The Tempest (painting)

The Tempest (painting)

Infobox Painting|



title=The Tempest
artist=Giorgione
year=c. 1508
type=oil on canvas
height=83
width=73
city=Venice
museum=Gallerie dell'Accademia

"The Tempest" (Italian "La Tempesta") is a famous Renaissance painting by Italian master Giorgione dated between 1506 and 1508. Originally commissioned by the Venetian noble Gabriele Vendramin, the painting is housed in the Gallerie dell'Accademia of Venice, Italy.

Overview

"The Tempest" is considered an enigmatic work.cite book|author=Büttner, Nils|title=Landscape Painting: A History|pages=pp. 74–77|publisher=Abbeville Press Publishers|location=New York|year=2006|other=trans. Russell Stockman|isbn=0-7892-0902-0] It depicts an arcadian landscape outside a city, with a river, trees and ruins. The darkly clouded sky is lit by a flash of lightning, announcing an imminent storm. A woman, sitting on the right, breastfeeds a baby. She is nude except for a white sheet, suggestive of purity and innocence, which covers her shoulders. The round belly, full breasts and act of lactation, all suggest that she may symbolize fertility. To some commentators, however, she represents charity. The possible association with the Virgin Mary is evident.

A man, possibly a soldier, holding a long staff or pike, stands in contrapposto on the left. He smiles and glances to the right, but does not appear to be looking at the woman. Art historians have identified the man alternatively as a soldier, a shepherd, a gypsy, or a member of a club of unmarried men. X-rays of the painting have revealed that in the place of the man, Giorgione originally painted another female nude. To some, he represents steadfastness; they point to the pillars behind him, which often symbolize force or strength. These pillars, however, are broken—a classic symbol of death. One may also note the stork on the rooftop on the right. Storks sometimes represent the love of parents for their children.

The painting's features seem to anticipate the storm. The colors are subdued and the lighting soft; greens and blues dominate. The landscape is a not a mere backdrop, but forms a notable contribution to early landscape painting. The painting has a 'silent' atmosphere which continues to fascinate modern viewers.

There is no contemporary textual explanation for "The Tempest", and ultimately, no definitive reading or interpretation. To some it represents the flight into Egypt; to others, a scene from classical mythology (Paris and Oenone) or from an ancient Greek pastoral novel. According to the Italian scholar Salvatore Settis, the desert city would represent the Paradise, the two characters being Adam and Eve with their son Cain: the lightning, as in ancient Greek and Hebrew times, would represent God who has just ousted them from Eden. Others have proposed a moral allegorical reading, or concluded that Giorgione had no particular subject in mind.

Scholars have cited "The Tempest" as having influenced Manet's "Luncheon on the Grass". [John Rewald,"The History of Impressionism", The Museum of Modern Art, 4th revised edition 1973, (1st 1946, 2nd 1955, 3rd 1961), p.85. ISBN 0-87070-369-2.]

References


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • The Tempest — Infobox Play name = The Tempest |200px caption = Prospero, Ariel and Miranda by William Hamilton writer = William Shakespeare genre = Comedy / Romance setting = Desert isle subject = Retribution / Forgiveness premiere = November 1, 1611… …   Wikipedia

  • The Tempest — (c. 1500 1505; Venice, Galleria dell Accademia)    Painted by Giorgione, the subject of The Tempest is not completely understood. The Venetian collector and connoisseur Marcantonio Michiel recorded in 1530 in his journal that he saw the painting… …   Dictionary of Renaissance art

  • Tempest — A tempest is a violent storm.Tempest or The Tempest may also refer to: In fiction * The Tempest , a play by William Shakespeare ** The Tempest (Dryden), an adaptation of Shakespeare s play by John Dryden and William D Avenant ** The Tempest… …   Wikipedia

  • The Barque of Dante — Artist Eugène Delacroix Year 1822 Type Oil on canvas Dimensions …   Wikipedia

  • The Voyage of Life — series, painted by Thomas Cole in 1840, is a series of paintings that represent an allegory of the four stages of human life: childhood, youth, manhood, and old age. The paintings follow a voyager who travels in a boat on a river through the mid… …   Wikipedia

  • The Course of Empire — is a five part series of paintings created by Thomas Cole in the years 1834 36. It is notable in part for reflecting popular American sentiments of the times, when many saw pastoralism as the ideal phase of human civilization, while fearing that… …   Wikipedia

  • The Cantos — by Ezra Pound is a long, incomplete poem in 120 sections, each of which is a canto . Most of it was written between 1915 and 1962, although much of the early work was abandoned and the early cantos, as finally published, date from 1922 onwards.… …   Wikipedia

  • Scene from Shakespeare's The Tempest — when the current Lord St Oswald announced his wish to sell it. It is thought that Hogarth was hoping that more commissions for similar scenes would come flowing in after painting this scene, but unfortunately this did not happen, although the… …   Wikipedia

  • The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen timeline — The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is an ongoing graphic novel series written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Kevin O Neill. The primary commentator on the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen series (hereto after in this article referred to as… …   Wikipedia

  • The Light of the World (Sullivan) — The Light of the World is an oratorio composed in 1873 by Arthur Sullivan. Sullivan wrote the libretto with the assistance of George Grove, based on the New Testament. The story of the oratorio narrates the whole life of Christ, focusing on his… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”