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| From the AGO website. |
In my trip to the AGO, I decided to focus on my post on a painting by Peter Paul Rubens called “The Massacre of the Innocents” (1611-1612).
· What do you see when you look at the work of art?
I see different emotions portrayed in the painting. The struggle of the women to protect their babies and the nonchalant expressions of the men taking the children. It conveys humanity in its honest forms. It provokes thought and questions are raised when I see this work of art. It is astounding and I was taken aback because it is a visual representation of history.
· What is the artist trying to say or tell you?
I think the artist is trying to convey honesty and reality. During the AGO tour I was in, Patricia mentioned how Rubens had tried to make the painting almost 3D like and that the painting was meant to be admired from the side in which the lighting and colours came out. If that was Rubens’ goal of making it more realistic, he had meant for people to grasp the reality of a religious story before Jesus Christ was born.
· How does it make you feel?
It makes me feel broken hearted. I go to church and I value my religion in my life and to be shown this work of art makes me question humanity. This story can also be related to other historic events such as the Holocaust. If King Herod had demanded his people that every child born was to be killed because one of the wise men informed him that he would be overthrown. Hitler believed that a certain race overpowered the other. He let fear take over and believed that they should not exist anymore. As much as we don't like the sound of it, these things still happen today. It's interesting how humans act upon fear.
· Do you like it?
Yes, I definitely like the artist’s portrayal and I love giant works of art because it seems so real.
· What do you like or not like about it?
I don’t like how I am unable to see it whenever I want to. Its placed at the AGO but I don’t live in Toronto and so to mission to see it, sucks.
Element of Art: Colour
From the painting, I would like to focus on colours. In this painting, Rubens used dark and neutral colours. I would like to think that bearing the skin and the bodies of the people in the painting is exposing humanity. All the children were naked to show their innocence and vulnerability. The shade of blue and red used in the painting was beautiful and I love how it looks. The red flows gently to the ground while the blue flows nicely in the air. The vibrancy of the colours used does achieves Ruben's goal of making it look 3D.
Element of Art: Colour
From the painting, I would like to focus on colours. In this painting, Rubens used dark and neutral colours. I would like to think that bearing the skin and the bodies of the people in the painting is exposing humanity. All the children were naked to show their innocence and vulnerability. The shade of blue and red used in the painting was beautiful and I love how it looks. The red flows gently to the ground while the blue flows nicely in the air. The vibrancy of the colours used does achieves Ruben's goal of making it look 3D.
