Category: Socrates

Introduction

The image in figure 1 represents the painting of “The death of Socrates” as obtained from Neo- Classism and French Revolution (2010). Neo-Classism and French Revolution also outlines that the painting was made in 1787. The painting was made of oil paint on a canvas material of 51” × 77 ¼. ¹

Description

The work of art generally has a good picture and the general appearance is that the artist wanted to concentrate on the middle section of the picture perhaps to draw attention to whatever is happening in the middle of the room. The color is distributed to bring certain important contrast that should be able to guide the analysis of the piece. The use of oil painting is particularly significant in bringing out the contrast. The space in which the piece of art is constructed brings out a feeling of limited opportunities. The space is small and somewhat overcrowded. The only space that leads out of the room is a small darkened corridor. In the space outside the room there seems to be very little activities going on. The piece of art represents a real life occurrence and it is observable that the activities taking place in the piece actually took place. In most circumstances, artists are inspired by activities that take place in the surroundings. Art is always appreciated as a mirror from which the society views and evaluates itself. There also seems to be an ensuing argument in the piece. The lighting seems to flow in parallel with the argument being much brighter on towards the center. The details on the floor also show that there has been much activity in the space represented by the piece of art. Generally, the piece of art can be described as representing real life situation. Unlike other forms of art that are abstract and present significant challenge to persons seeking to understand the feelings, ideas and emotions represented by the piece, this piece of art is somewhat direct. The lighting is simple although there is the realization that the instead of the lighting originating from the peripherals towards the center, this piece has lighting moving from the center towards the peripherals. However, the lighting is still simple and this makes interpretation rather direct. Being that all the occupants of the piece are human also outline the fact that interpretation should be direct. All the details of the art are normal from a quick observation and one gets the feeling that the piece intends to directly bring out a particular aspect. Surprisingly, the art lacks t show the roof of the room and this appears to be one of the strange aspects of the piece. This is because conventionally when there is a house or a room there has to be a roof. All the other aspects are not completely unusual because it is common to found objects scattered all around the floor in a room. The piece of art also depicts that the period was ancient. From the materials used to construct the house, to the source of lighting and the clothes worn by the occupants.

Analysis

Analysis of a piece of painting requires the consideration of a combination of factors that include emotions, lighting, the choice of colors, the mood the colors bring out and the space in which the art represents. The emotion represented in this piece of art can be categorized into three. Starting from the left side of the painting where there is a dark tunnel the general emotion within this space is the emotion of hopelessness. Hopelessness is depicted by the individual whose body is hugging against the wall in desperation. The lighting in the corridor is rather dull which goes on t emphasize on hopelessness. Beyond the corridor there is little light but the person in the corridor still does not proceed to this apparent light. Therefore, there has to be a strong reason why this occupant has ran away from the light in the room and still refuses to proceed to the light outside. This individual would rather stay in the tunnel where there is no light. Moving to the right is another person who is an old man. This man is seated with the face towards darkness and the back facing the light. The age of this individual shows that the hopelessness may be largely due to the realization that there might never be another opportunity. The old man might feel hopeless due to the failure to change something or influence a person. The face is towards the dark because it represents lack of opportunity. Close to the legs of this individual there is a scroll. Scrolls in ancient times were considered as sources of knowledge and intellect. Perhaps, this old man is hopeless due to the realization that the answers to his questions cannot be found in knowledge and intellect.

The difference between the hopelessness of this individual and the first individual is the perception of failure. The first perceives failure as the inability to go back or forth while the second perceives failure as the inability to make use of this last opportunity. The third individual moving towards the light is actually facing away from the audience. This individual is apparently young and is in contact with center of focus of this painting. This individual is holding his head down as a sign of complete desperation. Unlike the previous two individuals, this third individual still harbors some hope. There is a general feeling that this individual can still rejuvenate and continue facing the challenge. This has been outlined by the amount of lighting that shines upon the individual. There is also a perception that this third individual is rather weak of character and is also shy in nature. Even in an argument there are those persons that strongly take either sides and there are others who prefer to portray neutrality. However, there is a general observation that those individuals who portray neutrality are not actually neutral but are actually afraid to air their views lest they seem inept. This third individual falls in the category of a person who is afraid to air his view. The fact that he hands some kind of drink to the person in the center for the picture shows that he holds this person in high esteem. Perhaps it is the feelings of allegiance that is preventing this person from showing his true feelings towards the situation at hand. The way he hands the individual in the center the cup shows that he is not even happy about the whole situation. He is not even concentrating on the cup, but rather prefers to look towards the other side. The inability of the individual to look at the recipient of the cup may be due to the fact that this third individual is doing so against his wishes. Close to this individual on the floor there are leg chains. It can be assumed that these chains belong to this third individual. Perhaps, the reason why this individual pledges allegiance to the individual at the center of the painting is that maybe the individual in the center of the painting helped break these chains in one way or another.

