| Baroque | Art Analysis
Upon my initial search for a baroque piece of art, I immediately was drawn to The Magdalen with the Smoking Flame (1640) by Georges de La Tour. I love this piece and would absolutely hang a copy of it in my home! In fact, baroque art is much more pleasing to my eye than the Renaissance art we studied in the last two weeks. The darkness, the use of Chiaroscuro, and the skull…captivating!
This artwork exemplifies meditation, contemplation, reflection, and death. The color palette is grandeur and sensuous richness. This piece exudes drama. The skull is haunting, and the light drama created by the candle is sensational. This artwork contains the main characteristics of Baroque art, drama, deep colors, dramatic light, sharp shadows, dark backgrounds, and biblical genre painting.
From the painting title, I assume this is Mary Magdalene, a prostitute turned follower of Jesus. The bare shoulders and red colored skirt offer clues that this may be Mary Magdalene. I would presume the books on the table are a Bible/Scripture. The cross is blood-stained from the rope whip that lies atop it, which I assume is a whip that early Christians flogged themselves with as a form of punishment for sins. The skull, signifying Memento Mori “remember your death,” may be presumed to be the skull of Jesus. I know from my religious studies that the place of Jesus’ death, Golgotha, means skull. The religious symbolism is abundant and so deep.
The lighting! That candle! The talent de la Tour possessed to create such amazing drama! The different textures of the shirt, skirt, skull, translucent glass full of oil, wood grain, and pages within the books. The details of this piece are incredible.
I love how the candlelight is illuminating Mary's face and she is entranced by the light.
| About the Artist |
Georges de La Tour (1593-1652) was a French Baroque painter. He painted mostly religious scenes lit by candlelight and specialized in Chiaroscuro compositions, using sharp contrasts between light and dark. After he died in 1652, La Tour’s work was forgotten until rediscovered in the early 1900s. Some of La Tour’s work had been confused with Vermeer when the Dutch artist underwent his rediscovery in the nineteenth century. (Joy of Museums) Heavily influenced by Caravaggio, De la Tour combined Caravaggio’s use of light with simplified forms that eliminated extraneous details and concentrated the focus of the viewer on the indispensable details of his story. While De La Tour would eventually become the painter to the King, the bulk of his work was bought by the wealthy bourgeoisie. (Kelly)
Georges de La Tour’s naturalistic style has proven to be very popular with modern audiences. This painting became one of his most famous works thanks to its depiction in Disney’s 1989 animated film The Little Mermaid. During the classic song “Part of Your World,” the young mermaid Ariel joins Magdalen in gazing at the flame as she sings, “What’s a fire, and why does it—what’s the word? —burn?” (Portland)
| Religious Influence |
De La Tour’s paintings were created during the counter-reformation. The Catholic church enacted a collection of reforms and began a publicity campaign to reassert the doctrines that were under attack by the Reformers. The Council of Trent had a huge effect on art. Art was created to explain the faith and was made for everyone not just the wealthy. According to Dr. Steven Zucker, “so art was a way of actually didactically getting the ideas of the Church across to the lay people, many of whom were still illiterate.” (Khan Academy) The religious symbolism in this masterpiece is divine. The picture itself appears simple, yet every detail has meaning.
| Works Cited |
Joy of Museums Virtual Tours. “Magdalene with the Smoking Flame” by Georges de La Tour. "Magdalene with the Smoking Flame" by Georges de La Tour – Joy of Museums Virtual Tours. Accessed on March 2, 2023.
Kelly Bagdanov. “Georges de La Tour’s Magdalene and the Smoking Flame.” Georges De La Tour's Magdalene and the Smoking Flame - Kelly Bagdanov. Accessed March 2, 2023.
Khan Academy. “Introduction to the Protestant Reformation: The Counter-Reformation.” Introduction to the Protestant Reformation: The Counter-Reformation (video) | Khan Academy. Accessed March 2, 2023.
LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art),“The Magdalen with the Smoking Flame.” The Magdalen with the Smoking Flame | LACMA Collections. Accessed March 2, 2023.
Portland Art Museum. “Masterworks | Portland: Georges de La Tour”. Masterworks | Portland: Georges de La Tour - Portland Art Museum. Accessed March 2, 2023.
I also love this painting! The baroque themes like the light and the scene feel familiar and relatable. I can empathize with this woman, I can wonder whose skull is he holding and if she is mourning. Having the light source coming from the scene was also a big innovation, the tone of the light reminds me of my desk light at night when I read my books.
ReplyDeleteThis painting is very intense, a great choice. The light and the dark contrast makes this piece seem very realistic. The skull is also very symbolic, I think it represents death and sadness, she could possibly be mourning the lives of her loved ones. The light tone of the candle is very interesting, illuminating the room especially the women face, through the candle light we see a lot of textures such as her shirt, wood grain, a glass of oil and much more. I really liked your analysis of "The Magdalan with the Smoking Flame."
ReplyDeleteHello Sheresica,
ReplyDeleteI also love this painting. The contrast from the darkness compared to the light of the flame of the candle adds to the feeling of haunting beauty of the woman, but also the skull that is sitting on her leg. Because the painting is called "The Magdalen with the Smoking Flame", it is very much influenced by the counter-reformation. After some research, I thought it was super interesting how the items on the table are supposed to represent the trials sent by God, still lending into the counter-reformation.
“‘Magdalene with The Smoking Flame’ by Georges De La Tour.” Joy of Museums Virtual Tours, 16 May 2020, https://joyofmuseums.com/museums/united-states-of-america/los-angeles-museums/los-angeles-county-museum-of-art/magdalene-with-the-smoking-flame/.
I really like this painting. I also really enjoyed reading your analysis about the paintings meaning, and seeing all of the different items in the painting come together perfectly. I also really liked how I knew how she was feeling just by looking at this picture. I really enjoyed reading your analysis on " The Magdalen with the Smoking Flame."
ReplyDeleteHi Sheresica, thanks for sharing! This painting is a great choice to study and I love the dramatic light and deep shadows the artist used. The overall aesthetic perfectly encapsulates that of Baroque art. The story behind this painting is so interesting and in this painting I love how pensive the subject is. Great work!
ReplyDeleteI love this painting. Even though the subject matter may be dark, there is a feeling of peace to it. Like you said she appears to be meditating. I love that there is a reminder of death in the painting, but also a light that shows not all hope is lost. Great work.
ReplyDelete