More handpicked essays just for you.
What role does religious art play in russian culture? Russian religious art and architecture
Theme in russian literature
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Christianity has influenced not only Andrei Rublev’s life, but also his artwork, the Trinity was his signature interpretation of the Old Testament (Lenhoff 690). This painting shows Abraham and his communication with God. In this painting, there are three angels shown to visit Abraham at what is known as the Oak of Mamre in the Bible. These angels are believed to represent the Trinity or the three “parts” of God: the Father, the son, and the Holy Spirit. Abraham is shown in this painting to be serving them a meal (Bunge 52). As the conversation progresses it shows that he is speaking directly to God. The color gold is an important element to this painting. Around each of the angel’s heads there is a golden halo. On the table is a matching golden chalice-like bowl. In the background of the picture, a house can be seen off on the left hand side. There is a rocky hill that can be seen on the upper right of the picture in the distance. The painting Trinity had decorated the Trinity Monastery between 1422 …show more content…
and 1427 (Lemhoff 690). This painting became regarded as one of the highest achievements of Russian Orthodox art. Rublev gives each of the figures of the painting Trinity colors.
Each figure has a combination of blue and another color, where blue unifies all three (Levinson 352). The figures sitting around the table have gentle faces and quiet concentration, this is further expressed in the rhythmical arrangement and composition of the figures. The wings of the angels are painted in gold. Their seats are also gold along with the chalice in the center. The light shines around their heads, creating a golden halo which signifies purity. It is believed that the son was dressed in the deepest colors; a reddish brown garment that represents heaven and earth. The next figure is the Father who wears all the colors which can show him representing the universe. On the right would be believed to be the figure of the Holy Spirit. This figure wears blue which represents the sky (Levinson 352). Andrei Rublev was also notable for his depictions of Christ in various
paintings. In lands where another form of Christianity known as the Russian Orthodox was practiced, Christ can be seen in homes, public buildings, shrines, and churches. The painting Christ in Glory is believed to be another masterpiece of Rublev’s and depicts Christ as the divine authority and is enclosed in a geometrical design. This painting shows a vertical red diamond with a dark oval medallion that is set against a red rhomboid with four corners which protrude out (Fiene 474). From Christ there are rays of light that radiate from him to these four corners with symbols of the evangelists shown in each. With the various details of the composition it is believed they are representative of the iconic wisdom of the religious figures being portrayed (Fiene 475). This type of painting was started by Theophanes the Greek, Rublev who was believed to be a student under Theophane’s learned many of his styles and was influenced by some of his mentor’s religious beliefs. The symbolism of Christ in Glory can be seen from the halo surrounding Christ’s head to the book in his hand. There are also other names for this painting such as, Saviour in Glory and Christ in Majesty. In this painting, Christ’s left-hand holds the open book of Scriptures, which is the written manifestation of his teaching (Minard 203). With his right hand in most cases, he is shown blessing those who stand before him. With this painting, his hand is turned toward the heart; giving the viewer a sense of inner attentiveness. Rublev placed Christ’s hand over his heart because he wanted to show a gesture of blessing (Minard 203). The audience is held captive by the Savior’s gaze; his teachings are presented to us and we cannot help but feel drawn to share his inner life. Rublev and other artists from the Russian Orthodox Church often depict Christ, the angels, and other religious figures instead of focusing on the common theme of the Virgin Mary. There are other artists from around the world that have expressed their devotion to their faith besides Andrei Rublev.
which cover his waist and some of his torso. He is holding a very tall, slender cross in his left hand, while looking with a diffused look to the right. Also, to the left of him (to the right from the viewer’s perspective) there is a sheep lying upon a rock.
The Lord is wearing to Christian symbols. The first symbol is his headwear. Mary Elizabeth Podles expounds that the deity’s tiara is similar to the pope, which represents the trinity (54). The trinity is the Christian expression that God is made up of the Father (God), Son (Jesus), and Spirit (Holy Spirt), and all three figures are connected to one another. This is shown in the headwear, which is made up of three layers.
The representation of divinity was clearly defined in Christ in Majesty with Symbols of the Four Evangelists through its subject matter, technique, and style. Christ acts as the focal point, but the artist also used different subjects from the Old and New Testament to decorate the apse. Unlike the mosaics in the apse of Byzantine churches, the artist employed the technique of classical fresco painting. The artist also applied decoration to the figures with the hierarchy of scale, and through the geometric style in the drapery instead of maintaining a sense of realism.
He initially compares God’s eye to frost, and his hand to new enemy suggesting reluctance to take God’s hand, to fully believe. The progression continues as God’s feet and ideas are compared to pigeons that are more and more prevalent conquering the whispers of doubts; The speaker’s notion of God is becoming more resilient to the test of doubt. Furthermore Larew applies the use of symbolism in “the wide blue frame” to solidify the conviction in God in a ephemeral sense. The word wide also means to the full extent while the color blue is often used in Christian art on the Virgin Mary, symbolizing her connection with the divine. Blue also provides a sense of relaxation, peace and tranquility. Thus, “wide blue frame” symbolizes the feeling of support, peace, and tranquility in the full extent as result of conviction in God. In the end, against all those doubts, the speaker has finally found his or her conviction in
He also illustrates principles of design. If you were to place a vertical line on the picture plane the two sides would balance each other out. The painting can also be divided half horizontally by the implied divisional line above the horses head and the sword of the man who St. Dominic has brought back to life. Contour horizontal lines that give the expression that the dead man on the ground is sliding out of the picture plane, and dominate the bottom of the painting. On the top of the picture plane, behind the spectators is the brightest intermediate color, which is red orange that gives the impression of a sunrise.
