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Art is an essential part of people’s life. Art makes people relax. Viewing the masterpieces of art, some feelings of beauty are awoken inside people. Beauty is a great stimulator to people’s feelings and mind. It gives some food for thinking about different aspects of people’s life. Art entertains people, it gives them an opportunity to forget about every day life and immerse into another world, the world of beauty and masterpieces.
We are going to analyze two masterpieces of art in our term paper: sculpture “Struggle of the Two Natures in Man” (1888) by George Grey Barnard (Barnard) and painting “The Death of Socrates” (1787) by Jacques-Louis David (David). These two works of art are created in the difference of one hundred years.
George Grey Barnard is an American sculptor. He is original, independent and controversial figure, who was born in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. He lived not much, 75 years (1863 – 1938), but created a number of great masterpieces. George Grey Barnard was famous in America but often not recognized in other countries (Chilvers 2000-50). His “Struggle of the Two Natures in Man” is a great work. He spent much time creating it, and while he created he was “a law unto himself, going his own way” (Epstein 2008).
Jacques-Louis David was born in August 30, 1748 in Paris. He took active part in the political life of French society; Napoleon Bonaparte appreciated him and his paintings. Jacques-Louis David traveled a lot, died on December 29, 1825 in Brussels, at the age of 77. Two oh his works were taken to America when he was alive. (Bordes 2007)
The sculpture “Struggle of the Two Natures in Man” was created in 1888 by George Grey Barnard. The work of art presents us the stoned man, and he doubles into two different men. The bodies are naked and there is a feeling that one man is “coming out” of the other. One man is lying on the floor, and the other one is standing. The nude men figures show the perfect pumped up bodies. The sculpture gives an impression of movement.
The painting “The Death of Socrates” by Jacques-Louis David was created in 1787. The painting shows us something like a stoned sell, a person (Socrates, as we see from the title), who is sentenced to death, is sitting on the bed and people are crying near him.
The sentenced man is discussing something; we may think, taking into consideration his gestures, that he tries to prove something to the near sitting man. The other man is sitting near the bed: he is either sleeping or praying. The corridor and the other room are opened to the viewers. People are rising on steps and by gestures say “good bye” to those who are left at the room with the sentenced to death person. The size of the painting is 51″ x 77 1/4″, the painting is created by oil on Canvas.
“Struggle of the Two Natures in Man” is a stoned sculpture with smooth lines. The sculptor managed to create, managed to show every line of human body. The impression is that the sculpture will sand up and so, so realistic the men are. The sculptor did not emphasize any parts of the figures by color. The sculptures are the unity of bodies and at the same time its variety. The bodies are one and the same soul which unites them. The different natures of these bodies are the variety the work depicts us.
The creator of the work of art do not focus our attention on any part, giving us the right to choose the most prominent and important sides of the sculpture. The standing man is like “growing” out of the lying one and in the place of their combination we see a kind of some small animal, like a cat or a dog with teeth.
“The Death of Socrates” is a colored picture. The artist gives the impression, the illusion of space with the help of shade. The lines are smooth, full. The artist gives lots of details which give the viewers the opportunity to understand that it is a sell: stone walls, metal handcuffs, lots of different metal details, the grates, the stares which take on the top give us the understanding that the room is situated under the ground.
Manuscripts are lying on the floor, what confirms that there is not just common person in the prison, that it is an educated person with the ability to think. The manuscripts may also symbolize the reason why the person was sentenced to death: because of his lessons and works which created some inconvenience to the government.
The grey color of the walls is in a great contrast with the white color of dress of the prisoner and bright colors (yellow, blue, red) of the dresses of his friends. The corridor, which leads us into the other room, gives us an impression that the space is much bigger than we see.
The sculptor of “Struggle of the Two Natures in Man” wanted to show the viewer his vision of people’s inner world; he wanted to show us the struggle which appears in the life of every person when he or she has to decide something, has to choose one item from the offered ones, his nature is doubled. The absolutely equal bodies of the work of art symbolize the equality of opportunities to win in this struggle.