The fourth individual in the same order also happens to be the center of attention in the whole painting. The realization that this person is the center of the painting is that most of the lighting illuminates this individual. There is also a sharp contrast between the coloring used on this individual and all the other individuals in the picture. The artist also clothed this individual in bright garment so that the light would reflect more on this individual. This individual is seated comfortably as compared to all the other individuals in the painting which outlines some sense of authority or seniority. The fourth individual has raised one hand which outlines the fact that this individual has control over most of the activities going on in the room. The fact that this individual is seated on the bed implies that either this individual was sleeping prior to the scene or is about to sleep. The look on the face of this individual is one of defiance. The general realization is that the cause of hopelessness on the first and the second individual is perhaps the defiance, arrogance and stubbornness of this individual. The way this individual holds his one hand high shows that he is very sure of what he is about to do and that no amount of convincing will change his mind.

The next person in the same order is another old man who is seated and seems to be pleading with the fourth person. This individual gives the feeling of true friendship between this old man and the fourth individual. Observable is the fact that the old man even has his hand in the lap of the fourth individual. Perhaps, this old man is the closest to the fourth individual and is one person who can be said to provide support.

The next persons in the photo are a group of individuals who are in a group and are appearing to be lamenting the choice of the fourth individual. One individual in the group also seems to be making prayers perhaps for the intervention of some higher power. However, they also seem to be in the dark which gives the general feeling that they have already given up. In fact, it is from this side that darkness is the most as compared to the other sections of the picture. Perhaps, this group of individuals is the most ignorant of the whole situation.

Conclusion

From the name given to the painting, “The death of Socrates” it implies that this painting has everything to do with Socrates who was an ancient Greek philosopher. Greek philosophers are known even in the contemporary world for their varied, controversial and radical schools of thought. The philosophers had followers who believed in their schools of thought and would often gather in the presence of the philosopher to listen to words of wisdom. In the painting the fourth person who is the center of the painting is Socrates. The other people in the painting are some of his followers. The painting depicts a moment when Socrates was about to take poison to end his life. However, there is a general feeling that this action has proven too radical for this followers to agree with, it is due to their inability to convince Socrates otherwise that leads to their hopelessness.

Bibliography

Neo-Classism and French Revolution. “Jacque-Louis David: The Death of Socrates.” 2010.

Footnotes

1 Neo-Classism and French Revolution, “Jacque-Louis David: The Death of Socrates.” 2010.

“Death of Socrates” is an oil on canvas painting created by a French painter named Jacques-Louis David in 1787. Figure 1 depicts the painting which portrays an intimate scene of the Greek philosopher Socrates during the last moments of his life. At this time, he faced death by execution that had been ordered by the courts at the same time that he is facing his destiny. He has either just consumed or is about to consume the poison that will kill him and he sits surrounded by his friends who are all filled with sorrow and feelings of aimlessness once their great thinker is no longer there to lead them.

