Category: Art

Les Miserables is the musical based on an 1862 novel of the same name by Victor Hugo. The songs of the main characters touch upon the issues of searches for the sense of existence, their moral choices and primary life values. The songs of the characters represent their feelings and thoughts, initiating listeners into their inner worlds and delivering authors’ messages.

Fantine’s song “I Dreamed a Dream” expresses the woman’s pain about her destiny by contrasting a happy dream and her reality. Fantine is one of the central characters of the musical. She is left alone with her illegitimate daughter Cosette and does everything possible for earning living of her child.

Fantine’s life can be divided into two parts- before the birth of her daughter and after it. Contrasting the two realities, the woman emphasizes the differences between them. The author has chosen the form of a dream for representing Fantine’s youth years because the woman can hardly believe that her life could be different and her happiness in the past seems to her to be so unrealistic as if it were only a night dream.

“I dreamed a dream in time gone by/ When hope was high/ And life worth living/ I dreamed that love would never die/ I dreamed that God would be forgiving” (Les Miserables). Bearing in mind the past time of the whole sentence, a listener can conclude that at present the woman does not consider her life as worth living.

The whole song is based on contrasts which help the author to express the indirect complaints of the character. Fantine uses similes and other language means for expressing her feelings. She compares the lover who betrayed her to tigers: “But the tigers come at night/ With their voices soft as thunder” (Les Miserables). Admitting that her dream was killed with her reality at the end of the song, the woman shows the depths of her despair.

Jean Valjean’s song “Who Am I?” reflects not only the inner conflict of one of the main protagonists as to the moral choice in a concrete situation but also the inner struggle between good and bad in general. The rhetoric questions which are repeated several times in the novel represent the inner dialogue of the main protagonist and his doubts as to the choice between justice and his personal good.

Committing a crime long time ago, Valjean manages to escape the punishment but an innocent man can be convicted instead of him. “If I speak, I am condemned./ If I stay silent, I am damned!” (Les Miserables).

This definition of the moral dilemma and the two possible ways out proves that the conscience has a significant impact on the moral choices of the main protagonist. The numerous questions which are left without answers are a peculiar feature of the song. The central question of the song “Who am I?” represents the searches for the self-concept of the character.

The rhetorical questions intensify the effect produced by the song and the answers are not clear before the climax of the episode, inducing listeners hesitate about the final decision of Valjean. “Who am I?/ 24601!” (Les Miserables). Indicating his number as a prisoner, he implies that the condemned are deprived of basic human rights and even their names. The only question which was answered in the song was central to the scene and makes the answers to the rest of the questions insignificant.

The song “Master of the House” of Thenardiers is written in the ironical key and represents their life philosophy of acquiring money by all means. The first part of the song introduces the owner of the inn and allows listeners to feel the author’s irony and insincerity of the character. “Seldom do you see/ Honest men like me/ Agent of good intent/ Who’s content to be” (Les Miserables).

This presentation sounds like an advertising text and makes the contemporary audience doubt the positive features of the character from the very beginning.

Though the singer puts emphasis on doing favours to the customers, listeners can notice various interpretations of making fortune by delivering the services, namely lightening the purse and paying some extra per cents for sleeping with the closed window or looking in the mirror.

Enumerating the methods and tricks used by the family for making money, the song not only represents the business strategy of the owners of the inn but also shows their mean-spirited nature. Though some of the services offered by the singer for some extra pay can make listeners smile, this is a wet smile because Thenardier can be regarded as a generalized character of the unfair businessmen.

“Here a little slice, there a little cut/ Three percent for sleeping with the window shut” (Les Miserables). The singer mentions the name of Jesus several times during the song, but considering the context of the situation, it is perceived as one of the cheating tricks and does not sound believable. The song “Master of the House” by Thenardiers introduces the characters and intensifies listeners’ perception of their future actions.

Enjolras’ song “Do You Hear the People Sing?” can be regarded as the hymn of the revolutionary students struggling for better tomorrow. Asking if the listeners or his potential interlocutors in the musical hear the people sing, Enjolras, the leader of the revolutionary group, draws their attention to the processes in the society.

The song reflects the revolutionary spirit and the mood of Enjolras and his comrades. The singer enumerates some traditional attributes of a revolutionary movement, such as beating of the drums and banners. “When the beating of your heart/ Echoes the beating of the drums/ There is a life about to start/ When tomorrow comes!” (Les Miserables). Drawing the parallel between beating of the drums and beating of the hearts of the revolutionary students, the author reveals their attitude to the events and their mood.

This rhythmic pattern influences listeners’ perception of the song. Along with romanticizing the goals of better tomorrow, improving the life conditions and preventing slavery, the singer points at the price which the revolutionists are ready to pay for their victory. “The blood of the martyrs/ Will water the meadows of France!” (Les Miserables). Mentioning the victims of the revolution at the end of the song is the climax of the episode, indicating the seriousness of the students’ intentions.

The song “Javert’s Suicide” represents the inner struggle of a misguided inspector before he commits a suicide. The song is intended to show the process of Javert’s reappraisal of life values after his enemy saves his life. The character is unable to find the new sense of existence after the priorities have changed. The inspector cannot understand why Valjean saves him and his life views do not allow him accept this gift.

Several damnations mentioned in the song reflect his desperate condition and intensify listeners’ impressions from his monologue. Considering serving to law and justice his primary goal through the whole his life, Javert associates his inner self with the law itself. “I am the Law and the Law is not mocked” (Les Miserables). This categorical statement represents the character’s life credo which becomes the precondition for his decision to commit a suicide.

The limitations of his life views do not allow him to understand the good will of his enemy and to be grateful to him. After expressing his considerations as to Valjean’s choice, the singer starts asking rhetoric questions, intensifying the tension of the situation. “I’ll escape now from the world/ From the world of Jean Valjean./ There is nowhere I can turn/ There is no way to go on….” (Les Miserables).

Being unable to adapt to the new circumstances and reappraise his values, Javert expresses his doubts as to the sense of future existence in the song “Javert’s Suicide” and concluding that his life is not worth living, throws himself into the water after the last word of the song.

Marius’ song “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables” reflects his grief because of death of his friends and doubts about the sense of the revolution in general. This song is intended to describe not only physical but also moral wounds of the participants of the revolutionary events. In general sense, the empty chairs at empty tables symbolize the emptiness in the character’s soul after the revolution is over.

Apologizing for staying alive while his friends are dead, Marius expresses his pain because of this hard loss. Admitting that the grief of the character is unspoken, the author doubles the audience’s impression from listening to the song. Marius’ message is rather philosophical as he doubts the sense of sacrificing young lives to revolutionary mottos. “Oh my friends, my friends, don’t ask me/ What your sacrifice was for” (Les Miserables).

The character appeals to his dead friends and it seems to him that he can see their phantoms and it points at his deep psychological trauma. Choosing the words for the song, the author combined the revolutionary terms with the description of the peaceful time, contrasting them. “The very words that they had sung/ Became their last communion/ On the lonely barricade at dawn” (Les Miserables).