The ability to create a picture of The Annunciation in one’s mind is a key factor in understanding the analysis of the work. Francisco de Zurbaran approaches the painting with a naturalistic style. The painting features a room in which a woman – like angel is seen at the left kneeling on the ground before the Virgin Mary. The figure of Mary is placed between a chair and a small wooden table draped with a green cloth. Mary disregards an open Bible on the table, as she appears solemn while staring at the floor. Floating above the two main figures in the upper left side of the painting are cherubs resting on a bed of clouds. They happily gaze down at Mary with eyes from Heaven.
A distinction of colors exists within the painting: there is dreary dark blue background contrasted by the intense shades of red and white worn by the figures. A specific example of this the women flanking the Virgin Mary. The woman to the right of Mary attracts the most light and is the brightest in color. The Virgin Mary herself is dark, dull, and shadowed. The woman behind Mary, similar to the other woman, is wearing red and bright. In reality, the lighting of these figures do not make logical sense. If Rosso’s mission was the depict reality than the women would be shaded evenly from light to dark. Due to the overall lack of a single swath of colors, the eye is forced to look all over the painting rather than focus on one main
The content of this painting represents a Christian worldview because of all the symbolism inside the piece. The most predominant image in this painting is the light house, which is also the focal point of the piece. The viewers eyes are first drawn t the clouds in the top right corner of the painter before following the ocean waves to the shore that lead to the light house. A light house has always been a symbol of guidance as it is a beacon that guides sailors safely back to shore. Kinkade uses the light house in this painting to symbolize the love of God. The light house is shining brightly in his picture even though it’s not dark yet. In the same way God will always be a light to those to wish to follow Him. God will always lead us back to him and be a guide for our live. He will make sure that we always survive temptations. As the light house guides the ships out of the storm, God will always guide his people to the promise land.
Looking across the entire triptych certain visual elements can be seen. Lighting is carefully used to highlight many important details in the painting; the dramatic facial expressions of many of the people in this scene are clearly lighted and defined to illustrate the emotions felt by the witnesses. In the left panel of The Raising of the Cross, among the mourners appear to be St. John, another man that seems to be consoling St. John, Elizabeth (the mother of John the Baptist), St. Mary (the mother of Jesus) and Mary Magdalene (hoocher.com). One of the mourners is actually looking directly at the viewer with a very distraught expression on her face. The mourner that I suspect is St. John in the back appears to be almost nauseous and his face is surrounded by darkness and is subordinate and his face is being emphasized. Also, the rocky background is subordin...
... right is the only part of the painting that has gold leaf in it, on her gown, what looks to be a gold collar, and a gold necklace with a pearl. The gold she is garnished in represents royalty and the holy. An interesting illusion is seen the left angel’s hair and how it’s illuminated by the sun creating a halo.
2. There are 18 people in the foreground of the image and an uncountable number in the background. Jesus and Peter both have halos indicating their divine status, while Judas doesn’t. The people have a sort of bulky feel to them as well as very vibrant colored clothes. The contrast of
Since my first encounter with Kandinsky's art I was amazed by their complexity and always wondered about the creative and intellectual mind, which was responsible for them. The few books I managed to find on Kandinsky were extremely useful as they outlined his entire career and had a substantial amount of illustrations. There were also a number of websites available on the Internet, which contained critiques from other art historians, critics and fellow artists from around the world. But there is not a large number of his paintings available in Britain therefore could only experience his art at first hand on three occasions. If I were to attempt this coursework again I would perhaps try to widen my research by travelling outside of the U.K. and experiencing at first hand some of Kandinsky's more grand pieces, in order to fully feel their effects.
The use of modeling and white overpainting gives the artwork a sense of naturalism. The artwork is overall highly stylized with shallow and flat figures with a sinuous curve. Classical elements are seen in the artwork such as the colonnade, details of classical architecture, there is also the use of shadow in the legs of the camels.The value of spiritual beauty is seen in the text and material beauty of the Vienna Genesis, creating their overall message. The Jacob Wrestling the Angel is a continuous narrative in a sequence along a U-shaped path. Jacob illustrated in a brown and red tunic leading his servants, two wives, and eleven children across a river. After going over the bridge to cross the river, Jacob is separated from his family. At night he meets and wrestles an angel, so he will be blessed. Once he is blessed his family continues on their journey. An important transformation seen in Jacob’s life is when the Old Testament patriarch is called Israel. The bent bridge illustrates the classical relief and how if it were straightened it could have been a frieze carved in
The doctrine of the Trinity, as seen in the Christian bible, is primary to the Christian faith. The word “Trinity” does not actually appear in the bible; it is a theological label meant to summarize certain teachings of certain passages of scripture, and is crucial to properly understand what God is like, how He relates to us, and how we relate to Him. It may also raise many difficult questions including what does it mean that God is a Trinity? While it is difficult for us to fully understand everything about the trinity, it is quite possible to answer questions like this one and come to a solid grasp of what it means for God to be three in one.
The Russian-born Wassily Wassilyevich Kandinsky came late to art. In 1896, at age 30, he gave up a legal career to take up painting inspired by Monet’s Haystacks. His first works such as Der Blaue Reiter shows Monet's influence on Kandinsky. Similar to the artists we considered earlier, Kandinsky's work increased in abstraction as he matured. Indeed, many credit Kandinsky with being the first abstract artist. In a change of pace, we will focus on Kandinsky's main contribution to modern art and spirituality: as a writer. His two most famous works are Concerning the Spiritual In Art (1910) (Kandinsky, 1977) and Point and Line to Plane (1926) (Kandinsky, 1979). Before turning to the works themselves, a word on Kandinsky’s main spiritual influences.