"The Raft of the "Medusa"" by Theodore Gericault (1818). This picture is cited in my Works Cited page.

Painting Critique

Allie Haught

April 15, 2014

Professor Bomboy

HUM 101

Marxism in “The Raft of the “Medusa””

Narrative paintings are an especially interesting form of art because of their depth. “The Raft of the “Medusa”” that was painted in 1818 by Theodore Gericault is a narrative painting that is not only interesting but truly fascinating for a variety of reasons. Gericault’s use of the elements of art and the principles of design are expertly executed, and they enhance the artwork and give the viewer the full experience of the story behind it. The interpretation of the painting should be and is directly linked to a real-life story that inspired the artist to forever capture it on his canvas. It evokes some very strong feelings within me, which means that Gericault did an excellent job of impacting his audience. “The Raft of the “Medusa”” has all of these elements while also reminding the viewer of an underlying theme; power. The piece is an excellent work of art to begin with because of its execution.

            “The Raft of the “Medusa”” shows a group of men that appear to be stranded on a raft in the middle of the ocean. The men are in a pile. Most are alive, but there are some dead bodies in the mix. The elements of art and the principles of design were used effectively in this piece to improve the work. Lines are definitive to show the different pieces of the artwork, but they are also soft to show the natural elements like human skin, the water, and the sky. The shapes are very organic. They help to portray the painting as more realistic and easy to connect with. Most of the shapes are somewhat rounded, except for the wooden raft that has rectangular pieces. Most of the color is dark to portray a somber mood. The colors of nature, like parts of the sky and the ocean, are lighter at some parts than that of the somewhat same color of the men. The texture is realistic. The texture of the human skin differs from that of the hard wood and the soft water and sky. There is a very rich use of value in this painting. There are “vivid contrasts of light and dark” to make the mood even more dramatic (Fiero 52). Form is used to give the painting a three-dimensional effect. The men on the raft are in the foreground, but it is apparent that there is a vast sea behind them. What is left to the imagination is how massive the sea must be. This helps to enforce the idea of power; that nature is way more powerful than man. Space is used very cleverly in this painting. All of the action is in the middle, but the open water behind the men gives the painting depth. Attention is brought to this fact by the men who are reaching outwards towards the open sea. They appear to be searching and begging for a safe haven. Space is used further by the triangles that appear in the raft and in the stack of men and also by the “sharp diagonals” that appear throughout the piece (Fiero 52). Contrast is found in various ways. There is contrast in the shapes that separate the definitive foreground from the open and soft, somewhat imagined background. There is also contrast in the light and dark colors of the painting. It helps to let the audience know that man and nature are definitely not the same. The emphasis or focal point is on the men on the raft. There is so much action going on here. There are men reaching outwards, men who are sitting somberly, and also bodies of the dead. This is where the story truly takes place. The rhythm of the painting moves the viewer from organic shape to organic shape. The first thing that “catches the eye” are the men on the raft, but each man seems to have his own character and shape. There are the men who are active and hopeful at the top of the pile, which also symbolizes power in the sense of “pack leaders.” There are men who appear to have “given up” and accepted what they believe is their inevitable fate. Finally, there are deceased bodies which also remind the viewer of power because they were the weaker ones who did not survive. Proportion is used to portray how massive nature is when compared to man. The immense ocean would seem to swallow the men on the raft if more of the background was shown. All of the men are proportionate which helps to make the painting more realistic and relatable. There is a repetition in the texture and shapes of the painting, and this leads to a unity of the artwork. The people all seem to be united in the big mass. They are stranded together in that ocean. Overall, it is a very believable scene. The elements and principles all work together to enhance the painting a great deal. The dark colors, definitive lines, value, and contrast helps to create a somber mood. The texture, organic shapes, and proportion helps to make the painting true to life. The form, space, and emphasis helps to portray the sense of power that is a theme in the piece. The repetition and unity keeps the viewer enthralled in the story and depth of the painting. These elements and principles accurately helped Gericault record the true story that is depicted in the painting.