On the one hand, incorporating the description of dawn on the barricades, the author contrasts the beauty of the landscape and the ugliness of the revolutionary construction. On the other hand, this description implies that the life continues and the beginning of a new day can be associated with the beginning of a new life. Marius’ song “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables” establishes the priority of universal value of human life over the revolutionary ideals.

The six songs under analysis represent the feelings of the characters, intensifying the audience’s impressions from the musical Les Miserables. Using various language means, namely similes, metaphors and rhetoric questions, the author influences listeners’ perception of the plot lines, strengthening the tension before the climax of the episodes and delivering the author’s messages.

Bibliography

Schonberg, Claude-Michel and Alain Boublil. Les Miserables. 1995. DVD.

Introduction

This research work has tackled the meaning of color and light and how we are able to distinguish objects appearance by the virtue of light falling on those objects. It distinguishes why some object appear different from others. Some of basic colors have been tackled and how different cells on our eyes are able to differentiate colors.

Light has been tackled as a very useful component of color. Some fundamental cells in our eyes which facilitate vision have been covered and how they behave in presence and absence of light. In art and design this paper depicts the great role of color and how colors can be used tactically to improve the work of artists.

Color

The word color itself has got a wide scope in regard to the perspective one would like to look at it. according to Bohren & Clothiaux (2006, pp. 212-213), color can be referred to as wavelength or frequency which can be as a result of stimulation from external factors like light or produced internally by our brains.

They add that Color and light are inseparable but still we can experience the presence of color without light such an instance may arise in a dream despite no light has been depicted someone experiences the presence of light, If under influence of psychotropic drugs or when hit on the head colors may be seen despite no light on our retina.

Spectrum of Light

A visible spectrum is a portion electromagnetic wave which can be detected by human eyes (Smith, 2006, pg, 3)

Light

According to Hambling (2002, pg, 1), for us to experience light it must be visible this means that the electromagnetic waves comprising in the light must be above four hundred nanometers (400nm), otherwise if electromagnetic waves are below 400nm they are invisible. The invisible light can be absorbed on some surfaces and be re-emitted hence allowing someone to see it for example fluorescence has got this property.

When visible light reaches the retina of the eye and this effect is interpreted we can say that color has been perceived. There are two types of cells usually responsible for the vision .Those cells bring about the distinction of color of human eyes when light falls on the retina.

Color in the brain

After the retina has done the interpretation of the color through its cells that is cone cell and rod cells the other processing is done separately, this is done out of the eyes to the brain where perception is usually carried out.

Cone cells

Those are the cells in the retina which facilitate color vision and works best in bright light; they perceive finer details and images which change rapidly. Usually when we are reading or watching TV they are of great importance.

Rod cells

Other than cone cells they can work in less light and facilitate for peripheral vision, they are located in big numbers at the retina and they entirely responsible for vision with less light usually at night. They are less accurate compared to cone cells.

Color Theory

We usually observe colors and also we visualize the colors this means that we have physiology of vision which is closely and intricately linked with psychological perception. When we mix colors we yield other colors but some colors cannot be created by any mixture those colors are referred to as Pure colors which includes Red, Blue and Yellow.

Types of colors

Colors are usually grouped according to various classes and how they come into being. Those colors which usually after being mixed give rise to other colors are called primary colors. Also we have secondary and Tertiary colors discussed below.

Primary colors

Usually primary colors are the most important color because they are usually combined to yield other colors. But when it comes to light we cannot regard them as the most important component of light because according to Smith (2006, pg 3), he states that “light is both a wave and a particle” as a wave they are electromagnetic wave usually characterized by a great speed and as a particle they are unbroken flow of those particles.

All colors can be yielded by mixing Red Green Blue White and Black these set of colors has been referred to as psychological primary colors.

Secondary colors

When we mix additive primary colors together we get secondary colors for example when red is mixed by yellow we get orange.

Tertiary colors

Tertiary colors are yielded after we have combined additive secondary colors

When we talk about additive we simply mean that we are mixing Paints or Inks.

Properties of light

• When light fall on the object there are some effects which takes place this light might be reflected, absorbed or even be scattered or some or the combination of these effects may be observed
• Some objects may absorb light and in the process they emit the light with varying properties from the source this is usually known as fluorescence.
• Objects are also said to emit their light rather than reflecting this usually happens when their temperature increases.
• Object color is determined by its scattering or absorption properties for instance when object absorbs all the light it appear black and when it reflects all the light it appear white.
• If light of different wavelength falls on opaque object which reflects light they appear as tinted mirrors and those colors which appear are usually determined by the differences which are there on the wave length.
• Light is usually transmitted by transparent or translucent objects, but if on both cases they absorb or reflect the light they also appear tinted which is as a result of their difference in wave length.

Color Symbolism

According to (Bear, 2011), in every religion, culture and traditions color has been used to symbolize many things some colors are used to cause reactions either physical or feeling, ideas or concepts.

Some color is depicted in clothing and painting to symbolize something or deliver a message or even to show the sense of belonging.

Physical reaction

If something is red in color it may cause physical reaction like raising blood pressure (Bear, 2011). Consequently color which has been used to bring about culture reactions is white in time of marriages and also in some cultures when mourning.

Color in Art & Design

In art color is very fundamental in the sense that the viewer may be is evoked to respond, change mood or to create a message. In Art the attributes of color can be used to the advantage of artist. It does not necessarily mean that a message can only be passed through writing but a mere depiction of a color which can easily and conveniently send a message to the viewer (Mcnee, 2010).

Color names, Paint store and Fashion

In fashion we cannot disregard the fact that it’s not possible to have a fascinating fashion without colors. Good selection of colors will always attract customer to a particular fashion may be of clothes according to how colors has been depicted to those fashions. Individuals also may be selective in selection of the colors as a result of personal preferences.

When a certain fashion has got a particular color and this color is one of the most favorite colors to many of the customers it will definitely be an aid to get customer into purchasing of that item.

In paint stores the naming of those paints is usually depicted evidently to attract many customers. This fascinating site keeps the customer flowing into the stores. In essence appropriate naming usually enhance perception the customers has towards any particular color

Summary

It’s evident that without color we could not have the actual touch of reality because the issue of how to differentiate objects would be very hard. Colors as we have seen are brought about by light but this fact has been compromised by the fact that still without light we can still experience colors for example when we are dreaming.

The issue of color has a wide scope and at least the basic knowledge of the color should be embraced by everybody. In our day to day interaction with environment we are supposed to know the meaning of colors for instance when crossing the road there is universal color set aside universally to communicate to the road users when it is safe to cross the road, hence the importance of having knowledge in colors.

Reference List

Bear, J. H. (2011). Color Meaning, Symbolism of Color and Colors that go together. US: About.com, the New York Times Company.

Bohren, C. F & Clothiaux, E.E. (2006). Fundamental of Atmospheric Radiation: An Introduction with 400 Problems. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH Publishers.

