The purpose of this essay is to evaluate Luca Giordano, 16th century Venetian painting ‘Perseus turning Phineas and his followers to stone’, which will be referred through the essay as Perseus. To attain an analysis will be to explain about the artist himself, and the period he was born into and the style he adapted throughout his travels. A contextual setting will be addressed to the painting on how the piece is based on a poem ‘Ovid’s metamorphoses’ and the composition of the figures will be observed. Throughout the essay formal elements will be explored and explained to a certain extent.
Luca Giordano was born in Naples he was a son of a painter Antonio Giordano. The Italian Baroque painter was nicknamed ‘Luca Fa presto’ (Speedy Luca) (Visual-arts-cork, no date given, website) He travelled to Rome, Florence and Venice in the 1650s where he studied ancient and Morden masterpieces and was greatly struck by Roman Baroque. His style was formed by his experience of Neapolitan art (dominated by the work of Caravaggio), and by his knowledge of the leading Roman painters of the early 17th century notably Annibale Carracci, Pietro da Cortona, and Venetian artists of the 16th century. This style was well adapted to express the drama and pathos of religious and mythological subjects in large-scale canvasses and frescoes. (National, Luca Giordano)
The painting Perseus clearly portrays a fight between a man on the right hand side (Perseus) and a man on the far left hand side (Phineas) hidden by his two ‘followers’ which stand in front of him. All the men on the left hand side have been ‘turned into stone’ by the head of Medusa which Perseus is holds in his left hand, in comparison to this, he holds his sword in his right just under Medusa’s head. Dead bodies and destruction surround the main figures making this painting a dark tale of a fierce battle. The story behind the painting is from the Ovid’s ‘Metamorphoses’ (V, 1-235)
Your claim was better in merit, mine in time. I yield, and gladly, and now I ask for nothing Except my life: let all the rest be yours!" And all the time he spoke, he dared not look At the man he spoke to. Perseus made answer: "Dismiss your fear, great coward: I can give you A great memorial; not by the sword Are you to die; you shall endure for ages, Be seen for ages, in your brother's household, A comfort for my wife, her promised husband, His very image." And he swung the head So Phineus had to see it; as he struggled To tum his eyes, his neck grew hard, his tears Were changed to marble, and in marble still The suppliant look, the pleading hands, the pose, The cringe-all these were caught and fixed forever. (Indiana University Press 1960, pg114)
Giordano painted this painting in the late 1680s. The 16th century was a period of great activity for humanist compilers of handbook and dictionaries. They were of two main types. There were manuals of mythology, of which the forerunner was Boccaccio’s huge Genealogy, which described the gods and the attributes, which distinguished them from one another. Then there were dictionaries, the descendants of Horapollo, which presented the world of nature as a great catalogue of sacred and profane symbols. (James hall, Mythographical manuals pg 275) Giordano was inspired throughout his life through many Renaissances and Baroque painters whom were enthused by mythology and religion such as Annibale Carracci, Michelangelo da Caravaggio and Peter Paul Rubens. The artists were involved in the Renaissance period in the 15th century Alastair Smart (1971) stated that ‘In Italy constituted a new age, in which art and scholarship made a fresh beginning by going back to the forms and values of classical antiquity’.(pg. 7) He also stated that ‘Classical mythology was one the most notable features of Renaissance art’. (The Renaissance pg. 8-9) Furthermore they were on the cusp of the Baroque style which was utilised by the church and political rulers because it could appeal to overpower the spectator with its movement, lighting effects and a sense of drama and theatricality.(Grange,2012) Additionally, baroque art was usually large, and used diagonal compositions and illusionistic effects to impress the spectator. (National, Baroque)
Perseus and Phineas (Section of ‘Love of the Gods)
Annibale Carracci and Domenichino
1597
Oil
