Comparison of Three (3) Paintings Essay Example for Free

Comparison of Three (3) Paintings Essay Theme: The Battle of the Amazons, 1618 by Pieter Pauwel Rubens seems to be of war, violence and the dire need to finish a battle no matter the cost while the Heart of the Andes, 1859 by Frederic Edwin Church seems to be about the vastness and beauty of nature in its balance of contrasts between light and darkness, massiveness and diminutiveness, power and weakness. The Volga Boatmen, 1870-73 painted by Ilya Repin, however, depicts the theme of undesired yet unconscious captivity. Mood: The mood conveyed by this painting called The Battle of the Amazons, 1618 is one of disturbed turmoil while the Heart of the Andes, 1859 gives one the feel of tranquility and peace. The Volga Boatmen, 1870-73 however, affects you by making you feel hopeless. Meaning: Rubens’ painting, The Battle of the Amazons, makes me feel disturbed because of the war between two determined forces that will do everything to win. However I see an underlying chauvinist message because the drama in this picture shows that the men are on top of the situation and that the women are driven to go below the bridge and die. It does show the courage and strength of women despite the drive of the masculine to be victorious though. For me, Church’s Heart of the Andes, 1859 is so full of meaning in the context of Christianity. The cross is so small amidst its surrounding mountains, trees and river. I feel that it just shows that we are in a world where we cannot control nature. All we can hold on to is faith. It also conveys the message of hope. One could see that the water rushes with force near the waterfalls but calms down by the banks. It could mean that one tends to focus on turbulent areas of his life but the calm beyond it is there to bring hope. This is also seen with the contrast of light on the left side of the painting and darkness or cloudiness at the side of the mountains. It is innate in nature to be a balance. There cannot be too much darkness without the promise of light. Repin’s The Volga Boatmen, 1870-73 is a painting that seems to tell me that one is imprisoned into captivity because of one’s job as a boatman. Although there is no one guarding or holding you in custody, the mere plight of having to work detains you and sentences you to a life of burden and unhappiness. Although there are boatmen in the painting that seem to joke or even smoke a pipe, these do not eliminate the harshness of life. It shows a contradiction because although the area where they are situated in seems to be vast, they do not see the potential for life. Similarities: These paintings are similar in the sense that they portray life in its real sense. The Battle of the Amazons shows that women will never win against men in the brutality of physical strength. The Heart of the Andes shows that nature will take its course no matter what and that hope is just there if you will just recognize it. The Volga boatmen shows that life is dreary if you are burdened with work that you don’t love. In the matter of colors, the palette used were all of natural shades which seem to mean that these paintings are all about life and human nature. Contrasts: These paintings contrast each other because of the messages they seem to convey. The Battle of the Amazons show that one has to fight to get what he wants in life. The Heart of the Andes seems to show that one will eventually get what fate will give no matter what he prays for. The Volga Boatmen simply tells us that life means nothing so you just have to live it everyday. The paintings also differ in its approach because the Battle of the Amazons shows a very tight scene full of action in every space while the Heart of the Andes shows little action at all while the Volga Boatmen conveys no movement from its subject despite their efforts to pull their burden.