Rembrandt The Blinding of Samson
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This essay will look how the suggestion of movement has been achieved by different artists, spanning from the traditional art and values of the Old Masters, to the Impressionist era of the mid 19th Century, through to the movements of the present day. Therefore there are many aspects which need to be considered for each masterpiece, for instance, the story it depicts, its Historical, Biblical or fictional context, its composition, how the figures are posed, the use of colour, light and shadows, and how the media has been applied etc. All these devices must be used in harmony inorder to infuse the artwork with life.
To fully appreciate the whole notion of depicting movement, the techniques of the Old Masters must first be briefly considered. While a lot of the research and exploration of the human figure was carried out by such geniuses as Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo in the Renaissance of the 15th and 16th Centuries, no matter how anatomically accomplished their paintings were, they consisted of relatively static classical poses which lacked any real sense of movement. This is in stark contrast to Baroque art of the 17th Century which is characterised by its dynamic appearance and motion infused subject matters.
Rembrandt van Rijn epitomises what the Baroque period was all about. In a further move away from the classical practises of the Renaissance, his forceful use of light and shadow evokes a strong atmosphere, which emphasises the mystery, psychology and drama of the subject matter, setting him apart from many of his contemporaries. These qualities are especially evident in his most violent painting "The Blinding of Samson" (1636, Stdelsches Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt). In the Bible (Judges, 16: 4-21), it states that the popular hero Samson, who had superhuman strength, was pursued by the Philistines to no avail...