Every person has at least two different natures in his mind and soul, and every day these souls are in struggle, every wants to be the winner. The sculpture is very dynamic; the vision is that the men are going to move every minute. So, the movement inside us is constant: if it seems that one nature has won and is standing, the other is ready to attack, and the struggle continues.
The artist of “The Death of Socrates” presents the viewer the last moment of the life of Socrates. Socrates is sentenced to the death by the Athenian government for his work. His teaching methods did not suit that government. He tried to arouse, to wake up scepticism and impiety, disobedience and critical views in the minds of his students.
Socrates heroically rejected exile, he submitted to his destiny, he accepted the death from hemlock. Even when the death is so close, Socrates did not stop to teach his students. We may see all that from his gestures, from his mimics. The artist portrayed the faces of people with such details that the viewer can easily guess what they were thinking about, what they were feeling.
We see some people who were in grief, who cried about the Socrates death and did not even try to hide their tears. The others vice versa managed to maintain the self control and try to support conversation with Socrates. On the painting we see Socrates’ wife who is leaving the sell. She cannot stand those emotions and she decided to leave, not to be racked by soul tortures.
My feelings about the sculpture “Struggle of the Two Natures in Man” (1888) by George Grey Barnard awoke in me rather positive feelings. It is rather impressive to see the inner struggle of people outside.
The work of art is made according to the principle of imitationalism. The artist tried to imitate the struggle which can be seen, in indirect understanding of this word, inside every person. The artist’s aim was to show us the process of constant, dynamic change of the winner, and to underline the unstop process inside us.
The concept of emotionalism is also appropriate here. When you see this sculpture for the first time you are very impressed by it. You begin to think over different aspects of life, you think over the philosophical sides. The sculpture awakes the thoughts which never came to your mind.
The impression from the painting “The Death of Socrates” by Jacques-Louis David is rather contrasting. From one side I sympathize the grief of Socrates friends and family, I grieve for him and ready to burst into tears when look on this painting. And from the other side, when I look on Socrates’ insured face, I understand that he submitted and the artist wanted to tell that the other people should also submit. He understands that it is his destiny, and now he should try to use his last hours with the biggest benefit. And his mood is given to the viewer, and you do not to grieve any more.
The narrative basis of the work gives the impression of the concept of formalism used in the judgment. The formal elements and design principles, which are used in the sell portrayal, are used carefully and innovative, what creates a great effect from the painting and make it successful. The emotional side of the painting depends on person’s perception. The question is what the person is going to take for the primary judgment. This work “breaks away from the usual canons of composition” (Caffin 2008).
In general, both these works of art create some light feelings in my heart. The George Grey Barnard’ sculpture makes me think about the future, about the inner world of every person in particular. The work by Jacques-Louis David gives me some food to think about the past, death in general and its purpose, whether people should grief about the future death or try to do as much as possible, to give people the experience they have till they alive.
Both these works of art provoke the philosophical thinking in the people’s mind. And it is the main common feature of these works of art which seem from the first side to be absolutely different and in the form of display, and in the method of portrayal.
The main differences are that the George Grey Barnard’ sculpture shows the inner world of people, their inner feelings, and the Jacques-Louis David’s painting presents the outer display of inner feelings.
Works Cited
Barnard, George Grey. “Struggle of the Two Natures in Man”. 2009. Web.
Bordes, Philippe. David, Jacques Louis. Jacques-Louis David: Empire to Exile. Yale University Press, 2007
Caffin, Charles H. American Masters of Sculpture. READ BOOKS, 2008
Chilvers, Ian. A Dictionary of Twentieth-Century Art. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000.
David, Jacques-Louis. “The Death of Socrates”. 2009. Web.
Epstein, Jacob. Let There Be Sculpture. READ BOOKS, 2008.
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