Hambling, D. (2002). Let the Light Shine in. UK: Guardian News and Media Limited. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/science/2002/may/30/medicalscience.research

Mcnee, L. (2010). Use the Hidden Meaning of the Color Red in Art & Design. US: Genesis Framework.

Smith, G. H. (2006). Camera Lenses: From box camera To Digital. Washington: The International Society For optical Engineering.

The place where life is brighter than anywhere else, cinema proves that sometimes life without drama becomes incomplete. Like no other art, it can convey the most important ideas in the most unobtrusive way, helping the screenwriter to communicate the most essential ideas in a two-hour movie.

Rain Man by Barry Levinson is one of such pictures. Despite the difficulties concerning the fusion of a complicated plot with no less complicated process of shooting the film, the crew managed to create a film that incorporates the intriguing plot and the impeccable editing.

Taking a closer look at the picture, one can see clearly that the movie creates a continuity that is interrupted only at specific moments to make the scene ever more intense and gripping. Split in several parts, the movie still represents a whole that cannot be broken.

Another aspect to consider is the rythmics of the movie. A long shot, then a shorter one, to be interrupted by a continuous episode through which the narrator conveys the peculiarities of each character. If considering each piece a cadence of sounds, the entire movie could be compared to a musical piece by Teleman or Vivaldi.

Surprisingly, the film does not offer a variety of transitional effects. The one that the editors resorted most often to is the jump cut. However, such maneuver does not seem a drawback of the movie – on the contrary, it adds a certain tint of incompleteness and abruptness of the film.

As a life switches its tunes from mellow ones into harsher and rougher melodies, the movie marks the end of each phase of the characters’ growth with these abrupt endings. Moreover, these transitions seem completely unnoticeable despite their sharpness. Perhaps, the flow of the plot does remind of the way life goes, which helps the spectator get ready for another turn of the plot. With help of these tiny transitions, each spectator can feel the enchanting rhythm of the movie – the rhythm of Rain Man.

There is one more thing that deserves being discussed here. Considering the masterful match cuts in Rain Man, one can realize that without this trick, the movie would have lost half of its charm. Although there are only a few that create the specific atmosphere in the movie and switch the spectator’s attention to the necessary details, these several cuts produce intense effect.

One of these is the episode when Raymond watches the matches falling on the floor. Since he is autistic, his eyes are rarely fixed on certain object, and this specific eye-line match cut emphasizes the importance of the moment, showing separately Raymond casting his sight right on the floor, and then the floor with the matches scattered on it. Filled with intense strain, this episode reveals certain peculiarities of Rain Man’s character.

Another piece of the movie in which match cuts play the crucial part is the episode when Ray copies the pattern on the floor into a sheet of paper. Revealing the incredible abilities of Rain Man, the editor utilizes the method of graphic match cut. At the very beginning of the scene, the spectator can see Ray scribbling something on a snatch of paper. In several seconds, the paper fallen on the floor is the size of a painting, with the precise copy of the carpet pattern.

The last, but not the least comes the match-on-action cut that also conveys peculiar ideas concerning the movie characters and their adventures. The shot in which Ray and his brother walk down the hall is interchanged with the picture of a highway, cars moving up and down it. This is one of those subtle hints on what a life actually is – a journey to the future, where the driver and the passenger hardly know each other. With help of each of these amazing shots, the editor provided spectators with a spectrum of unforgettable feelings.

Watching the movie, one can notice that the laws of editing – at least, the Hollywood variant of this art – are somehow violated. Since it only adds the specific fleur of authenticity and genuineness to the film, there is no doubt that these rules have been neglected on purpose to create even greater impression.

One of such is the scene of Charlie Babbit and his girlfriend, Susanna, quarreling. Although logically, the entire scene was supposed to be a master shot, it was often split, the camera swaying from one person to another, often capturing certain objects and leaving the characters out of its focus. Unlike the rest of the shots, this one does not create the impression of the movie integrity, which is extremely important.

With help of this approach, the editor has managed to depict the scene when the worlds of the lead characters collapse – Susanne loses her faith in Charlie, whereas Charlie realizes that he is losing the last person he can rely on. Without this support, he will feel deprived of his own self, which is evident from the scene.

With help of the numerous editing tricks and approaches, the creators of the movie managed to convey the very essence of the picture without exposing it to the whole wide world. Only watching the movie from the very beginning to the very end, one can feel the specific air of loneliness that the film is shot through.

There is no doubt that without these elements, the key issue of the film would have remained a mystery to the public. The sparkle of understanding and even sadness in Rain Man’s eyes is the perfect touch to a perfectly touching story of friendship and devotion.

The Yearling, a novel which broke new grounds in movie making, sweeping away the boundaries between an adventure film and a drama, turned to be one of the pearls of the American movie art. As millions of people saw the characters of the famous and gripping novel in flesh and blood, the story became ever more popular. However, it is obvious that the book and the movie suggest slightly diffelent vision of the story. Though bound with the same plot, they offer different palettes of feelings, which is quite a peculiar subject to discuss.

Tracking the common details of the book and the movie, it is important to mark that the film scriptwriter did not make great changes to the plot. Surprisingly, this made the film not a pathetic imitation of a novel, but a movie that can stand on its own. Unlike most of the films based on books, The Yearling is enjoyable both as a novel and a film, incredibly exciting and moving.

Another feature which can be traced in both the original story and the movie is that each is filled with intense emotions. As soon as the reader or the spectator starts on a journey into the backwoods of Florida, where Jody lives a careless life of a little boy faces his first great grief, (s)he becomes an integral part of the story as well.

Seeing the world with the eyes of Jody, the spectator understands that the movie sucks him/her in, inviting to take the lead part in the movie – or, rather, become Judy for the next couple of hours. This is what actually happens to the reader of the book, as the plot of the story unwinds.

The third and the most important common feature of the novel and the film is that both convey the specific atmosphere of the American South, with its peculiar speech and with its spirit, filled with pride and hospitality. With help of the brilliant cast, each dialogue in the book was brought into the movie, turning it into a piece of the Southern America carved out of the Florida landscape and planted into the movie.

However, there are a plenty of differences between the movie and the book as well. It takes only a couple of glances to see all these peculiarities which make the film a piece of its own.

Among the most evident differences is the relationship between Jodi and his father. In the novel, it is only the very end of the story when Ezra “Penny” Baxter grows closer to his sin, whereas in the movie the bond growing between Jody and his father is more explicit.

In addition, the movie offers another interpretation of Penny’s character. Posed as a cool-blooded and, with Jody’s vision of the situation, almost cruel, in the movie she is depicted as a person who is guided by the clearest and the most logical reasons. Ordering Jody to go to the woods and kill the deer, Penny is not being violent, but merely trying to avoid another problem or nuisance, the movie argues.

The last, but not the least comes the evident difference in the way the book and the movie end. It seems that in the novel the passing from reality into dream is much quicker and sharper than in the movie. Though the film ending leaves the air of sadness as well, it does not have the anguish and pain which the final lines of the book are shot through.