The “Death of Socrates” presents a man, Socrates, half-naked and draped in white, sitting on a bed without anything to support his back. His left leg rests on the floor; the other one is extended over the bed. Socrates’ death is to be witnessed by twelve other men who seem to be sad about his fate. His right-hand hovers over a cup which is held by a young slave, his back turned to the viewer, wearing a red tunic. Socrates holds his left hand up with his index finger pointing upwards. Next to Socrates and in the forefront of the picture plane sits a man wearing orange. He sits on a stone bust as a symbol of the ascending paralysis, beginning in Socrates’ feet and creeping steadily up his legs toward his chest, which will kill the philosopher. He has his right hand resting over Socrates’ lap indicating its progress. Behind this old man and to the left of Socrates are five men aged between sixty and twenty years old seemingly in a state of profound grief. One of them, wearing red and blue clothes, is facing the prison wall putting his right hand on it and covering his eyes with his left hand while he is standing. Another one wearing brown is raising his hands near to the lobes of his ears pronouncing some words. A third one wearing green and blue clothes is rising to cover his face with his hands – perhaps he doesn’t want anyone to see him cry. His body is not aligned properly and he is not standing straight up. Finally, there are two boys. One of them is wearing blue. They are standing next to each other with their heads aligned slightly down and turned away from Socrates’ body. The right side of figure 1 is dominated by a man who sits in front of Socrates’ bed wearing white. His hands are held tightly together and he sits on a piece of stone with his head turned slightly down watching the floor. This implies that he is very sad and thinking deeply of his grief. Behind the old men there is a man in blue and brown clothes who has hands up and stands facing the wall. In the upper right-hand corner of the painting, there is a group of people; some women and two men grieving outside the chamber. All of the previous figures are in a state of sadness which has been represented by their facial expressions.

The setting of the painting is a prison that has arches on the window and an arch in the hallway. Moreover, there is a lamp found behind Socrates. The cell is dark, not lightened. There is not much furniture or other structural visuals in the place. The horizon is dominated by the wooden bed Socrates lies on. Besides this, there are small branches of wood thrown on the floor. In addition, there are some shackles on the floor, which are equally important to illustrate the sense of freedom for Socrates. The walls of the cell are obscure and thus it is difficult to differentiate their true colors.

In David’s painting, the colors are clearly defined and easily read. Two figures wear white which suggests that they share a relationship with them. On the right-hand side of the painting, the orange tunic echoes the red and yellow of the figures in the back, probably because there is a harmony between them on the color wheel palette. The colors used in the painting are primary colors of red, green and blue which reflect a more serious ambition to the captured heroes of the painting. The bright blue on Socrates’ clothes is slightly repeated on another figure. These similarly colored clothes within the painting help us to move our eyes across and go deeply through the arch hallway to the end of the picture. Red color is repeated all over the painting through crossing method. We can see it on the right, left and especially on the center of the painting. Thus motion lets the eyes feel reset and can move very easily and rhythmically from the front side to the backside.

The painting is asymmetrically balanced. In the right half of the work, people are very close together making the volume of the painting very busy and active. Furthermore, the figures in the middle area are standing next to each other in a three-dimensional aspect. In the background of the painting we see a family who has been taken away from the prison where Socrates is facing the death.

The specific distribution of the dark and light strokes of the painter’s brush in the “Death of Socrates” creates significant implications about driven character of the central figure. David used invisible brushstrokes applied very softly on the painting’s surface. They are the same everywhere. David plays with the lighting here as we notice that the light coming from the window in the background and the lamp are not the main source of the light in this scene. The true source of light that pours onto Socrates and his disciples is unknown to the viewer, but it serves its primary function to indicate the divinity of Socrates, his enlightened ideas and to increase his presence. Moreover, this light functions to draw the attention of Socrates. Moreover, the colors used are well balanced, as they are being dulled in the front and a little bit brighter when the figures are placed deeper on the painting.

In brief, “Death of Socrates” painting which was painted by Jacques–Louis David shows the last moment of Socrates’ life in a classical way painted on canvas. The spectator will feel the sense of realism in the theme as it has been painted smoothly using oil colors. Moreover, color is used normatively in David’s painting. They have been presented in the painting in a warm tone followed by a bright color which produces an atmosphere of mode and emotion. The painter played with oppressive space in the painting which implies harmony between all elements and figures. While the busy space makes the figure look observed, he painted Socrates higher than anyone else in this painting to symbolize that he is the greatest one in the painting.The gesture and movements in the painting demonstrate how all figures are affected and have a sense of sadness and grief regarding Socrates’ death, but on the other hand Socrates seems to be very calm and at peace. In short, David was successful in imagining the last moment of Socrates’ life and emblazing his death in a realistic mode and atmosphere.