion of Honor - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
The present essay represents descriptive and comparative discussion on the piece of art from San Francisco's Legion of Honor: St. John the Baptist Preaching by Mattia Preti. The writer describes the artistic value of the painting and makes various comparisons with other artworks…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER93.6% of users find it useful
Piece of Art from San Franciscos Legion of Honor
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Piece of Art from San Francisco's Legion of Honor"

Phillip Kirk November 25, 2005 The Missing Link St. John the Baptist Preaching, is a wonderful work of art painted my the artist Mattia Preti The painting was created in 1665, while Preti was still located in Malta. There are many unique elements within this painting that make it of the utmost caliber for its time, and even today. First and foremost has to be the religious and spiritual impact of the painting itself, but we’ll get to that at the end. St. John the Baptist Preaching is a painting made during the Venetian High Renaissance. This was a period of time marked by increasing number of religious and spiritual works, some of which were used to ward of the evil plague which was cascading throughout Europe at the time. In fact, Preti was commissioned by the town of Malta to produce works of art depicting religious figures on the gates of the city to prevent the plague from spreading. The artistic value of the painting is just as important as the history and meaning of the work of art. Not only does Preti use vividly dark colors which give a brooding aura, but the painting also uses solid brush strokes and proportionate spacing for all of the figures throughout the painting. The deep reds and darker greys help to signify the meaning of the painting, which is to portray the message of Jesus and the ending of John’s own life. He is preaching not only to the Christians but also to the Muslims, who both hold the Saint as a holy and prodigious prophet. There are many smaller elements which help to give off Preti’s message as well, such as John’s staff. It is a segmented staff and holds Latin words on it to display the time when John wasn’t allowed by god to talk. All John has to do is point to the sky to reassure the people that he is going to a better place and to head his call. Also, the angel in the corner displays the fact that the same angel who gave the message of John’s arrival on earth. But, Preti is not the only man with a strong view and image of Saint John. El Greco, another artist from Crete originally, but eventually in Spain, created a similar work of art on John the Baptist nearly a hundred years earlier, in the middle of the 1500s. To truly show the difference between the two, I have listed the images below with captions and a brief comparison between the two. There are several differences between the two paintings. So, to make it easier to see these differences, I have decided to number the key changes in similar areas between the two paintings. 1. In the painting by El Greco, I decided to point out the different staff held by El Greco’s Saint John. I believe there is a different symbolic meaning of the cross staff made from an entire section of wood. It shows the faith in God that Saint John has, and although he knows his fate, Saint John remains ever vigilant. In the painting by Preti, I showed the angel, which, using only the corner, shows how John’s guardian angel still watches over him. 2. I decided to display the difference in colors of the body and the posture of the body. In El Greco’s painting, the skin is a lighter tone which gives more of a happy yet almost dramatic feel, whereas Preti’s painting shows darker colors, and John leaning over a rock rather than standing. This shows a dramatic last stand pose, telling the people his last words of wisdom before he passes to the great beyond. 3. In El Greco’s, I pointed out the sleeping sheep and it’s placement near John’s feet, which displays the happiness in El Greco’s painting. In number four on Preti’s, I showed the sheep as a symbol of John’s sacrifice for the greater good, and similarly placed near John’s feet. In Preti’s, I pointed out the cross in the dark sky, symbolizing rebirth and regeneration in heaven. 4. In El Greco’s painting, I decided to display the color of the sky and its apparent aura around St. John. This conveys a feeling of power to John by taking up a majority, and leaving a deeper blue color around the body of John. 5. In Preti’s painting, Preti clearly displays the fact that most the Muslims and Christians revered John, as he was a prophet for both religions. In El Greco’s, there is harmony amongst the land, displaying a similar message, but not taking up nearly as much room, giving more of a feeling of righteousness for Heaven. 6. Lastly, I saw a comparison between the grey ring in the sky in El Greco’s painting to the writing on John’s staff in Preti’s painting. Preti wanted to convey John’s prophetic and protective message, whereas El Greco was once again heightening the almighty power of heaven by showing a circular split in the sky around the figure of St. John. The overall feeling that I felt from the powerful painting by Preti was that god is always watching over all people, and is in-selective. By using darker tones, Preti was able to convey a more powerful effect of drama, to remind people constantly about the unjust suffering that John had received. Using circular patterns throughout the painting (circular formation of worshipers, circular formation of John’s hands and the circular formation of the rocks) he was able to give a sense of profound hope and faith. Circles represent fertility and new life, and thus help to display that although John may have died in life, he will live on forever in Heaven alongside God or Allah, whichever is the belief. And lastly, the most profound feeling I receive is Preti’s realization that both Christians and Muslims revere St. John as a universal prophet who cared not for religious backgrounds 3. This painting helps to illustrate the link between Christianity and Islam. Works Cited Page 1. Saint John the Baptist Preaching, Preti, circa 1665 http://search.famsf.org:8080/view.shtml?record=64452&=list&=1&=&=And The artist’s image and various information within the article on Preti 2. Saint John the Baptist, El Greco, circa 1600 http://search.famsf.org:8080/view.shtml?keywords=%65%6C%20%67%72%65%63%6F&artist=&country=&period=&sort=&start=1&position=3&record=64577 The artist’s image and various information pertaining to El Greco 3. John the Baptist, Wikipedia, most of article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Baptist Various articles of information referenced from the document Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Piece of Art from San Francisco's Legion of Honor Essay”, n.d.)
Piece of Art from San Francisco's Legion of Honor Essay. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/visual-arts-film-studies/1535405-comparative-essay-on-piece-of-art-from-san-franciscos-legion-of-honor
(Piece of Art from San Francisco'S Legion of Honor Essay)
Piece of Art from San Francisco'S Legion of Honor Essay. https://studentshare.org/visual-arts-film-studies/1535405-comparative-essay-on-piece-of-art-from-san-franciscos-legion-of-honor.
“Piece of Art from San Francisco'S Legion of Honor Essay”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/visual-arts-film-studies/1535405-comparative-essay-on-piece-of-art-from-san-franciscos-legion-of-honor.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Piece of Art from San Francisco's Legion of Honor

