Analysis of the Baroque Artwork: Period Judgment of Paris by Jacob Jordaens - Essay Example

Visual Analysis Paper- Baroque Introduction The Baroque period of arts began in the 1600sand originated in Rome from where it spread to other parts of Europe including France and Spain. This art style is characterized by use of exaggerated motions applied on detailed artwork. Emotions were focused on in this artwork with special attention to drama and grandeur. This art style gained prominence as the Roman Catholic Church was one of the proponents of this art style having realized the importance of arts in the communication of religious ceremonies and philosophies. This style was particularly liked by the aristocracy given its focus on grandeur and opulence (Gardner, Kleiner, and Mamiya, 516). The purpose of this paper is to analyze one artwork of the Baroque Period, namely, the Judgment of Paris by Jacob Jordaens. This painting uses the medium of oil on canvas. It portrays a scene from Greek and Roman mythology where Zeus selected Paris to judge the most beautiful goddess among Athena, Aphrodite and Hera. Jordaens has portrayed Paris choosing Aphrodite as the most beautiful goddess in this painting. This painting was created by Jordaens between 1620 and1625. In order to properly analyze the painting, this painting will be compared with other paintings created in the same era by different artists. Analysis of Judgment of Paris by Jacob Jordaens The painting of ‘Judgment by Paris’ painted by Jordaens is quite characteristic of the Baroque art period. It takes inspiration from many of the artworks created during that time period and has the same elements of drama, tension and opulence. In terms of the composition, the painting depicts the three nude goddesses in the foreground along with Paris. While there are other figures in the background, Jordaens manages to cast them in the background. He skillfully does this by covering these figures in clothes so that they do not attract the eye in the first instance. He also blurs some of these figures by painting them roughly. Another technique used by Jordaens to create a distinction between the figures in the background and foreground is by casting the figures in the foreground in bright light while those in the background have little light cast upon them. The three goddesses in this way are the most prominently displayed figures as their bodies glow the most and they are shown with curvy bodies. This technique of light and dark in the painting is quite characteristic of Baroque art. This can be observed in many such paintings of the same era such as ‘Midas and Bacchus’ by Nicolas Poussin. Poussin also uses the same technique to bring his main figures into the foreground. While his figures do not occupy the center of the painting, he still manages to bring them to the foreground by using the technique of tenebrism. Since the main focus of the painting is the three goddesses, they occupy the center of the painting. However, the painting has a slightly off-centric composition as the introduction of Paris shifts the balance towards the left. In this way, the painting is heavier on the left side when compared to the right. Jordaens tries to compliment this by introducing more figures on the right side but since these are cast in the shadows, they do not take the eyes away from the center and left side of the painting. The artist uses deep colors in the painting. The colors used in the painting, such as deep red and deep green are those associated with theatrics. The use of such colors adds drama to the painting. Had the painter used pastel colors, the painting would have had an ethereal feeling. But since Jordaens employs the use of deep colors, the painting has a humanly touch to it that depicts drama and emotions. In terms of light and shadow, Jordaens has managed to produce a brilliant painting. The three goddesses, being the most important element in the painting, are cast in bright light. This light then starts fading; with Paris in a comparatively dimmer light and the rest of the figures cast in shadows. Through the use of light and shadows, the painter defines the importance of the characters in the scene. While Zues, too had an important contribution of this particular mythology scene, the painter puts him on rank lower than Paris through the use of light and shadows. When one closely looks at the figures in the painting, one is able to observe that the three important figures in the painting have been shown through all three poses, which is frontal, three-fourth and rear. A similar use of the three poses can be observed in Peter Paul Ruben’s Arrival of Marie de’Medici. The painter employs the same three poses and the figures in the painting are also nude. However, one close observation one discovers differences in the style of both the artists. The figures of Ruben are supple and curvaceous; while those of Jordaens are more feminine. Jordaens’ figures have a goddess quality about him and because Jordaens was depicting the most beautiful goddess in the Roman culture, he aimed for a perfect body shape rather than a luscious one. While the figures of the goddesses appear to be languid, the pose of Paris implies the most tension. It is also the tension in the pose of Paris as he chooses Aphrodite that brings the attention of the viewer towards the left side of the picture. The painter shows tension in the painting by keeping the torso of Paris naked. This allows the viewers to closely observe the tension in the muscles of the arm and back which are taut instead of being relaxed. In the Baroque art period, figures were often portrayed in tension which implied movement within these figures. In a similar manner, Caravaggio’s Entombment in 1600 shows figures in motion. His figures while languid still have motion within them. This is apparent in the way that Caravaggio creates tension in the muscles of the arm and legs of the naked dead Christ. Similarly, Jordaens shows Paris in a state of tension. Jordaens has perhaps kept the torso of Paris naked in order to depict tension in the muscles of his arms and back in the same way that Caravaggio creates tension. Another element worth noting in the pictures is the depiction of the male body. The male body is shown as perfectly crafted with well-toned and strong muscles. The muscles of the arms and legs both show the figure in his prime body shape. This depiction of the male body is another characteristic of the Baroque art. This can be observed in Bernini’s sculpture of David. This sculpture depicts David in a perfect physical shape. In fact Bernini has also managed to dress his David in a similar fashion as Jordaens dresses his Paris. They both are shown with naked arms and legs to cast light on their well-developed muscles and possibly also to depict tension in their bodies. Jordaens has also shown his females in the prime shape with beautiful goddess like bodies. They are kept naked so that the viewer can appreciate the figure of the goddesses. In the Baroque art, the central figures have been kept naked or partially naked. This was possibly done to add drama and attention to the painting and to depict a feeling of opulence. Naked female figures can also be observed in Peter Paul Ruben’s Arrival of Marie de’Medici. However, his figures are curvaceous while those of Jordaens are more feminine. In terms of portrayal of the female figures, Jordaens in this painting, has slightly deviated from the characteristic female of the Baroque era. Conclusion The analysis of the painting ‘Judgement by Paris’ created by Jacob Jordaen reveals that this painting characterizes other painting of the Baroque era with its use of dramatic light and colors. The focus on drama and emotions is another facet that calls attention to the painting in light of the Baroque art period. This claim is further validated as the paper compares the particular painting with others of the same era including Peter Paul Ruben’s Arrival of Marie de’Medici, Caravaggio’s Entombment and Bernini’s David. Work Cited Gardner, Helen, Kleiner, Fred S., and Mamiya, Christin, J., Gardners Art Through the Ages, Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2005, Print. Read More