            The meaning of the painting was clear, but there is actually a true story behind it. At first glance, I did understand that the artist was showing men stranded on a raft in the ocean. I also believed that the artist was trying the make the work very dramatic and somber by his choice of colors and detailed expressions on the men’s faces. This scenario leaves a lot of questions to be answered, but the answers can be found by researching the story behind this painting. His true motivation for creating it was because he wanted to “immortalize it [this tragic event] in paint” (Fiero 51). Gericault lived before the time of cameras, so artwork was one of the only ways to show current events (Fiero 51). “The Raft of the “Medusa”” is based on the story of a ship that wrecked off of the coast of West Africa (Fiero 51). The crew and some of the passengers survived, but the crew took almost all of the food and the supplies and set the passengers loose away from their lifeboats (Fiero 51). Most of the passengers died, and, after almost two weeks, some of them had resorted to cannibalism (Fiero 51). Finally, the raft was spotted, and fifteen men were rescued (Fiero 51). Gericault was outraged by this story, and he wanted to portray it very seriously (Fiero 51). He even went as far as to interview the survivors and sketch the corpses that were on the rafts after studying them in the morgue (Fiero 51). I believed that Gericault successfully represented the story in this painting. The strained and desperate, or, in some cases, hopeless, expressions of the men shows the anxiety of the serious situation. It is clear that Gericault used accurate human anatomy to have realism in the painting. I like how he did not go over the top and make the painting too dramatic by making it gory. He left the bodies in tact and recognizable as humans. He also successfully represented power. The men at the top who are aggressively reaching out for rescue appear to be the powerful leaders, while the men at the bottom, specifically the man who has appeared to have “given up” and the ones who have already died, are the weakest. Not only is power shown in the pile of men, but it is also shown in the big picture. Nature is the biggest element in the painting. The men are stranded because of nature’s power. This is yet another depiction in art about how nature is always stronger than man. The men are at the mercy of the ocean. Those added ideas work well with the gloomy mood of the story that the artist was trying to depict. The painting aroused these feelings in me, specifically, as well.

            When I first looked at the painting, I thought that the mood was supposed to be very depressing. I get a hopeless feeling from some of the men, while I very much pity all of them. I get a feeling of desperation, as well. I cannot imagine what it would be like to be stranded on a raft with dead bodies, starving and in despair. This painting also makes me feel very scared to think about how powerful nature truly is. Man is nothing in the face of the natural world. This feeling, called sublime, was precisely what Gericault was trying to accomplish (Fiero 52). I believe that he did an excellent job of illustrating these ideas.

            “The Raft of the “Medusa”” by Theodore Gericault is a very well executed narrative painting that successfully tells a heart-wrenching story. The painting’s elements and principles of art add to the narration and themes (specifically power). They all play very well together to enhance the work. Gericault chose a specific story as the motivation behind it, and he definitely depicted the scene accurately. The painting evoked feelings within me that are hard to forget because of the emotional impact and seriousness of the situation. Theodore Gericault should be considered the reporter of his time by preserving this event in history forever through his artwork.

Works Cited

Fiero, Gloria K. The Humanistic Tradition. 6th ed. Vol. 5. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2011. Print.

"Theodore Gericault." Artsy.net. Artsy.net, 2014. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.

Non-Western Art Picture

"Wooded Mountains at Dusk" by Kuncan (created in 1666 during the Qing Dynasty). The picture is cited in my Works Cited page.

Non-Western Art Critique

Allie Haught

April 2, 2014

Professor Bomboy

HUM 101

Non-Western Art Critique

            Pieces of Non-Western art have a style and a uniqueness all of their own depending on the area that they are from. Ancient Chinese art is no different. All of the elements that were specific to Chinese art and Buddhist culture are found in “Wooded Mountains at Dusk” (“Timeline”). This is a hanging scroll from China that was created in 1666 during the Qing Dynasty (“Timeline”). It is definitely authentic because it is inscribed by the artist, Kuncan, himself (“Timeline”). There is also a backstory behind the artwork. Kuncan, a Buddhist, was inspired while visiting Mount Huang to begin painting landscapes (“Timeline”). Not only is the artist’s personal story verification of the authenticity of the scroll, but it is also designed in the common style of Chinese artwork. The different elements and principles of design play very well to bring life and meaning to the piece. The point of the scroll is also easily discovered simply by looking at it. “Wooded Mountains at Dusk” provoked very distinct feelings for me personally. I believe that the artist did a wonderful job of conveying his message through this painting.