Geology of the San Francisco Bay Region

The Bay Area of san Francisco A Place, defined as an area that includes everything in it, generally refers to the various elements found in a location.... In conclusion, the essay will give the full picture and relative understanding of Bay Area of san Francisco.... The Bay Area of san Francisco is located in the northern region of California.... In the Bay Area, cities such as san Francisco, occupying the most part of the region, Oakland and san Jose contribute to its huge population and rich commerce industry....
11 Pages (2750 words) Research Paper

Michelangelo on Flemish Art and Rogier's St Luke Drawing the Virgin

He goes on to say that even if painters of other nations were to produce good painting, it would still be Italian painting because most of the good painting that is done comes from Italy.... Luke, but also to separate him from the other painters of his region as the first truly Christian painter.... Apostolos-Cappadona writes of her first encounter with the painting that “there were those inevitable break through moments when a fold in one of the Magdalene's garments, the muscles in her contorted arms, the luminescent tears dripping slowly from her eyes, or perhaps even the flow of the brilliant colors of her garments into and out of each other caused a pause in my tranquility”....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Exhibition of Wayne Thibaud

In 2001, he was honored with a retrospective and monograph organized by the Fine Arts Museums of san francisco's legion of honor.... He is also celebrated for his vertiginous san Francisco.... Beginning in the 1970s, he began painting san Francisco cityscapes, wildly distorted views of the city's streets and hillsides that are reminiscent not only of Richard Diebenkorn's cityscapes from the mid-sixties but also the Precisionist paintings of Charles Sheeler and Georgia O'Keefe....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Artwork and Collections by Martin Wong

The painter was born on 11 July 1946 in Portland, Oregon and raised in san francisco's district of Chinatown in California.... Wong studied ceramics at Humboldt State University and… Throughout college and ten years after graduating, Wong was an active member of san Francisco Bay Area scene if art.... The works ranged from heartfelt renderings of the decaying Lower East Sides to playful and almost kitschy depictions of China Towns of san Francisco and New York....
8 Pages (2000 words) Essay

The Notion of Astronomical Spectroscopy

It can as well be defined as the object of learning is the band of electromagnetic radiation, this includes visible light, which emits from stars and other astronomic objects.... It's a tool that an astronomer uses for studying the universe.... This essay begins by deliberating the basics, including the diverse types of optical spectrographs, with addition to the ultraviolet and the… Importance is given to the essentials in what manner spectrographs are used, together with the barriers involved in designing an observational experiment....
6 Pages (1500 words) Research Paper

SFMOMA Art Gallery

Thoughts on Matisse at the legion of honor.... Henri Martise, La Conversation, 1938 has Matisse from SFMOMA The of art gallery attended is SFMOMA Art gallery.... It is situated in san Francisco, United States.... It displays arts from Fine Arts Museums of san Francisco (FAMSF) and SFMOMA.... It is situated in san Francisco, United States.... It displays arts from Fine Arts Museums of san Francisco (FAMSF) and SFMOMA....
1 Pages (250 words) Essay

The Barbary Coast: An Informal History of the San Francisco

This assignment "The Barbary Coast: An Informal History of the san Francisco" presents The Barbary Coast in san Francisco as synonymous with vice and sin, prostitution and debauchery, gambling and crime.... It got its name from the pirate-infested Barbary Coast in North Africa.... When the white settlers arrived, their perception was influenced by the Wintus stating that the Yanas were dangerous and had to be eradicated from the area....
5 Pages (1250 words) Assignment

Landscape with Traveller by Salvator Rosa in 1640

The path towards the destination of the travelers shows a piece of landscape showcasing the representational change from darkness to light.... The scene presented by the artist implies that the travelers are moving from a dark and forlorn life to a better place where life hopefully will be better as represented by the dark to light areas in the painting.... The group apparently came from a wretched place as evident in the tattered clothes of the man behind the horse....
3 Pages (750 words) Term Paper
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us