Analysis of Gerrit van Honthorst's Painting, Musical Group on a Balcony

738 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Essay on art movement

Analysis of Gerrit van Honthorst's Painting, Musical Group on a Balcony

The Dutch painter Gerrit van Honthorst was known in Rome as Gherardo delle Notti (Gerard of the Night Scenes) for his striking use of a single light source to illuminate a dark scene. He was successful in bringing Caravaggio’s lighting techniques with him to the North, influencing many painters, including Rembrandt. But his painting “Musical Group on a Balcony” is a departure from his customarily dark depictions. This piece was the first Dutch illusionistic ceiling, which Honthorst painted for his own home in Utrecht. Honthorst’s use of perspective, bright yet simple composition, and lighthearted subject matter are representative of the pastoral life that many Renaissance artists celebrated.

Seeing the painting mounted on the ceiling in The Getty instead of looking at it straight-on from a computer screen helped me to understand Honthorst’s accomplishment of perspective.

Its position on the ceiling forces us to look up at it, and we have a sense of being removed from the jovial scene above us. We are reminded of Marlowe’s poem “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love,” as the speaker imagines himself and his lover removed from their immediate world, admiring a pastoral scene: “And we will sit upon the rocks,/ Seeing the shepherds feed their flocks.” The group high above us on the balcony could be the very “melodious birds” about which Marlowe’s shepherd speaks. Just as we are onlookers of the merry musical group, they look upon us as well, inviting us to join in their merry-making. A man stands with his arms around his lover, as though singing “Come live with me, and be my love.” The entire group seems to be saying t...

... middle of paper ...

...nd to its earthly, pastoral feel. The Humanist movement encouraged the flourishing and the rediscovery of art, and the way many Renaissance artists chose to do this was to depict life in a bucolic, natural setting. The pastoral life was held up as an ideal and carefree living situation, and the musical group on the balcony fits this perfectly. The composition of the painting is very simple and light; not a lot is going on in this scene, characterizing the carefree country life.

Honthorst’s delightful painting captures the essence of an ideal moment in the Renaissance life. Just as the speaker in Marlowe’s poem invites his lover to discover with him all the pleasures that a pastoral life can offer, the group on the balcony urges us to join them in their merry-making. Both entreaties are effective in evoking the sweet and simple music of a carefree life.

Show More
Related

  • Anzia Yezierska’s Novel, Bread Givers

    1051 Words  | 3 Pages

    Anzia Yezierska’s 1925 novel Bread Givers ends with Sara Smolinsky’s realization that her father’s tyrannical behavior is the product of generations of tradition from which he is unable to escape. Despite her desire to embrace the New World she has just won her place in, she attempts to reconcile with her father and her Jewish heritage. The novel is about the tension inherent in trying to fit Old and New worlds together: Reb tries to make his Old World fit into the new, while Sara tries to make her New World fit into the Old. Sara does not want to end up bitter and miserable like her sisters, but she does not want to throw her family away all together. Her struggle is one of trying to convince her patriarchal family to accept her as an independent woman, while assimilating into America without not losing too much of her past.

    Read More

  • The Betrayal of Christ Depicted in the Italian Paintings by Duccio and Giotto

    945 Words  | 2 Pages

    The paintings by Duccio and Giotto firmly set in place a benchmark for where artwork in the years around 1300 began to develop. These artworks show how paintings began to evolve into more symbolic, naturalistic, and dramatic scenes, depicting events in life and religion. The paintings of Duccio and Giotto are similar in the sense that their paintings were then, in the sense of more modern words, “special effects” of their time. They show vivid colors with meaning and symbolism, atmospheric characters that exist in space, and composition that is well thought out. Overall, these two artists become a pinnacle of art that illustrates Italian paintings in the years around 1300.

    Read More

  • Comparison of Las Meninas and Arnolfini Double Portrait

    1294 Words  | 3 Pages

    Two of the most extensively analyzed works of art are Diego Velasquez's Las Meninas and Jan Van Eyck's Arnolfini Double Portrait. Both of these artist's talent won them recognition not only during their lifetime but after as well. Both Velasquez and Van Eyck have a justly earned title as the most talented artists of their respective times. A detailed examination of the details and intricacies of these artist's respective masterpieces, their similarities, and what sets them apart not just from each other but from other paintings from their time period and style, will lead the viewer to a better understanding of the mentalities of these gifted artists and how they transcend their respective genres and contemporaries to create their own artistic identities.