The image above is one of Annibale Carracci Mythical paintings from a monumental fresco cycle called Love of the Gods. Cardinal Oduardo Farnese asked Carracci in 1595 to decorate the ceiling of the large dining room in the Farnese palace, with what might be regarded as an early Baroque suggested James hall (pg33 history of ideas and images). The painting is showing the same mythical story as Giordano’s, the positions may be different however; identical attributes are gestured in both paintings such as the Medusa head, a main object to the story. J.E. Cirlot suggests that ‘a weapon becomes a genuine representation of a state of conflict’ (J.E. Cirlot, 2013 pg 325). Perseus sword is equipped with an iron sword, a token from Zues and a symbol of the iron ages and technical progress the way in which the Renaissance suggested by Adele Anggard, handles the myth of Perseus and medusa is an example of the period’s social attitudes. (Anggard, 2014,pg 84) To the spectator, they would recognise the sword, which symbolises connotations of power, death and leadership. A method of identification would be evident here called iconography. Depending on the viewer, certain objects, themes and subject matters would be apparent and would be able to read the painting clearly. Giordano would have used this imagery and formal elements within his work especially in the 16th century; because myths and legends became popular subjects in painting,
Luba Freedman states that
‘In the Renaissance, the names of mythological characters were sufficient to identify and evoke the mythological episodes’. He goes on to claim the ‘Representation of mythological subjects in works of visual arts was part of a boarder artistic and literary European culture, having it origins in an education in Latin and sometimes Greek.’. (Classical myths 2011)
In comparison, to the 20th century this may be unreadable however, the title of his painting ‘Perseus turning Phineas and his followers to stone’ is a semantic code to represent to the viewers what Giordano was painting.
The Fall of Phaeton
Peter Paul Rubens
1604-1608
Oil on Canvas
98.4 cm × 131.2 cm
National Gallary of Art
Furthermore, Giordano has evidently used techniques to create naturalism by being highly emotive and melodramatic. This creates a theatrical setting to portray the drama and despair of religion and Greek mythology subjects. Giordano expressed these elements by painting large-scale canvasses and frescos like the painting ‘Perseus’. The techniques clearly shown in the painting are similar to Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) paintings. The brush marks and tones within the painting. For Rubens lighting tones, he would create a dark background in either the bottom or top, depending where the subject matter would be positioned. There would always be a lightened bottom or top to ensure balance. The subject was brightly painted in highlighted tones to direct the viewer's eye. (Artble Peter Paul Rubens) The technique is apparent in Giordano’s work by the subject matter being the Medusa head that Perseus holds. The bottom half of the painting, he has used dark tones to emphasis the theme of death with the deceased bodies surrounding the painting. Parallel to Rubens work, Giordano ensures the balance between light and dark. The dark tones rise up from the bottom of the painting towards the middle. It’s evident in the middle of the painting Giordano has highlighted the subject matter with a brighter palette. The figures have been highlighted with the brighter tones also. This illustrates to the spectator the focus of the painting. Towards the top of the painting on the left hand side is a very bright section with colours or browns and yellows. There are beams coming down diagonally from the top left hand side down to Perseus right foot. This is a representation of the Gods displaying that they are on Perseus’s side and that he is the holy one in this painting. Colour is important within painting especially the balance between different colours and the connotations of them. As a religion, light may be divinity, godhead- God of God, Light of Light’ as such it is associated with goodness, morality and importantly salvation, stated by Derek B. Scott (Critical Musicology 2003,pg 109). In comparison to Giordano’s painting, the image above ‘The fall of Phaeton’ is a very light picture in the centre however; the dark tones surround the whole image to indicate that this is not a pleasurable painting. The beam is evident in this image however not in an ‘acceptance’ way as in Perseus this is a respectable stream of light.
Mary Acton (Composition, Chapter 1) states that ‘Composition is the artist’s method of organising a subject, of deciding what to put in and what to leave out in order to make an effective picture’ Giordano uses ‘main lines of direction’ to create the use of space and effective meaning. For example continuing about the subject matter, being Medusa’s decapitated head, is the main ‘Golden Section’. Acton continues that the horizontal and vertical lines are very important to one’s painting and is ‘enhanced by the use of a proportion known as the Golden Section’. The vertical line that goes down the Medusa head is not in the middle of the painting. In fact, it is to some extent to the right hand side of the painting that makes the piece more pleasing to the eye. Medusa being the Golden section balances the painting agreeably between the two opponents.
