Skip to main content

Jacques-Louis David, 'Male Nude - Patroclus', c.1780

File:Jacques-Louis David Patrocle.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

My eye first notices the surprising delicacy in which David has drawn this figure. Although the viewer sees this strong, muscular form filling the pictorial space of the canvas, the softness of the lines of the body and the colour of the skin is in complete juxtaposition. Furthermore, the shadows settling on the body do not create hard lines but rather extenuate the smoothness of the skin. The only hard lines are on the red drapery which the figure leans on. The body is not geometric or made up of any straight lines, everything flows into the milky white skin and down the figure's arched shoulders to his feet. 

Moving away from the body which obviously catches any viewer's eye, I notice the arrows in the bottom right hand corner. The representation is ambiguous but perhaps these link somehow to the brutish nature of this figure, contrasting with the softness of the lines that make up his body. He may be preparing to kill, with the red drapery like a pool of blood underneath him. He is often called Patroclus, Achilles best friend and soldier in the Trojan war, but I associate him with a sword rather than arrows. Or, could they be a reference to Cupid - the arrows are discarded in a messy pile which could imply that this man is unlucky in love or fallen out of someone's favour. But the man's head is facing away from the viewer so it is difficult to gauge his emotions. From the way he is lying, he seems unsure of himself, shy, maybe even embarrassed. The lack of interaction with the viewer could highlight how he just wants to be left alone to himself. It is ambiguous and that is part of the attraction of the painting.

The depiction of his hair is also interesting and it implies something that the viewer cannot see that is not contained within the four walls of the frame. His hair seems to be blowing forward, suggesting that there is some sort of wind source. This is also backed up by the apparent light source hitting the figure's foreshortened shoulder jutting out of the frame. Perhaps there is a window close to the shoulder of the viewer standing in front of the painting. David allows the light to give some body and some three-dimensional qualities to his painting, emphasising his skill as an artist. He hasn't just painted a reclining figure, he has incorporated movement, softness of brushstroke and ambiguity. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

John Everett Millais, 'Peace Concluded', 1856

  My eye is drawn to the copy of The Times clutched in the hands of the officer. The white of the figurine on the man's knee and the white of his wife's sleeves all serve to make the white paper stand out even more on the canvas. As the title of the painting suggests, this is about the end of the Crimean War, seemingly depicting a soldier who has just returned home, surrounded by his family, but the mood is perhaps less euphoric than you might expect. The soldier seems somber and weary, and his wife has a look of concern. Although on the surface it seems to be quite a harmonious composition representing a close knit and traditional family, the positioning of the man is odd. It is his wife who takes her place at the apex of the triangular composition, the soldier is reduced to an emasculated role, perhaps an invalid, as suggested by the blanket over his legs. Her face is passive, but not exactly positive. With her arms draped around her husband, she looks posed, dutiful but not...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ernst Barlach, 'The Avenger', 1914

  On the advent of both the First World War and the artistic movement known as Futurism, Ersnt Barlach cast this work in bronze. The eye picks out an angular, horizontal form, a sense of hurried pace and strong facial features to this work by the German Expressionist artist. This piece is highly interesting when discussed in terms of the artist's oeuvre - Barlach entered the First World War with a clear attitude of patriotism. The sculpture reflects that, as the figure seemingly thrusts forward wielding a sizeable weapon above his head, leading the charge head on. Describing the sculpture as his 'raging Barbarian' it is clear that Barlach wanted to present an emotionally charged figure. Perhaps it is even a self portrait, with Barlach picturing himself as the hero. The artist did in fact serve briefly as an infantry officer. However realisation soon dawned and patriotism quickly dwindled. All of Barlach's sculptures from this point onward are influenced by the horror an...
Post a Comment
Read more

Mark Rothko, 'Light Red over Black', 1957

  My eye is not drawn to the painting itself but the title of the painting, 'Light Red Over Black'. We would automatically think that the black is on top of a red background, but Rothko has flipped this around, subverting the title just like he subverting the meaning of what it was to be an artist and what Art actually was. During this time, art was going through rapid changes, with abstract expressionism coming into full force (Rothko, Pollock). But Rothko showed that all this change was for the good, even if for him, it was short lived.  The colour red in this painting is searing and the black struggles to fully cover this velvety border, especially at the bottom of the canvas. Unlike the black squares which have a hazy quality to their edges, the red is clear and impregnable. It is hard to figure out what this represents - the Tate has suggested a window perhaps, but if it is a window then what are we looking out into? Perhaps it is night, or perhaps the viewer is catching ...
Post a Comment
Read more