“The Battle of the Amazon”, “The heart of the Andes” and “The Volga boatmen” are three different paintings done by different artists, but have some similarities and contrasts in terms of their themes and moods.
‘The Battle of the Amazon’, which is a painting done by Peter Paul Ruben in 1618, reveals a vicious battle; that is the Amazon’s battle. The use of the color red brings out the feeling that there is a loss of blood and life through the slaying of people. This is shown clearly through the action of the warriors who are at war with their battle tools. The representation of both people and the horses indicate that there is a struggle, while the use of dark colors points to the dark mood and the sadness of the situation.
A general observation of Frederic Edwin Church’s painting “The heart of the Andes”, may allow one to conclude that the scene is a beautiful landscape. Nonetheless, closer examination depicts a dark and sad mood. The emphasis on dark colors brings out a feeling of sadness. This feeling is augmented by an instance of a grave and the people surrounding it. This indicates loss of life and the resulting sorrow. The painting also gives an impression of struggle through the trees alongside the river that are hanging loosely because the ground under them has been washed away, probably through erosion. The painting demonstrates a vast space that allows the mind to ponder beyond the limits of the landscape. Therefore, there is the urge to want to know what lies beyond the yonder, and as Edward (2001) puts it, ‘the eye is made to go through and beyond nature toward something ineffable’.
Ryan Repin’s painting ‘The Volga boatmen’ also represents struggle, dejection, and sadness. This is demonstrated by the frail and poorly dressed boatmen as well as the outlook on their faces. There is the mood of exhaustion and bondage. Their looks indicate there is no alternative to the work they are doing, and that they are undergoing a lot of suffering. This is further shown by the fact that they are pulling a very large boat in the shallow area of the sea. In my opinion, this struggle reflects the life of early seamen, especially before the invention of modern technology that now aids in the docking of boats and ships. The extension of the sea to the horizon indicates that there might be more to what is visible in the eye.
The three paintings are similar in some ways. In all three paintings, there is a theme of struggle and a mood of darkness. There is the consistent use of dark colors in all the paintings to show sadness, while the struggle is the main theme. Both “The battle of the Amazon” and “The heart of the Andes” illustrate the loss of life and sorrow through slain people and the presence of a grave respectively.
However, there are also contrasts among the three paintings. There is extensive use of bright colors in ‘The Volga boatmen’ than in the other two paintings. This brings the irony of the sad situation as bright colors represent cheerful moments. In addition, the mode of the struggle in each painting differs. The warriors in ‘the battle of the Amazon’ show able, courageous and zealous, but vicious warriors. On the other hand, in ‘The Volga boatmen’ the men are weak showing a sense of hopelessness. The struggle in ‘The heart of the Andes’ is shown by trees and not by humans as in the other two paintings.
Reference
Edward, V. G. (2001). Painters of Faith: The Spiritual Landscape in Nineteenth-century America. Washington, D.C.: Regnery Publications.