However, it must be still admitted that the movie is a brilliant piece and a real masterpiece. With the talent of the actors and the touching plot, it became the world classic. Depicting the difficulty of choice, it will remain the symbol of friendship, loyalty and the pain of turning into an adult.

Maria Full of Grace is a movie that highlights different issues about life. Planning is one the very important issues highlighted in the movie. Urban life is very challenging and this has made human beings to come up with proper survival mechanisms that are important in the urban space.

Proper social and physical systems are vital for proper survival of residents. Compelled by the very challenging life in the city, Maria decides to get involved in drug trafficking in order to make more money for supporting her family. This occurs because of lack of recognition by the authorities and the family a like.

When people have a recognizable space, they will always do their best to improve on their performances. Peer pressure becomes so intense the moment an individual becomes so desperate in life and becomes vulnerable to any influence.

Information sharing or dissemination is very important for societal development. It makes no sense when authorities, organizations and individuals withhold important information that can actually help. Information dissemination promotes empowerment and awareness on important intellectual and social issues affecting the society. Maria‘s case could have been avoided if proper campaigns about drug abuse and trafficking were in place.

Public space or social space is very important in any city or area of residence. Public spaces promote national integration because they can be accessed by everyone irrespective of their race, tribe and class. The people in charge of urban planning and design can not afford to ignore this very fundamental issue. Entrants of public spaces are not charged any fees.

Discrimination is not allowed in public spaces and serious action is normally taken against those found discriminating others. This is the opposite of what happens in private places. Private places are categorized according to class, age, gender and other categories which deny some people entry. Private spaces also rule out those who can not afford entry fees and tickets. Public spaces are very significant in promoting social integration and cohesion.

Social networking has enabled different groups of people to connect and share information on different issues about life. This has been made possible by the various social forums on the internet.

The network has created a lot of friendships and at the same time promoted electronic business all over the world. These global social networks have given birth to global communities.The globalization process has strengthened the development of global communities which have led to social and economic cooperation among different nations of the world.

Global communities have come up with different initiatives that promote peace, trade and economic empowerment. Global communities make the world look as if it is run by one fictional government. A proper social network support ensures young people in the society are well informed on the various issues affecting them. Lack of family and social network support for the youth slows down development.

Sculpture is one of the most expressive forms of art. Since ancient times, people worked with different materials to create statues. Each historical period is characterized by particular philosophy, themes and ideas. These themes and ideas are expressed through forms and materials. Some early periods influence techniques and concepts adopted by later periods.

In addition, art of a particular period may influence the art of a particular author, as it can be observed in two western sculptures from the Metropolitan Museum, Statue of a Wounded Warrior that embodies the “classical” style of the Parthenon, and Perseus with the Head of Medusa by Antonio Canova that was created in the early 19th century.

As well as ancient sculptor, Canova used the same techniques and material for his statue. Thought, the styles of the statues are much alike, there are some differences that are worth special attention. In this paper, we are going to compare and contrast the styles, techniques and themes of the two sculptures from different periods.

The Statue of a Wounded Warrior is a Roman copy of the statue of the Greek origin that dates back to the 138–181 A.D. of Mid-Imperial, Antonine period. This is the statue of a young warrior which is a bit bigger of a true life-size. He stands as if he is going to throw a spear. Judging from the fact that it is a warrior and the posture of a man, we can conclude that he used to hold a sword or a spear in his right hand and a shield in this left hand.

It is quite possible that he is going to attack the enemy and protect the last minutes of his own life. The statue is not identified until nowadays. There are suggestions that it depicts Protesilaos, a Greek hero, or just a warrior that is falling because he was wounded in his right armpit. The statue is very realistic and made in classical Pantheon style.

The second sculpture also exemplifies the features of the Pantheon style, however, it refers more to the Renaissance period and, indeed, it is less destructed because it was created much later in the 19^th century. It depicts a character from the ancient Greek mythology, Perseus, who killed Medusa. The statue has almost the same size as a previous one, but it is put on the pedestal. It is done with a certain purpose; in particular, people were forced to look at the statue upward to feel the greatness of the hero.

Both statues are made from marble. This material is a great to convey the details. It makes both statues look very realistic and shows all lines of the body and face expressions. It produces the effects that the sculptures can return to life. However, the Statue of a Wounded Warrior is yellow and rough when touching it.

This makes the statue look realistic and believe that it depicts a real person. As the body has some lacks, the material also has them and, as such, expresses them. As opposed to the Warrior, the statue of Perseus is very white and smooth. All lines are perfect. Thus, it contributes to the “glorious” view of the statue. This technique shows that the main hero (Perseus) has a perfect body, as well as soul and mind.

As it has already been mentioned, both sculptures have almost a life-size scale. Again, it is used to make them look realistic, as in both periods (classic and Renaissance which refers to classical, and as a consequence influenced Canova’s work) reality was the main aim. However, the statue of the warrior is not standing on the pedestal. It is done in order to make the statue “closer” to the audience, make people look into the warrior’s eyes and feel his anticipation and mood.

On the contrary, the figure of Perseus is standing on the pedestal and it is done with the purpose to produce more lyrical effect on the audience. People cannot look into the eyes of the statue and thus, they can observe only its figure. As it has already been mentioned, people should look upward that makes them feel the strength and perfectness of the figure.

The statue of the warrior conveys motion. It depicts the warrior who is struggling for his life. His arm is put up and he walks, or falls backward (as it is provided in some interpretations of the statue). The motion conveys emotions and makes the audience think about the outcomes of his actions and his further fate. In the second statue, everything is decided, the motion is left behind and the audience can see only result of his actions. Perseus is a hero, he defeated the Meduse and he demonstrates his victory while holding the head of the beast.

Both sculptures represent particular individuals. Statue of a Wounded Warrior represents Protesilaos and the last minutes of his life. However, considering the fact that the statue has not been identified, it can refer to any warrior and its main idea to show the strength of spirit of the individual who struggles until the very end. The hero of the second statue is a well-known mythic character who had particular features. The intention of the author was to express those features and show the real character of the hero.

Comparing both statues, it can be said that the lines of the body and other details are depicted more accurately in the Perseus with the Head of Medusa. It is very proportional and each detail is paid special attention so that the viewer could admire it for a long time. On the contrary, the lines of the warrior’s body are simplified, the drapery is folded non parallel, but the main focus is on the eyelids.

Thus, the author wanted to attract attention to the eyes of the warrior and show his emotions. Thus, the eyes represent the abstract idea, the idea of struggle, hesitation and other emotions that the warrior could feel at that moment. This is how the statue evolves this idea.

The detailed carving on the face of the statue and expression of the face and less detailed on the back of the sculpture, suggests that it was meant to be seen from the front. As opposed to the statue of the warrior, Perseus was designed to be seen from different viewpoints. Thus, the author wanted to attract attention to every detail and make viewers not to think about emotions or some moral issues, but admire the beauty of the statue.

