The Martyrdom of Saint Serapion by Francisco de Zurbarán (Interpretation and Analysis)

-
The Martyrdom of Saint Serapion by Francisco de Zurbarán
The Martyrdom of Saint Serapion
Source: Wikipedia
Yesterday, we looked at Francisco de Zurbarán’s astonishing painting The Apparition of Saint Peter to Saint Peter Nolasco. Today, I want to continue our conversation about Zurbarán’s work with one of his masterpieces The Martyrdom of Saint Serapion.

As the title suggests, the painting depicts the death of Serapion, a thirteenth century saint. Like Zurbarán’s other paintings, The Martyrdom of Saint Serapion is baroque in style. The piece is visually dramatic, making use of light and shadow to emphasis the lifelessness of the saint’s body. Compositionally, the piece offers a very narrow view of the scene—focusing on the saint’s face and torso—adding a degree of intensity to the painting.

Despite this, it is clear that Zurbarán utilized elements of the Renaissance style in this painting. Instead of depicting the trauma of a violent death, Zurbarán’s Serapion is calm and dignified, borrowing an aura of Renaissance serenity. The tilt of his head and the elaborate folds of his robe are almost classical in composition. The result is a painting that is quite beautiful, regardless of its gory subject matter. Rather than inspire devotion through contemplation of the saint’s pain, Zurbarán chose to present to his viewers the image of a man at peace with God—inspiring piety and contemplation through the martyr’s tranquility.

Disclaimer: I’m not an art historian or an expert on this topic. The above is my opinion, based on my interpretation of my foreknowledge of art and history. If I’ve done any additional research, I’ll note it above.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Le Chat Aux Poissons Rouges by Henri Matisse (Interpretation and Analysis)

-
Image
Le Chat Aux Poissons Rouges Source: Pinterest French artist Henri Matisse is rather famous for his paintings of goldfish. In fact, one of his most famous paintings, entitled Goldfish , depicts several of the aforementioned fish swimming in a bowl. Matisse is one of the most famous artists of the twentieth century. His work is closely associated with the Fauvist movement and is generally characterized by great energy and rich, intense colors. Based on my research , Matisse began painting goldfish after he traveled to North Africa. In Morocco, Matisse observed locals watching goldfish swim in their bowls as they sunk into a meditative state. The fish subsequently became a symbol for this sense of tranquility, coming to represent an idyllic version of the world only accessible through joyous day-dreams. These calming fish are prominent in this painting, which is entitled Le Chat Aux Poissons Rouges (which translates to The Cat With Red Fishes ). However, the serene energy of the fish
Read more

Five Puerto Rican Artists You Should Know

-
Image
The island of Puerto Rico has a long and vibrant artistic tradition. Western, Indigenous, and African cultures have all left their mark on Puerto Rican art, creating a colorful and unique visual legacy. While Puerto Rican artists have demonstrated their excellence throughout the years— from the creators of the captivating Taino petroglyphs to the sophisticated and subtle works of the Modernist painters—Puerto Rican art has received little attention from art historians and the wider art world. Here are five underappreciated Puerto Rican artists that you should know: 1. José Campeche José Campeche is often known as the first Puerto Rican painter in the Western history of fine arts. He was primarily known for his religious paintings and his portraits of elite Puerto Ricans, and today his work is recognized as some of the finest examples of Rococo art produced in the Americas. Campeche’s personal story is also inspiring. The son of a slave who had purchased his own freedom, Campech
Read more

Mural La Plena by Rafael Tufiño (Interpretation and Analysis)

-
Image
Mural la Plena Source: Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico Today I want to chat about a monumental piece of art that I recently had the pleasure of seeing at the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico. As the name suggests, Mural La Plena is a massive mural, fifteen by thirty feet in size, that was created by Puerto Rican artist Rafael Tufiño to commemorate la plena, a wildly popular genre of music that was born in the city of Ponce around 1900. The mural, which might appear abstract or incomprehensible to a viewer unfamiliar with the subject matter, illustrates the lyrics of popular plena songs. For example, the blue-green figure that dominates the upper half of the mural represents the hurricane from the plena “Temporal,” which mourns the destruction caused by a storm. Plena, as a genre, tells stories. According to my research , the lyrics come from current events, re-telling the stories that affected the lives of the people of Ponce. It began as a way for people of low socio-economic sta
Read more