    Read More

  • Gentileschi’s Judith Slaying Holofernes: An Example of the Baroque Era and Its Art

    670 Words  | 2 Pages

    Gentileschi’s Judith Slaying Holofernes epitomizes the style of artwork during the Italian Baroque era. By using a Catholic subject and key elements and techniques essential to baroque art such as chiaroscuro and foreshortening, she was able to create a piece that gushes drama and realism. Without the use of all of these elements the effect would be lost, but instead the piece is one that moves the viewer with its direct and gritty realism of the religious subject, evoking emotion in a way that leaves the viewer in awe.

    Read More

  • Jean Hey’s Annunciation

    2188 Words  | 5 Pages

    Despite its non-Italian origins and because of its timing and specific achievements in the portrayal of the human form, emotions, and artistic balance, Jean Hey’s “Annunciation” can be considered a natural representative of the culmination of the transition from the learning process of the Early Renaissance to the perfect execution of the High Renaissance.

    Read More

  • Immigrant Reality Exposed in Bread Givers

    3301 Words  | 7 Pages

    The Smolinsky family in Bread Givers immigrates to the United States due to political strife. They actually leave Russia as an indirect result of the father’s refusal to serve in the army. His refusal is based on his religious beliefs. The mother, Shenah Smolinsky, explained the reason to Sara, the narrator, by saying, "The tsar of Russia [ …] wanted to tear your father away from his learning and make him a common soldier" (33). The family buys the father out of the army. Then due to the sudden death of Mrs. Smolinsky’s father, Mr. Smolinsky takes over his father-in-law’s business. Mr.Smolinsky’s business knowledge is hindered by his dedication to his religion and the business is forced to close. Thus, Mr. Smolinsky took to heart the American Dream, "And when everything was gone from us, then our only hope was to come to America, where Father thought things cost n...

    Read More

  • Comparison Of Perugino And Caravaggio

    1317 Words  | 3 Pages

    The artists of the Baroque had a remarkably different style than artists of the Renaissance due to their different approach to form, space, and composition. This extreme differentiation in style resulted in a very different treatment of narrative. Perhaps this drastic stylistic difference between the Renaissance and Baroque in their treatment of form, space, and composition and how these characteristics effect the narrative of a painting cannot be seen more than in comparing Perugino’s Christ Delivering the Keys of the Kingdom to St. Peter from the Early Renaissance to Caravaggio’s Conversion of St. Paul from the Baroque.Perugino was one of the greatest masters of the Early Renaissance whose style ischaracterized by the Renaissance ideals of purity, simplicity, and exceptional symmetry of composition. His approach to form in Christ Delivering the Keys of the Kingdom to St.Peter was very linear. He outlined all the figures with a black line giving them a sense of stability, permanence, and power in their environment, but restricting the figures’ sense of movement. In fact, the figures seem to not move at all, but rather are merely locked at a specific moment in time by their rigid outline. Perugino’s approach to the figures’themselves is extremely humanistic and classical. He shines light on the figures in a clear, even way, keeping with the rational and uncluttered meaning of the work. His figures are all locked in a contrapposto pose engaging in intellectual conversation with their neighbor, giving a strong sense of classical rationality. The figures are repeated over and over such as this to convey a rational response and to show the viewer clarity. Perugino’s approach to space was also very rational and simple. He organizes space along three simple planes: foreground, middle ground, and background. Christ and Saint Peter occupy the center foreground and solemn choruses of saints and citizens occupy the rest of the foreground. The middle distance is filled with miscellaneous figures, which complement the front group, emphasizing its density and order, by their scattered arrangement. Buildings from the Renaissance and triumphal arches from Roman antiquity occupy the background, reinforcing the overall classical message to the

    Read More

  • The Burdens of Illegal Immigrants and Illegal Immigration

    1044 Words  | 3 Pages

    Competing for jobs against native Americans, immigrants are not only using valuable government resources from welfare and other programs, but they are also increasing the rate of unemployment. True, the jobs immigrants are tak...