The statue of the warrior incorporates with the surrounding environment and gathers the space. It is placed among other sculptures of the period and completes the general atmosphere. The second statue is meant to be used as a decoration, as it is actually used in the museum. The commission and placement of both statues were motivated by the historical period when they were created and their look.

Both statues represent western architecture, however, of different periods. From the first sight, they are much alike, but a closer look and interpretation of both statues help seeing major differences between them, as well as similarities.

Picture 1. Perseus with the Head of Medusa, 1804–6. Antonio Canova (Italian, 1757–1822). Marble.

Picture 2. Statue of a wounded warrior, ca. 138–81 a.d.; Antonine. Roman copy of a Greek bronze statue, ca. 460–450 b.c. Marble.

Introduction

Japanese manga is one of the most pervasive and popular forms of modern day Japanese culture and as such enjoys a reader base numbering in the millions (Raiteri, 89). What must be understood though is that its pervasiveness is not isolated to one particular age group, rather, manga’s popularity reaches ages as young as 5 and as old as 60 and above (Lent, 38).

Another factor that must be taken into consideration is the fact that various studies have shown that people who read manga have a tendency to emulate ideas, concepts, practices and even attitudes based on what they have read (Lent, 41). This can be seen today in Japan’s otaku and cosplay sub-cultures which have only recently come about within the past 30 years or so as a direct result of the popularity of manga (Raiteri, 89).

It must be noted though that the influence of manga on Japanese society extends beyond the obvious sub-cultures that have developed as a direct result of its influence, rather, manga has been observed as enacting change in behavioral attitudes and created the development of new cultural norms which otherwise did not previously exist in Japanese society. This takes the form of the adoption of ideas related to individualism, non-conformity, rebelliousness and other forms of behavior that are distinctly alien to the conservative Japanese society.

In fact manga has been described as an art form wherein authors are able to express ideas, scenarios and various events that they wish they had done themselves if it were not for the oppressiveness of the conformist society of Japan (Ito, 456). Yet it must be noted that this method of expression has actually resulted in the development of social changes as a direct result of ideas that develop while a person is young and continues well into maturity.

As mentioned earlier, manga is not isolated to a particular age group and due to its popularity the result has been a proliferation of readers starting at early ages all the way till they reach adulthood. What happens as a result is that in certain cases such individuals are inherently influenced by the ideas they see and take note of in manga which they then tend to apply in real life situations.

Due to the fact that a large percentage of manga scenarios base themselves on real life this ends up resulting in people adopting behaviors, attitudes and styles which they become predisposed to as a direct result of being influenced by manga. As such it can be stated that distinct changes in the attitude and development of social ideas and concepts among the youth can actually be connected to the types of ideas they garner from manga.

Ideas regarding Women and the Development of 2-D Love

One of the most popular themes in manga today has been the portrayal of a protagonist as an average everyday guy who suddenly becomes popular with women through some form of plot device (Lent, 40).

This results in situations of varying perverseness with the women involved in such events increasingly showing varying degrees of extreme sexuality or even mild to extreme eroticism. Based on current popular trends it can be seen that women in manga are increasingly being portrayed as being wild, sexually active, possessing an inherent desire to have sex and are supposedly attracted to normal guys (Ito, 470).

Interestingly this has actually resulted in the development of new systems of classification for women within the country wherein they are classified under character themes evident in manga such as “tsundere”, “yandere”, “bijiin”, “loli” etc. which are relatively new methods of classification that have developed as a direct result of the proliferation of manga culture (Ito, 456 – 475).

Going back to the topic at hand, while such plot devices are nothing more than the imaginative creation of the mangaka (author/artist of the manga) it has been noted by various social scientists that the proliferation of such themes in a large percentage of manga in Japan has actually brought about the social idea (notably from men) that girls are supposed to be like the characters in the manga (Ito, 471).

Such an assumption though is far from the reality of Japan’s conservative society which is far removed from the imaginative world portrayed in the manga.

This has actually resulted in the development of a distinct societal syndrome called “2-D Love” (the literature is vague on the exact terminology) where upon realizing that women in the real world are nothing like the characters they see in manga some men actually start to believe that 2-D characters as seen in manga and various erotic games based on manga style characters and plots are better than women in real-life (Ito, 473).

Such a distinct societal syndrome is evident in varying extremes in some groups within the otaku sub-culture which has led to some social scientists stating that some of the effects of manga are actually detrimental towards society.

Changing Ideas Regarding Tradition

Japan has always been known as a conservative society that is well entrenched in its ideas of tradition, culture and the preservation of social institutions.

It must be noted though that within the past 15 or 20 years a distinct shift has been noted within Japanese society wherein the youth has been less oriented towards tradition, conservatism and the value of the group but rather new concepts such as individualism, progression, liberal ideas and mannerisms have started to take root with manga supposedly to blame for this sudden shift (Allen and Ingulsrud, 674).

An examination of various manga themes and concepts dating back 15 years has revealed a certain shift in plot line and ideas wherein authors increasingly made the main characters less inclined towards tradition and more inclined towards the adoption of distinctly western ideas and concepts. This came in the form of the main characters in mangas openly fighting against concepts related to tradition, preservation and societal institutions (Allen and Ingulsrud, 674).

While such themes did not directly espouse going against the current societal culture evident in Japanese society they instead espoused such ideas indirectly by creating imaginative situations, events and ideas that made people question the validity of current social institutions (Adams and Hill, 99 – 105).

In fact social scientists agree that the distinct shift in the ideas of the Japanese youth today is a direct result of both distinctly western influences in Japanese society as well as the ideas evident in manga. This plotline trend of going against tradition is still distinctly evident in a majority of manga today which shows how far reaching and effective manga has been in changing the face of Japanese society.

Fascination of looking less Japanese

One of the most curious influences manga has had on Japanese society has been the development of a strange fascination of looking less Japanese. When examining the character designs of manga for the past 10 to 15 years and their subsequent anime adaptations it becomes easily recognizable that few of the characters actually look Japanese (Welker, 841).

Aside from the fact that the eyes of most manga characters are far larger and western looking than that of the Japanese, the hair color, skin tone and overall look of the characters themselves are far from what could be considered even remotely Japanese.

While such a characterization can be justified as primarily being the result of fantasy rather than reality what must be understood is that a rather large percentage of manga actually use themes such as school life, normal life, or everyday situations as the basis for the entire plot of the manga (Adams and Hill, 99 – 105). Despite portraying the everyday life of people the characters themselves don’t look Japanese and in fact could be mistaken for western characterizations (Welker, 841).

Due to the influence of manga this has actually resulted in the development of a widespread societal trend in Japan wherein people are actually trying to look less Japanese. Normally this takes the form of either dyed hair (brown being a popular color), colored contact lenses and a variety of western style clothing and accessories however some individuals take this one step farther which has actually led to the development of even more sub-cultures in Japan (Welker, 841 – 844).

One such sub-cultures is the gyaru (patterned after the English word “gal”) where Japanese women tan themselves until they’re golden brown, put on excessive amounts of makeup and try to look as western as possible. This is similar to the yankii (patterened after the English word “Yankee”) sub-culture where people dye their hair orange or yellow and wear distinctly Americanized clothing styles and adopt distinct anti-conformist attitudes.

