Massacre Of The Innocents Analysis

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Massacre of the Innocents (1611-1612) was painted during the Renaissance, an ostentatious and high-ly authentic art period that spanned approximately from the 14th to the 17th century. During this epoch, artists were reinterpreting biblical and mythological narratives and reviving antiquity. Massa-cre of the Innocents stands at 55.9 inches by 71.7 inches, and depicts a hyper realistic image of a mas-sacre taken directly from the bible. The foreground consists of a mass of bodies that are fighting. One woman kneels, cradling her dead son and tearing her hair in grief, as next to her two others plead with an executioner holding a baby aloft before dashing it to death on an altar. Babies with a bluish hue litter the ground. There is what seems to be a mother holding a baby being pulled backwards by a soldier. There is a lady adorned in a red ground clutching a baby with one hand; her other hand claw-ing at a mans face. An old lady resting against the maiden in the red robe appears to be about to be stabbed by another naked man – with his hand in her mouth. Buildings in background have roman like architecture, indicating the time period in which this painting is based. The background also consists of figures pleading to more soldiers about to commit the heinous crime of more child-slaughter. Bond (2013) describes the painting as “it is at once beautiful and horrific with images of the tearing of flesh, the cutting of skin and the crushing of bone, tempered by exquisite artistry.” Massacre of the Innocents has become one of Rubens most influential pieces, as the message behind the precise brushstrokes in expressed in such a significant fashion that the message and story of the painting is clear and obvious to interpret. Using oils on ... ... middle of paper ... ...itioning the majority of the male figures in the upper triangle; implying their dominance over the females in the lower region of the painting. Rubens has also used angular lines to express the painting’s violent and chaotic message. Such line-based constructions are designed to affect the audi-ence on a subconscious level, and are capable of telling a visual narrative in themselves. The composi-tion and amalgamation of muscle, cloth and expressions also emphasises the message of the artwork – creating an almost elegant atmosphere, despite its brutal theme (Deborah, 2013). The title, Massa-cre of the Innocents, is a direct statement, positioning the audience to see this cruel depiction of this scene as inhumane and heinous. Everything about this painting contributes to shining a negative light on the theme of imbalance of power, and how it is abused within society.

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