Looking for a piece to discuss this week, I always found myself flipping back to this painting. I can't help but to look at it and then look at it again. It grabs my attention and I have no choice but to stare, even though I don't really want to. This piece pretty much haunts me. The look of agony of this women is conveyed so well, I feel her surprise and pain. The way Death is taking her is terrifying. His grip in her hair, and how tight he is holding her side makes me feel on edge. Could you imagine those boney hands on your body? It freaks me out thinking about it. The artist really did a great job in getting me to feel as if I was the one being chosen by Death. I think the contrast between the plumpness of the woman and the boney-ness of Death really does a lot to show how unpleasant of an encounter this is. I like that there is not a lot of negative space, there is no need for anything else in this painting. The story is right there between the two figures. I don't need to know all about the surroundings, I see everything I need in the woman's expression. To me, this really shows the surprise of Death, you never know when he will sneak up behind you. Besides the emotion of this painting, I also like the limited colors used. They work really well to me. The paleness of her skin and fabric against Death's sickly yellow really draws me in. I only hope she somehow found peace after this awful encounter with Death.
Of all the different renditions of the Virgin and Child, this one is my favorite. I like how it seems very natural, she is holding him close and in a loving way. It really shows the bond that develops between a mother and her baby. Their bond also shows in the way they are making eye contact, Mary isn't staring out to us and just pointing to him. We know he is important and so I like that its as if they have forgotten the audience and seem to be captured in their own little moment. This reminds me of a photo someone might want of them and their baby, making this more relatable to anyone who looks at it. I don't think the baby is quite right in the face, there is a level of maturity that infants don't really have. But I do like the chubby tummy and arms, I don't think I've ever seen a skinny baby! :)
So I now have a blog...yay?
I've never really been into the whole blogging thing, but its a part of my art history class so I kinda have to do it. I plan to be open-minded about this and maybe at the end of the semester I will like it enough to continue blogging. We will see...