The connection between the development of these two sub-cultures and manga is believed to be the result of irrational exuberance wherein individuals tend to base their actions on the behavior of other people, in this case it is the looks and behavior of people in manga. The creation of such sub-cultures is for various social scientists the result of irrational exuberance in action wherein people take on a form of emulation resulting in the development of these rather unique if not weird sub-cultures.

Conclusion

Based on what has been presented in this paper it can be seen that manga has had a definite impact on Japanese society and has affected it in a variety of different ways resulting in the development of new social ideas, behaviors and sub-cultures.

It is due to this that the ability of manga to enact social change should not be underestimated and as such this literary/artistic device should be thought of as not being the equivalent of the ordinary comics you see in the entertainment section of newspapers but rather as a literary/artistic instrument which creates social and cultural change based on its inherent ideas and themes.

Works Cited

Adams, Kenneth Alan, and Lester Hill Jr. “Protest and Rebellion: Fantasy Themes in Japanese Comics.” Journal of Popular Culture 25.1 (1991): 99-127. Literary Reference Center. EBSCO. Web.

Allen, Kate, and John E. Ingulsrud. “Manga literacy: Popular culture and the reading habits of Japanese college students.” Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy 46.8 (2003): 674. Literary Reference Center. EBSCO. Web.

Ito, Kinko. “A History ofMangain the Context of Japanese Culture and Society.” Journal of Popular Culture 38.3 (2005): 456-475. Literary Reference Center. EBSCO. Web.

Lent, John A. “Far Out and Mundane: The Mammoth World of Manga.” Phi Kappa Phi Forum 84.3 (n.d.): 38-41. Literary Reference Center. EBSCO. Web.

Raiteri, Steve. “Manga: Sixty Years of Japanese Comics.” Library Journal 130.1 (2005): 89. Literary Reference Center. EBSCO. Web.

Welker, James. “Beautiful, Borrowed, and Bent: “Boys’ Love” as Girls’ Love in Shôjo Manga.”

Signs: Journal of Women in Culture & Society 31.3 (2006): 841-870. Literary Reference Center. EBSCO. Web.

Introduction

Art works differ significantly across different fields and time periods. Some art works appear to have stemmed from the minds of individuals or from social and ethnic influences. Others have been influenced by the designs and features of earlier periods. These are frequently a continuation of or response to artistic designs (Stokstad, 2008). This essay will evaluate and identify where art originality and stimulation originated. It will discuss classical and renaissance historical art periods

Discussion

Classical Art Period

Classical art started at around 500 B.C to 323 B.C in the course of the rise of the Greek Kingdom. The social condition, which contributed to the advent of this style, is that the Greeks during this time honored the human figure via sculpture in extremely naturalistic detail.

After the Romans defeated the Greeks, they still considered Greek culture and sculpture as exclusive. They, therefore, brought into their country thousands of inventive Greek art works and duplicated them in large numbers. This historical art period saw alteration in the design and function of statues.

Sculptures became more naturalistic and the mechanical talent of Greek sculptors in portraying the human form in different poses substantially improved. Sculptures began to portray actual people. It is during this period that the names of personal sculptors became known. The art of this classical period naturally appears to be official and restrained (Bohr, 2010).

During this period, the human structure started being portrayed in movement of postures, especially in athletic movement. It was also the start of the Greek bodily ideal. The male body was represented as robust and fit whose physique was twisted out of a marble. Women were frequently naked on top and covered on the bottom or totally exposed. They had smooth abdomens, busted hips and legs and small sized breasts.

One of the key features of this historical period is the controposto posture of the sculptures. The sculptures had an S-curve with one leg being ahead of the other and carrying the body’s weight. Artists during the classical period treasured balance, and synchronization. The figures were frequently more ideal than in actual life. Bodies of the sculptures looked lively, and movement was believable. Faces expressed no emotions and clothing was not used. There was no significance of perception (Onians, 1999).

The sculptures of Harmodius and Aristogeiton are an example of artwork done during this period. It was put up in Athens to denote the defeat of the tyranny. It was the earliest public headstone to the actual people. It is also during this art period that sculptures were put to use. The reason as to why artists deviated from the classical period is that works of this period subsisted only in portions (Bohr, 2010).

Renaissance Art Period

This is a historical art period in western history during which art was revitalized. The shift from the classical period to the Renaissance period took place during the 4th century BC. The social condition, which contributed to the advent of this renaissance style, is the increase in territorial tussle taking place all through Europe.

Living people subsequently had enough to do. They had to comprehend how to live in the good mercies of their rulers. With the large exclusion of the Catholic Church, then the people had to dedicate themselves to the comfort of art.

Another social condition that led to the advent of this style is the fact that, in the course of the 15th and 16th century, businesses prospered in Italy and people obtained wealth. These wealth families began supporting the artists. The new monetary support and liberty led to a radical change in the behavior and beliefs of the artists. They, therefore, out rightly discarded classical art emphasis on religious convictions hence starting an insurrection in the art field (Boyle, 2001).

Renaissance artists wanted art that illustrated joy in human attractiveness and life’s happiness. It was more life like compared to the classical art. Renaissance artists examined perceptions or the distinctions in the way things appear when near or far way. They painted in a manner that demonstrated these differences. Consequently, their paintings appeared to have some depth (Elkins & Williams, 2008).

In the renaissance, the artists portrayed religious and non-religious views and the sculpture manifested considerable concern in the nature. The statues were three-dimensional indicating an increasing skill of anatomy. The bodies appeared active and were depicted as moving.

The sculptures were either naked or clothed and their faces articulated people’s thoughts. There was use of colors. The paintings were stable and symmetrical. The work of art during this period is a sculpture by Leonardo DA Vinci. He made a sculpture clearly illustrating the diverse feelings of Jesus and his disciples (Elkins & Williams, 2008).

Relationship between Classical and renaissance art periods

The relationship between these two historical periods is that both portray the human structure in movement, and the bodies of the sculptures in the two periods look lively (Onians, 1999).

Differences between Renaissance and Classical Art Periods

In Renaissance art, sculpture emotions were portrayed liberally while Classical art made minimal or no use of emotions. Humans in renaissance art were extremely natural and lively.

They had rational expressions distinct from those depicted in classical art. In the classical period, art was uncomplicated and mono dimensional. Renaissance paintings were complex and had more meaning due to the use of linear perceptions. During the classical period, works of art had religious ideas while, in renaissance, religion was declined (Stokstad, 2008).

Historical significance of Renaissance

Renaissance art period has had a fantastic significance on the art world. Today artists of modern art use the available Renaissance information to develop their art (Boyle, 2001).

References

Bohr, L. R. (2010) Classical art. New York: Watson-Guptill Publishers.

Boyle, D. (2001). Renaissance Art: A Crash Course. Dubuque: Brown Company Publishers.

Elkins, J., & Williams, R. (2008). Renaissance theory. Manchester: Manchester University Press.

