Jacob Jordaens and Hendrick Terbrugghen are two great artists of the Baroque period. Both excellently represent the art of their time and leave a mark on younger generations of painters and audiences. However, when comparing the works of these two painters, one naturally outdoes the other, making one’s work inferior. While both are great artists, audience preference may be more favorable to one or biased towards the other. It should be noted that this paper presents solely the author’s opinion and is not intended to offend art lovers.
In Jordaens’s The Temptation of Magdalene, we see the application of a religious theme with Magdalene being tempted. Similarly, Terbrugghen’s The Denial of Saint Peter employs a religious theme with St. Peter as the main subject. Both artists use the characteristic Baroque art style to depict their respective themes, but they demonstrate different styles and elicit varying responses from their audiences.
Comparing the overall effect that the two artists achieved in their paintings, Jordaens’ work displays more depth and magnanimity than Terbrugghen’s. In particular, Jordaens demonstrates full focus on the subject, while Terbrugghen captures it with less concentration. This affects the dramatic effect of the work, as the latter does not convey the mystery of the scenario.
There are several factors that suggest why Terbrugghen was unable to attain focus and magnanimity in his painting. One of these factors is the presence of too many elements in the scene. Instead of focusing on St. Peter and his offenders, the artist included background people who are not directly involved in the scene. Additionally, the use of space was not optimized well as it distracts viewers due to people supposedly gathered in another room on the right.
In Jordaens’s work, focus is achieved through the perfect use of space. He depicts only three characters who are truly part of the scene and maximizes space to create focus. Specifically, he fills two-thirds of the space while leaving one-third empty or dark.
Moreover, the lines used by Jordaens contribute to the focus on the subject. Upon closer inspection, one will notice that the slightly diagonal lines forming a triangle at the upper middle lead up to the focal point, which is Magdalene’s face.
Similarly, Terbrugghen employed a triangular angle that spans the entire scene. However, the main subject of the painting is not located at the center of the triangle, which depicts St. Peter’s denial. Instead, it features the pointing finger of Peter’s accuser in an isolated empty background.
In terms of color and contrast, Jordaens utilized strong color contrasts by incorporating bright colors which he softened through skillful combinations. For example, in Magdalene’s coat, the artist achieved a bright red hue with the addition of a tint of red-orange and used soft white for the shadow. Additionally, Jordaens employed a dark background that was neither empty nor full; instead, he created one that appeared to have hidden elements. This technique allowed him to achieve an air of mystery while keeping the focus on the subject.
The contrast in Terbrugghen’s painting is not very clear, as he used soft earth colors throughout. Unlike Jordaens, who employed strong colors of red and gold, Terbrugghen’s colors did not vary or contrast. Although the colors he used are not boring, they lack liveliness. They are rather plain and fail to achieve focus and drama.
Additionally, Jordaen’s use of color enhances the texture of the painting. The close angle he chose necessitated this attention to detail. However, there are some imperfections in the way he depicted the old woman’s arm disappearing into darkness. This body part should have been rendered more solidly since it is connected to the hand in the scene.
In Terbrugghen’s painting, the use of texture is given less importance. The scene depicts a large scenario that appears detached from the audience and vice versa. Unlike other paintings that capture interest and involve the audience, this work looks dull and less interesting.
When evaluating a work of art, it is important to consider the symbolism that artists use. In Jordaens’s piece, we can see a woman holding a rosary and a vessel, both of which represent Magdalene’s contrition and faith. Additionally, the angel’s garment suggests royalty and power, possibly symbolizing the power of God.
In Terbrugghen’s painting, the use of fire does not correspond to the scene of Peter’s denial of Jesus. While fire is typically a symbol for one’s burning faith and love for someone, in this case it was used only to light up the scene. Additionally, Peter’s accuser lacks power and force, which could have been improved by including Roman soldiers to make the scene more credible.
Another factor that made Terbrugghen’s work inferior to Jordaens’s is the use of shadows. Terbrugghen used soft shadows that blended easily into the primary scheme, while Jordaens employed very strong shadow contrast that brought the whole picture to life.
Furthermore, Jordaens achieved a more dramatic and remarkable overall effect than Terbrugghen. In particular, his painting of Magdalene captures the woman’s contrite expression in the scene. The facial expression and posture depict how people felt during their time when they committed sins. It gives us an idea of how troubled they were when tempted or sinned against God. Therefore, from a historical perspective, Jordaens was able to present an image of the people during the 17th century.
On a different note, Terbrugghen achieved less drama and effect. Although the gesture in his subject (St. Peter) is well thought out, the facial expression might be misinterpreted as doubt rather than denial. When being questioned by a woman, Peter should project an expression of denial instead of curiosity. To achieve this, the artist could have made Peter turn his back on the other characters in the scene.
Overall, when applying the Reader Response Theory, Jordaens’s work appears more appealing and noteworthy for its ability to capture the audience’s attention through a proper combination of color, texture, symbolism, and contrast. The way in which the artist employed the elements of art and his choice of subject presents elite art from his period that is characteristic of elite artists during his time. The Temptation of Magdalene vividly portrays not only the art of its time but also the artist and his elite background.
Terbrugghen’s The Denial of Saint Peter represents the art of its time through its subject matter, but it offers a different perspective on artists during the Baroque era. Unlike the other painting, this work reflects a less educated artist. Based on this painting, we can assume that Terbrugghen came from a less privileged background than Jordaens and may have had less training and experience when he created this piece. However, his work remains an important contribution to art as it captures the simplicity of life through the plain and simple clothing worn by his subjects.
Works Cited.
Terbrugghen, Hendrick’s The Denial of Saint Peter” is an oil painting on canvas created in 1628. It was retrieved on May 9th, 2008 from http://www.pbase.com/singkit/image/70086273.
Jordaens, Jacob’s The Temptation of Magdalene” is an oil painting on panel created in 1616. It was retrieved on May 9th, 2008 from http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/111613.
