The name of the painting is Christ carrying a cross and is painted using oil paint on canvas. This painting is on display at the Lowe Art Museum. It is also said that it was painted around 1600 – 1605. It was crafted in Spain during the mannerism period in Europe. The Artist at hand responsible for this painting is named El Greco. Born 1541, Candia, Crete and much later died on April 7, 1614, in Toledo, Spain. He was a master craftsman of painting, whose exceptionally individual sensational and expressionistic style met with clashing between him and his critiques however increased recently discovered gratefulness in the twentieth century. He also worked in his life as a scultpure and architect. This artistic creation was painted in the style of Mannerism. Mannerism, otherwise called Late Renaissance art, is a style in European artistry and sculpture that developed in the later times of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by around 1530 and enduring until about the finish of the sixteenth century in Italy, when the Baroque style basically replaced it.
From the mid 17th century and onward, more northern style art would be used in Europe. Not to mention, where High Renaissance workmanship stresses extent, parity, and perfect excellence, Mannerism overstates such characteristics, frequently bringing about sytheses that are awry or unnaturally exquisite. The style is outstanding for its scholarly advancement and also its stylistic characteristics. It favors compositional strain and unsteadiness instead of the equalization and clearness of prior Renaissance painting. Characteristic in writing and music is outstanding for its exceedingly flowery style and scholarly complexity.
Observation
In the foreground, appears Jesus Christ Holding his cross as he is about to be crucified. Looking up towards his father. In the background, lays a solid black coat of paint. The subject matter is about Jesus Christ and his crucifixtion. This is a stylized painting of Jesus with a touch of naturalism. The figure painted is very real looking, however it is stylized in the sense that Jesus is made very beautiful and he’s posed in a very graceful matter. The method used to pain this work was using oil paint on a canvas. The painting has a glossy finish to it, which adds to the “glory to God” theme of the painting. The painting technique incorporates Glazes as shown by the glossy finish. It is also quite detailed and expresses an Ideal image of Christ. The red of Christ’s robe symbolizes Christ’s blood, and the crown of thorns represents the sacrifice Christ is willing to go through to save humanity, even if he is king of the infinite. The Artist conveys depth through shading of the figure. Light and dark is used to contrast.
Jesus is contrasted as he is a very bright figure amongst the solid black background. The size is about a regular sized portrait. The attraction of the painting is Jesus face, as it has a light radiating from him. This art piece would have been seen in a gallery in Spain as part of a pro-Catholic movement, mainly know as Counter-Reformationist art. This served as an artwork to glorify Jesus Christ.mEl Greco had a long line of work in Spain and delivered created various artworks of Christ carrying the cross as it is a vital and intsense sections from the Bible. There are no different characters and the foundation does not pull away consideration from Christ. Rather, it is dedicated to Jesus himself. The sketch portrays his eagerness to forfeit himself for humanity. This will is communicated through his delicate grasp of the cross and his look toward the sky with a surrendered articulation. Christ Carrying the Cross is a picture of immaculate mankind.
El Greco paints Christ’s eyes as emotional and overemphasized tears in them. His eyes are the key component of the artistic creation as they express so much feeling. Not withstanding the serious painting, El Greco sharply contrasts the doom and gloom feel with warm hues and little incriments and additions of lighting which adds more of a comforting and human look to Christ. There is no indication of torment in the expressions of Christ. Like his detached hands, he communicates no pain or sorrow from carrying around the giant cross. El Greco changed the picture of Christ from overloaded and in torment from the overwhelming cross to one that is quiet and prepared to confront his destiny. Christ’s serenity about his forfeit welcomes the watcher to acknowledge their own destiny in the midst of dread and uncertainty. Christ’s crown of thorns is enraptured by beams of a glowing light radiance. The valuable painting of the crown demonstrates each multifaceted woven branch bearing little thorns. It rests on Christ’s head and a couple of drops of blood have fallen onto his neck from the damage caused by the thistles.
Research
Part of the story of this painting, and a lot of El Greco painting was that it was a Counter-Reformationist painting. This orthodox style of Catholic Biblical art was intended to feature the religious contrasts among Catholicism and Protestantism, by concentrating on the riddles of the confidence, and in addition the jobs of the Virgin Mary and the Saints. Counter-Reformation art portrays the more by the books, doctrinal style of Christian artistry in direct opposition of Martin Luther’s protestant reformation against The Catholic Church and the Protestant Reformation art which pursued after he begun the rebellion. It was intended to renew Catholic passion and pride all over Europe, along these lines limiting and scrutinizing the impacts of the Protestant revolt. To infuse energy into its crusade, the Roman Church, helped by the recently formed order of Jesuits, and also wealthy nobles who were passionate believers in the Church, started appointing new works of art which were generally huge scale oil compositions to have a grand, larger-than-life feeling when these were put on display, persuasive church fresco artistic works, and real bits of religious model and wood cutting.
Supporters of the Catholic Counter-Reformation and its religious craftsmanship included Italy, Spain and its provinces of Flanders and Naples, and in addition southern Germany. While the protestants were located around Most of Germany and Northern Europe. Its most important examples of master artists would be Pietro da Cortona, Caravaggio, Andrea Pozzo Ribera, Peter Paul Rubens, Francisco de Zurbaran, and of course – El Greco himself. The specialty of painting in oil hues, here and there with the utilization of surface protectors, or coats.
Oil painting is done fundamentally on canvas; be that as it may, cardboard, wood, and metal that have been made with an extraordinary progress (easel painting), and also gesso (wall painting), can likewise be utilized as backings. Of all canvas systems, oil painting most effectively accomplishes the fantasy of volume and space on a level surface, rich shading impacts, tonal profundity, and expressive and dynamic brushwork. Different brush methods can be utilized in the use of oil paints. The brushstroke can be murky or straightforward, consistently thick or finished, or thin and smooth. Before the nineteenth century, oil painting comprised of the utilization of numerous layers of shading blended with coat, which was trailed by a layer of coating. Since the mid nineteenth century, the oil method has comprised for the most part of the use of hues alia prima on a perfect ground or over a layer of underpainting. Coating is once in a while utilized.
Conclusion
Overall I think this artwork is an amazing piece and showcases the beauty and passion that were put into artwork back then during Rennaisance times.