Onians, J. (1999). Classical art and the cultures of Greece and Rome. New Haven: Yale University Press.

Stokstad, M. (2008). Art history. New Jersey: Pearson Education Publishers.

Introduction

The following essay examines a piece of public art and the space it is found in order to discuss art, beauty and the purpose of public art. The essay specifically focuses on the Unnamed Sculpture at Pier 39 in San Francisco and uses the concepts from Semiotics to analyze the space and art piece together.

Also, the essay discusses the purpose of the Unnamed Sculpture at Pier 39 in San Francisco as a public art. The Skygate in San Francisco is a modern sculpture that was designed by Isamu Noguchi.This public art is usually set for free entertainment each Wednesday at noon. The Skygate has a natural framing that is presented by trees and thus giving it an outstanding background.

The contributions of art in public places have not been fully recognized. Art in public places affects the everyday lives of millions of people across the globe as more money is spent while commissioning them. However, the critical recognition of public art is yet to be recognized despite its proliferation.

This is as a result of such factors as lack of a clear historical framework, evaluation as well as confusion concerning the definition of art in public places. According to some scholars, art in public places has been in existence since time immemorial. According to them, public art existed in form of Lascaux’s cave paintings.

Other scholars believe that art in public places came into practice in 1967 following the creation of public arts program by the National Endowment for the Arts. According to some historians, art in public places began in 1935 with the establishment of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) which was aimed at providing the US citizens with economic relief following the Great Depression.

It is believed that President Roosevelt enhanced the proliferation of arts in public places during this time by providing employment opportunities to thousands of artists who worked in the public works division of WPA.Thus,the; the main challenge with regards to public arts is establishing the time line for its development.

This makes the definition of arts in public places to be at issue. Since the term ‘art in public places’ was coined over fifty years ago, it is disappointing to note that the term has not been clearly defined. According to Hein’s, public art has the capacity of occupying public space and also drawing public into debate and intelligent discourse.

According to him, art has the potential to of engendering new ways of thinking and new perspectives .Similarly, Barber in his ‘Cultural Interventions in the Public Sphere’ book stated that public art provides people with an opportunity to develop a range of resistant and critical strategies that have an effect of encouraging multiple responses(Merryman and Elsen 656-658).

Arts in public places can exist in various forms including letters, orchards, sculptures, displays, monuments, memorials among others. A large number of arts in public places are found in towns and urban areas even though some are found in rural areas. Art in public places are found everywhere i.e. they are displayed on side of buildings, airport terminals, recreational parks, business organizations e.t.c. (Merryman and Elsen 656-658).

San Francisco’s Skygate and semiotic approach

Usually, arts in public works have the effect of conveying meaning to millions of spectators. Semiotics is commonly defined as the ‘science of signs’ implying that, pubic art is intended to have some significant meaning and purpose to human beings. According to semiotic approach, public arts can provide meanings in various forms including; words, texts and codes (Ashton 301).

Isamu Noguchi in his Skygate work adopted a semiotic approach by harmonizing both the architecture and the space. He created an attraction site with a view of communicating a range of meanings to societies, spectators, designers and all the interested persons across the globe. The sculpture is constructed in such a way that, in absence of written records, the space and site can provide people with the required information for understanding the identities.

The work by Isamu Noguchi takes Skygate identity from the site as it reflects the space and architecture around it in manner that is accurate and distorted. Despite the fact that Skygate’s title has a chaotic title, the space and the subject are harmonious. Isamu Noguchi in his sculptural work has combined shape with mirror-polished stainless steel to produce an attractive public art (Ashton 301).

Purpose of San Francisco’s Skygate as a public art

Skygate in San Francisco as a public art enhances democracy in that it is accessible to everyone.Basa (2008) in his studies states that public arts should be designed in such a way that everyone is capable of viewing it. Public art that is accessible to everyone promotes public response and support. Public arts form an integral part of any public environment due to the fact that they are seen everyday by millions of people.

Art in public places usually have an enormous impact with regards to the impressions that are created about a place. The appearance of public art plays an important role as far as people’s feelings are concerned. It is for this reason that millions of dollars are spent for public arts. Also, the appearance of arts in public places can become a subject of debate in editorial columns. It is therefore important that arts in public places have a good appearance as it can become a public issue (McNiff 36).

Skygate has the effect of attracting larger audiences from all walks of life. The youths are the majority of audiences who comes to Skygate. The sculpture is a major tourist attraction as millions of tourists tours United States to view it.

Throngs of people constantly fill the park everyday. This public art provides people of all races, ages, nationalities and classes with an opportunity to interact with each other. This in turn plays an important role of earning the United States Federal Government foreign exchange. This sculpture has become a major tourist marketing (Fleming and Goldman 201-225).

This public art is found in an open space and therefore, people can use the environment for multiple purposes ranging form politics to social interaction. The art piece is found in an open space and does not have an obstructive effect on the surrounding buildings i.e. it is both people and environmental friendly.

This aspect has the effect of forcing people to visit Skygate on a constant basis. People are usually proud of art in public places that are found where they live. Everyone has a stake in public arts and everyone wants to be associated with them. First people are concerned with enjoying their environments. Secondly; they prefer to visit those places that favorably impress them. People also prefer that their self image and self worth be reflected by the appearance of public arts (Fleming and Goldman 201-225).

Also, the material that is used to construct the public art is environmental friendly. The artists were careful while they were choosing the kind of materials to use when constructing the public art. They preferred using polished-stainless steel materials which are undestructive.

The investors demand that public arts be well planned and attractive as this increases property values. Art in public places is an important component as far as any strong and vibrant community is concerned. The Skygate in the San Francisco acts as an economic development tool. It has seen numerous cities jump start their economies. According to a research by Basa (2008), major towns that have a robust and lively art in public places are associated with sustained economic growth.

Conclusion

Skygate as a piece of art has an aesthetic appeal and this makes it to look attractive. The art piece is in accordance with the semiotics approach of arts in public space. This public art has the effect of appealing to a large audience. Its design can satisfy the large mass of people who experiences it on a regular basis.

Aesthetic appeal is necessary as it significantly contributes to how the public feels and values a given public art. Aesthetic appeal has social and cultural components and it goes beyond simple expressions of a person’s taste .Public arts should be designed in such a way that the beauty resides in the art piece as opposed to the beholder’s mind.

Works Cited

Ashton, Dore. Noguchi East and West. New York. University of California Press, 1993.

Basa, Lynn. The Artist’s Guide to Public Art: How to Find and Win Commissions.

New York: Allworth Communications, Inc., 2008.

Fleming, Lee and Goldman, Melisa.The art of placemaking: interpreting community through public art and urban. Michigan: The University of Michigan, 2007.

McNiff, Shaun. Integrating the Arts in Therapy: History, Theory, and Practice.Springfield: Charles C Thomas Publisher, 2009.

Merryman, John and Elsen, Albert. Law, ethics, and the visual arts. Alphen aa den Rijn: Kluwer Law International, 2002.

