THE ORIGIN
OF PAINTING
In his
comprehensive work on Natural History, Roman writer Pliny the Elder (23-79) described
what the Ancient World believed to be the origin of mimetic, or more
specifically portrait art. The daughter of the Greek potter Butades, deeply in
love with a young man about to depart on a long journey, traced the profile of
his face, thrown upon the wall by the light of a lamp. Next, Butades filled the
outline with clay to shape a lasting portrait, which he hardened by fire with
the rest of his pottery.
We can read
this mythological story on different levels. First, it notes a difference
between 2D and 3D representation: painting began as a shadow trace, while
plastic arts were the next step. Philosophically inclined interpreters will
recognize Plato’s aesthetic theory that defines art as merely a shadow of
reality. Anthropologists see a connection between image, shadow and imminent death
(phantom images of the dead are called ‘shadows’ in ancient civilizations). On a
more practical note, the myth contains all elements necessary to create an
image: the artist, his subject matter or model, the artist’s equipment (brush,
pencil, raw material) and the indispensable presence o
Pliny’s
story was popular from the mid-18th until the early 19th century, when the Age
of Enlightenment renewed appreciation of Greek and Roman cultures. It inspired
Neoclassicist artists to revive styles and spirit of antiquity. Boosted by the
excavation of the ruins of Herculaneum and Pompeii, painters like Jacques-Louis
David re-introduced classical subject matter, combining restraint, grandeur, and
simplicity with clear and sharp outlines.
David is
still a famous name, though his less known rival Joseph Suvée (1743-1807)
beat him into second place to win the 1771 Prix de Rome. Suvée’s touching play
of light and shadow (1791) concentrates on the farewell session of the daughter
and her lover, and may reflect his own life and times during the French
Revolution. Families were ripped apart in the turmoil of civil war, while
thousands of young men were conscripted to defend the French borders against
foreign armies. It made the wish to keep a lasting memory of friends in mortal
danger an urgent concern.
Ironically,
Pliny the Elder died during the 79 eruption of Vesuvius which destroyed Pompeii
and Herculaneum. Fortunately, his story of Butades’ daughter survives in the
art of Suvée and others.
(Jos Hanou)
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