There’s no doubt that art commenced with the beginning of the world. During the centuries people of all nations have been making their contribution to the world treasury of culture, which was cherished and passed down from generation to generation. Certainly, there were periods when blinded by rage and hostility to each other nations forgot about their initial purpose to aspire to ideal, to make the world around better. Despite all these obstacles on the road of culture, it still withstood and continues to spread its sprouts all over the globe.
It’s noteworthy that all the national cultures have their own unique matchless culture but together they interweave into one inseparable unity that defines the meaning and the essence of humanity. Moreover, during all history the art, as an indispensable part of the culture, has been manifold in its form and expression, advancing further with every step it took. Still, it leaves enormous room for the creation and implementation of your fantasy into the masterpieces for every artist.
In this paper I would like to concentrate on two paintings of women coming from different periods and painted by different artists, to single out the similarities and discrepancies between them. These pictures are The Virgin Adoring the Host, 1852 by French painter Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres and Young Woman with a Pink ca. 1485–90, attributed to Netherlandish painter Hans Memling (“The Virgin Adoring the Host”; “Young Woman with a Pink”).
Let’s first dwell upon the picture by Hans Memling painted with oils on wood. In the foreground, the woman holding a flower is depicted. She’s not looking straight from the portrait but slightly leaning her head to the left side. The woman is a genuine representative of her century. Her wide-open high forehead testifies to her medieval origin. She’s dressed in a reddish velvet dress with brown and orange tints; her head is covered with a black headscarf only slightly uncovering her brown hair. In the background, we can see green meadow and trees in the opening of the arch and the curtain that twisting around the arm of the woman becoming almost transparent close to her figure.
In the picture by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, three figures are depicted but I’ll concentrate on the women-centered in the foreground and so becoming the core of the composition. This painting presents the biblical scene with 3 saints standing by the window waiting for the host. The woman is dressed in a sky-blue tunic with gold yellow fringe and a red gown under it. Similar to the woman in the first picture the saint woman’s head is also covered with cloth but in this picture, the cloth is bright blue. Besides, the woman’s got a halo over her head which indicates her origin. She’s brought her hands to her face in anticipation and looks down presumably to the road so that it immediately involves the reader into the sensation of the expectation of a welcome visitor.
As far as the technique is concerned they are a world apart. The first thing that catches the eye is the disproportionate figure of the woman with a flower. Due to the fact that the painters did not pay much attention to the proportions, the head of the woman seems much larger than it should be as well as the figure that appears to be a little flat.
As opposed to the women in the first picture the saint woman is presented according to all rules of anatomy. Comparing the way the hands of the women have painted the hands of the saint women are all shades of pinkish and whitish, very natural and true-to-life, whereas the hands of the woman with a flower seem to be too fragile lanky, and unnatural with its brownish skin.
Perceiving all the compositions of the second picture, we become aware that Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres is a great master of chiaroscuro. The saint woman stands out sharply against the background her face and clothes glowering as if she’s poured with light. Besides, the painter pays much attention to every minute detail and fold of the clothes so that it gives the impression of mobility, and the next second you expect to hear the rustle of the tunic.
As for the first picture the colors are restrained: the trees are green, the meadow is green and yellow, and the arch is brown. All these factors show that the artist belongs to the classical school. The painting itself presents a motionless picture which in contrast to the picture with saints reveals the huge advance that the artists achieved during the development of the arts.
Works Cited
“The Virgin Adoring the Host”. The Metropolitan Museum of Art Official site, 2008. Web.
“Young Woman with a Pink”. The Metropolitan Museum of Art Official site, 2007. Web.