QOD #14 — Solution
Solution
[A] The Descent from the Cross (The Deposition). Rogier van der Weyden, 1435.
[B] The Burial of the Count Orgaz. Domenico Theotocopoulos (El Greco), 1586.
[C] May 3, 1908. Francisco de Goya, 1814.
1) Compare and contrast [A] and [B].
While both [A] and [B] depict scenes with obvious religious overtones, there are several subtle differences in the actual content. The subject of The Deposition is more directly religious, whereas The Burial of Count Orgaz is actually secular in nature, showing the interment of a person who was certainly not a religious figure, but whose burial is clearly meant to recall that of Christ. The central figure of [B], the Count's body, especially quotes the position of so many paintings of the deposition of Christ, including that seen in van der Weyden's work. Further, on the lower plane of the painting, the figure is itself the central focus of the other people shown, as would also be natural for a picture of the deposition from the cross.
The two works differ also in structure. It is true that both artists have chose to set their respective scenes in ambiguous space with little indication of a background, and both artists fill that space fully with sometimes cramped and crowded figures. However, El Greco has separated his painting into two distinct areas, clearly representing both the heavenly and the terrestrial spheres. It is in the upper half of the picture that we see the freer style of composition that sets it apart, not only from its earthy counterpart, but also from the strict formality of van der Weyden's scene.
In a similar vein, stylistically, van der Weyden's Deposition is executed in a particularly precise and rigid fashion, in contrast to the painterly and more freely executed approach of El Greco.
2) The Third of May, 1808 depicts the execution of a group of Madrilenos which occurred during Napoleon's invasion of Spain in 1808. This work marks a change in emphasis in the content of Goya's works, from the merely sardonic royal court portraits, to an unrelentingly realistic and nightmarish view of the cruelty and victimization of humans.
Comments
Back to the QOD