Introduction

A closer examination of a piece of art work may depict an artist’s mind. The way form, and other literary studies are used by the artist indicates his/ her art world. An artist uses his work therefore to communicate some message to people; otherwise called his audience.

A painting tells an audience to the artist a certain social group to which he/ she belong: religious, political education. Before the introduction of cameras, the real world could only be captured using the hand of an artist who devoted himself or herself to his work such that the end piece of work was a masterpiece to be admired.

Today, we can learn of the works of great painters from their collected works in the museums. An artist does not just paint for the sake of having colors and brushes around him/her to do the work. He must present some aspects of that paint with a high degree of professionalism that the work is admired by many.

The choice of a setting of a scene in a painting for instance may relate perfectly to inner expressions that are not available to be described by the use of words. For this reason we are to examine the artists mind by observing works done by him/ like the last Moments of Saint Mary Magdalene.

Scene description

The painter presents his piece of art work in a religious context. There are two scenes in which there are four characters. The scene to the right of the painting has presented us with three earthlings, in a kind of priesthood dressing. On the left hand side scene, there is representation of four earthlings (human beings) and two winged creatures.

The assumption can be drawn that the two creatures with wings are angels, since angels have traditionally been presented to have wings. As we can also draw from the two scenes in the same frame the fourth figure, which can presumably be Saint Mary Magdalene neither takes the body of neither a human Mary nor an angel. In my opinion, the artist’s target audience was a Christian world. This can be supported by the presence of the two angels.

The scene to the left presents a priest flanked by two people, seemingly his aids. The setting of the first scene in the frame is a place of worship, probably a whole church or a section in a church. The three people aside from the blurred figure of Mary Magdalene seem to be performing a ritual of some kind.

Mary or the being representing her in that scene poses as penitently as if she is accepting a wish from the priest. In her bowing posture, before the priest, she is presented as having a solid upper body while her lower body seems to have many tentacle-like limps.

Her figure is also presented without defined clothing like the other figures presented in the frame. She has one golden color which does not present any distinction to her gender. Piece architecture separates the two scenes in the frame.

Despite the separation of the two scenes by this architectural work there is solid unity between the two scenes .this unity is enhanced by the well balance in the colors used. The figures to the left are represented Mary Magdalene, a man who is depicted as ordinary believer of some religion; perhaps the religion of Mary.

The two angels, like the priest and his aides, are flanking her from her right and left. Something more comes from this left scene. The angels look like they are lifting Mary skywards, with Mary in a prayer posture. There exist some contrasts in the messages depicted from the scenes, both to the right and left.

On the right, Mary is posing before a priest and bowing down. In the left hand scene the man is kneeling but not bowing. In his kneeling stance, his face is fixed at Mary who is firmly gazing upwards. Besides, there is a wall of rocks which seems to camouflage Mary in her colors. In her left hand scene, she depicts ascension.

Experience to the original audience

The experience to the original audience may have been a sense of ascension from the earthly service to some supreme being, in this case God to his service in the heavens. The artist is presenting in fact not only two scenes but in my opinion three.

The third scene, which is not clearly indicated in the panel, is a scene of transition represented by man, that is, the man in the left scene. From this, the artist aroused a feeling to the audience that Mary like them and any other saints that may have come before them have an earthly task in church, working as priests.

Then from the priesthood, there is a connection between mankind and the heavens. This is emphasized by the representation of the kneeling man in the left scene. There has been a widely held idea that, when you are transformed from an earthly mortal body to the heavenly immortal body, you are given a reference to a rock. The rock which is symbolically used in the Christian religion represents everlastingness.

To the audience, this does not just stand out as a normal rock, but a rock which brings permanent transformation. This is justified by the mix in colors of Mary Magdalene and the rocks in the background. Also, the kneeling man has an extended arm towards Mary and the angels. This gives a message to the audience that, the saints not only create a connection between themselves and their supreme being that they worship but also acts as a link between man and the heavens.

This could explain the emergence of churches that still mention the names of same early saints in their prayer. In particular, the prayers they make particularly requests the saint to pray on their behalf to God. In addition the bluish color making the background of the left hand side scene is a clear representation of the deep heavens.

The transformed body of Mary here is gazing directly at it, in deep prayer while being lifted by the angels towards it. To the original audience, this may have represented that for you to reach the promised heavens you must be pure and prayerful.

Narrative context of the image

There is great evidence of the existence narrative context in the image. To begin with, the scenes depict a church setting in which there is a priest(s). The subject facing the priests is someone who has done her last on earth and therefore needs to be released to ascend. The flow of the events is from the right of the Panel to the left.

The scenes and the characters are interconnected through creation of sub-settings within the main setting depicted by special choice of colors and symmetry in the frame. Just like a story being told by a narrator, this artist is telling his story by use of stylistic devices such as symbolism (Braembussche 310).

From a fully transformed human body to another body, the priest releases Mary to the angels to be lifted. This release occurs inside the church building. Outside the church, although not touching, a worshipper gives her his last pleas as if requesting her not to leave him. From that point, another role comes to play; the beings performing this role are the angels.

Mary therefore has played a dual role of linking the heavenly mission to her earthly missions. These events occur as a flow from the church indoors and out to the deep heavens. Like a story, the image creates a narrative context which is very reach in symbolism (Clancy 153-155).

Stylistic group of the artist

This artist came from an impressionist movement. This is seen by his ability to attract the audience through the use of thin paintings of the angels and Mary, his ability to relax the background and the subject’s boundary and his ability to use light at its different tonal values (Kronegger 223).

Formal properties and meaning

Light has been particularly used in this case to bring home a clearer relationship to the subject. An example is the use of low saturation in colors makes Mary’s image get diminished in the background colors of the rocks. With respect to the meaning, the painting depicts Mary as someone ascending to heaven.

The low saturation of colors indicates that she is leaving to where she shall not be seen again in the near future. Also, there is the use of color and space enhances the narrative idea of movement from the earth’s solid architecture to abstract formlessness.

There is evidence to this in the presentation of priests in the church. The flow of color saturation decreases from the real to very low saturation towards the solid rocks, then to lowest color saturations in the background forming a deep space (Carrol 539). This deep space can be said to represent the deep heavens. Transcendence is depicted in the painting is enhanced by the use of ethereal colors of deep space that clearly contrasts the earth’s tones which rule the painting.

Conclusion

In conclusion the painting has been used by the artist to express his religious would of his time. The specific message to the audience during his time must have evoked feelings of fear mixed with hope, in the context of religious fulfillment of human mortal form and transformations to immortality.

Works Cited

Braembussche, Antoon. Thinking art. Brussels. Springer: Brussels, 2009. 3 June 2011.

Carroll, Noel. Art in Three Dimensions. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010. 3 June 2011

Clancy, John. Impressionism: historical overview and biography. New York: Nova Science Publishers .Inc, 2003. 3 June 2011.

Kronegger, Maria. Literary impressionism. New Haven: United printing Services, 1973. 3 June 2011.