            “Wooded Mountains at Dusk” is a hanging paper scroll that is painted with ink and color (“Timeline”). It depicts a landscape when the sun is setting. There are also two humans found in the painting; one is found traveling up the mountain, and the other is found meditating under a stone bridge (“Timeline”). The different elements of design are used perfectly to enhance the work of art. The lines are definitive, yet shapely. The solid black lines are there to set the different elements (trees, mountains, et cetera) apart from each other so that it does not blend together into a mass. Although there are solid outlines, the lines also curve to make a natural-looking shape to the different things in the painting. The colors found, although a bit dull, are black, gray, green, and brown. These different colors are used to enhance the natural features of the different parts while still keeping the outline there. For example, the green of the tree leaves and the brown of the trunks adds the actual color that is found in nature, but the black outlines of each help to maintain the curves and shapeliness. The texture in this painting is very present. The artist was known for using a “densely textured style” of a master before him (“Timeline”). The texture becomes more misty and fog-like as the distance is perceived to increase, which is very realistic. Other features, like the mountains and leaves, have a life-like texture similar to what is found in nature. Texture is the main element in the painting in my opinion. The value in the painting is also very rich. The color gets lighter with the things in the background and darker with the things that are clearly seen in the foreground. This also plays in to the form. The painting has a three-dimensional effect. The things in the foreground are dark and more defined, while the mountains “behind” them are perceived as further away because of the light color and misty texture. The space helps to make the artwork appear as a “journey” (“Timeline”). Even though the painting has depth, it is still has unity. These elements lay the groundwork for the principles of design to add even more to the piece.

 The principles of design use those different elements to enhance the art further. There is a contrast of the different textures that helps to set the elements apart and to make it appear as though things are further or closer away. The emphasis of the painting is not on one single thing. It even has a poem accompanying it that “describe[s] a physical, as well as spiritual, journey through mountains and over waters” (“Timeline”). The rhythm of the hanging scroll flows from shape to shape. It draws focus to the different trees in the foreground and to the shapes of the mountains behind them. The proportion helps to show the importance of nature in their culture. The humans in the painting are miniscule and hard to notice compared to the massive size of the mountains and trees that are depicted. There is repetition in the textures and objects (since they all look realistic) that helps to join the painting together. There is unity in the painting with how everything flows together and gets the message across. It is clear that the meaning of this painting is to provoke thought and to show how important the natural world is.

The function of “Wooded Mountains at Dusk” is to exhibit the Buddhist belief that nature is key and that there is a journey to a higher place. It accomplishes both of these things. Nature is what the physical portrayal of the artwork is. Trees, mountains, and leaves are all painted. It is a beautiful landscape captured as the sun is setting. The minute size of the men in the picture shows that nature is greater than man. The foreground-background style of the scroll is meant to have the eye travel upwards, much like how, in life, the Buddhists believe that there is a higher being that is greater than Earth. This would also be true if the painting was viewed upwards to downwards, symbolizing that the higher being is more important than Earth. It is meant to make a person reflect. Hanging scrolls were used as decoration and a way to express the Buddhist belief through art. “Wooded Mountains at Dusk” definitely made me reflect.

            This painting invoked many strong feelings within me. First, it made me reflect on how truly breathtaking scenes in nature can be. It is easy to overlook these things in everyday life, but a beautiful depiction like this shows that nature is genuinely striking. It also brought a peaceful feeling to me. It is easy to get lost in all that is illustrated in this painting both literally and mentally. I love how the different textures kept me enthralled in the artwork. The depth helped to keep my eyes moving and fixated on the piece, as well. I admire how the outlines show that everything is clearly defined, but there is still a oneness that is actually found in nature. The organic shapes help to show the realism in the painting. The intricate details, like the two men who are found with difficulty, make it even more stimulating and thought-provoking. Overall, I think that the artist did a wonderful job of expressing his beliefs in this landscape painting.

            Kuncan did a remarkable job of creating a piece of art that is so simple yet so thought-provoking. The Buddhist style is shown in this artwork, and it is enhanced by the elements and principles of design that were used. It has more of a mental function that a practical one, but this was common with the Buddhists. Personally, “Wooded Mountains at Dusk” made me feel peaceful and deep in thought. I think that it is a great interpretation of the Buddhist culture through painting, and it was very well executed.

Works Cited

 "Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History." The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2013. Web. 02 Apr. 2014.

Kuncan. Wooded Mountains at Dusk. 1666. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2013. Web. 4 Apr. 2014.