    Read More

  • Comparing Northern Renaissance And Italian Renaissance Art

    1192 Words  | 3 Pages

    While the Flemish were proficient in oil painting, Italian Renaissance artists continued their predecessor’s use of tempera. Furthermore, the paintings were ultimately created for different purposes and separate viewers. Although both works are centered on the defining moment of the annunciation, The Merode Altarpiece incorporates this scene into a secular setting, therefore differing from Fra Angelico’s The Annunciation which was painted for a monastery. Finally, Flemish and Italian Renaissance paintings differ in levels of realism. Although the Flemish painters were skilled in portraying realism of physical forms, they lacked a full understanding of linear perspective. In contrast, the Italian Renaissance artists were well versed in linear perspective but lacked a complete grasp of the natural

    Read More

  • Exhibition of The Holy and the Gory: Martyrdoms of the Renaissance

    2012 Words  | 5 Pages

    With the different styles of artists’ works planned to be showcased in this exhibition I hope viewers will be able to see what sorts of artworks were being done during the Renaissance that do not consist of works done by Michelangelo, da Vinci, Donatello, or Raphael. With a topic not usually covered when studying about Renaissance artist, I hope viewers will be able to not only learn about the interesting stories of famous Martyrdoms, but also learn about some of the lesser known Renaissance artists and their styles. Paintings of angles and landscapes from the Renaissance may look pretty but with these different and shocking pieces I hope to create an exhibition that will not soon fade away from visitor’s memories after they leave the National Gallery.

    Read More

  • Renaissance Humanism In The Renaissance During The Renaissance

    843 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Conclusion, this piece embodies humanism because the subject of the fresco is a gathering of humanist thinkers, there are many classical elements in the piece, and it uses techniques such as scientific and illusionistic rendering. The use of classical figures, as well as disguising artists of the time to celebrate their status as members of an educated society, definitely makes this a humanistic piece. It is one of the most famous pieces of the High Renaissance, and is considered to be Raphael’s masterpiece.

    Read More

  • African American Theater

    1967 Words  | 4 Pages

    Over the course of approximately one-hundred years there has been a discernible metamorphosis within the realm of African-American cinema. African-Americans have overcome the heavy weight of oppression in forms such as of politics, citizenship and most importantly equal human rights. One of the most evident forms that were withheld from African-Americans came in the structure of the performing arts; specifically film. The common population did not allow blacks to drink from the same water fountain let alone share the same television waves or stage. But over time the strength of the expectant black actors and actresses overwhelmed the majority force to stop blacks from appearing on film. For the longest time the performing arts were the only way for African-Americans to express the deep pain that the white population placed in front of them. Singing, dancing and acting took many African-Americans to a place that no oppressor could reach; considering the exploitation of their character during the 1930's-1960's ‘acting' was an essential technique to African American survival.

    Read More

  • Art History Research Paper

    2690 Words  | 6 Pages

    Imagine pondering into a reconstruction of reality through only the visual sense. Without tasting, smelling, touching, or hearing, it may be hard to find oneself in an alternate universe through a piece of art work, which was the artist’s intended purpose. The eyes serve a much higher purpose than to view an object, the absorptions of electromagnetic waves allows for one to endeavor on a journey and enter a world of no limitation. During the 15th century, specifically the Early Renaissance, Flemish altarpieces swept Europe with their strong attention to details. Works of altarpieces were able to encompass significant details that the audience may typically only pay a cursory glance. The size of altarpieces was its most obvious feat but also its most important. Artists, such as Jan van Eyck, Melchior Broederlam, and Robert Campin, contributed to the vast growth of the Early Renaissance by enhancing visual effects with the use of pious symbols. Jan van Eyck embodied the “rebirth” later labeled as the Renaissance by employing his method of oils at such a level that he was once credited for being the inventor of oil painting. Although van Eyck, Broederlam, and Campin each contributed to the rise of the Early Renaissance, van Eyck’s altarpiece Adoration of the Mystic Lamb epitomized the artworks produced during this time period by vividly incorporating symbols to reconstruct the teachings of Christianity.

    Read More

  • Two Sides of the Illegal Immigration Issue

    1471 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Editorial: Children of illegal immigrants should be able to apply for higher ed aid.” Editorial. The Spokesman-Review. 19 Jan. 2014. Web. 23 April 2014. .

    Read More

  • The Fall of Phaeton

    822 Words  | 2 Pages

    Peter Paul Ruben’s thorough understanding of Italian Renaissance art and Flemish Traditional art became very apparent in 1604-05 with the oil on canvas composition The Fall of Phaeton, . The Fall of Phaeton is about Helios, the Greek god that rode the chariot of the sun, who bore a boy, Phaeton, by a mortal mother. Aided by the recklessness of juvenility, Phaeton deceived his father into allowing him take the chariot. The horses at once bolted out, searing nearly anything in their way with the sun's heat because Phaeton was half mortal meaning he was too weak to control the mighty horses. As the sun tumbles across the sky, Mother Earth calls to Z...

    Read More

More about Analysis of Gerrit van Honthorst's Painting, Musical Group on a Balcony

Open Document