Mario Livio explains
‘It has been argued that the use of the Golden section proportion in works of art is aesthetically superior to all other proportions, because it offers an asymmetric division, or an element of tension, which at the same time maintains a certain balance.’ (The Accelerating Universe 2000 pg9)
Additionally, Perseus’s sword is located underneath the Medusa head representing to the spectator what happened to Medusa. The image itself, explains that Perseus beheaded her.
‘Along the way, in fields and by the roads,I saw on all sides men and animals like statues turned to flinty stone at sight of dread Medusa's visage. Nevertheless reflected on the brazen shield, I bore upon my left, I saw her horrid face. “When she was helpless in the power of sleep and even her serpent-hair was slumber-bound, I struck, and took her head sheer from the neck. To winged Pegasus the blood gave birth, his brother also, twins of rapid wing.” (Ovid’s Metamorphoses Book 4 pg. 706.)
Helene E Roberts describes the position of the Ovid’s Metamorphoses poem
‘Normally, the decapitator is represented as beheading the enemy by holding the instrument of death, usually a sword or lance, with the right hand and the newly severed head by its hair with the left hand. The right hand signifies power, justice, reason , the sun , and thereby the male, and the left hand signified passivity, emotion, irrationality, the moon, and the female.’ (Theme depicted in works of art. Pg199 2013)
This statement reflects on the painting Perseus as the positions are correct and symbolic. She goes on to mention that Medusa head is ‘a source of energy, power and wisdom for now the defunct – victim may itself become powerful symbol for the decapitator or his or her people’. The painting is positioned in a long shot composition. This is to engage the spectator with the mise-en-scene and figures. However, continuing the analysis on the Medusa head the viewer can see her with her mouth open portraying her last breath. Michelangelo Caravaggio, who was one of Giordano’s influences, created a painting called Medusa head.
Medusa Head
Michelangelo Caravaggio
1597
Oil on Canvas mounted onto wood
60 cm × 55 cm
Uffizi, Florence
The way Caravaggio captures Medusa’s last breath similar to Medusa in Giordano’s with her mouth left open.
McCance, Dawne explains why the painting ‘draws’ her in
‘What draws me to Caravaggio’s Medusa, then, is her fully open mouth: terrifying and terrified, at once silent and caught in a death scream. I propose that Medusa’s mouth petrifies as the sign of a woman struck deaf, and therefore, dumb. Throughout the Ovid’s poem, medusa utters not a single word, In the ovids text it is not Medusas ‘head’ or even her gaze, that petrifies. Rather, it is primarily her silenced ‘face’ or ‘mouth’ (os, oris)’ (Medusa Ear 2004 pg4)
The painting is a Baroque style; this is apparent by the darker and richer themes of the myth complementing the dark colour pallet. In contrast to this Peter Paul Rubens also illustrated a Medusa painting however more gruesome and more of a realistic approach.
The Head of Medusa
Peter Paul Rubens
1617-1618
Oil on Canvas
68.5 x 118 cm
Themes run throughout this painting of death, violence and victory. Props such as the spears, swords and the beheaded Medusa represent the violence of this tale. A shape of a circle in the painting surrounds all the objects. The circle may not be visible however, a futher more in depth analysis of this piece, the more it becomes clear to why Giordano placed the objects near to each other. They all represent the same theme and the use of the circle portrays that the cycle will never end, the war within the world will never stop. The ideas and political issues raised in this image by the weapons and objects being signifiers of world’s complications.
Overall, in this analysis it has been to show that Perseus was painted in a period where painting was on the cusp of change between the Renaissance periods evolving into the Baroque period. The representation of the Ovid’s Metamorphoses poem Book 5 the story of Perseus and Phineas has clearly been analysed from a compositional outlook. Giordano’s placed certain objects and fluent themes through the painting to portray certain signifiers. This creates meaning. Understanding and expanding the idea’s political issues in a painting portrays that certain measures will never end within the world.
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