Rutu by Rita Angus (Interpretation and Analysis)

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Rutu by Rita Angus
Rutu
Source: New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage
For most of human history, war has been a major inspiration for art, spawning both pro and anti war pieces. Yesterday, I discussed Franz Marc’s masterpiece The Fate of the Animals, which is widely regarded as an artistic premonition of World War I. While The Fate of the Animals represents one artist’s apocalyptic vision of war, approximately twenty years later New Zealand artist Rita Angus took a different approach to anti-war painting.

Angus was a staunch pacifist and spent the 1940s expressing her opposition to World War II, refusing to participate in any efforts that might benefit the war effort. She also expressed her pacifist views through art, creating a series of three goddess paintings that symbolized peace.

Rutu, which is a self portrait, is one of these paintings. Here, Angus depicts herself as a modern-day Madonna, with the sun forming a golden halo behind her head. As a mother figure, it is rather easy to imagine how the Madonna could be used as a symbol of peace. In the painting, Angus holds a white flower in her hands, a symbol of peace and a reference to the white lilies that are emblematic of the Virgin Mary. Her collar, which is decorated with fish, may be another reference to biblical symbolism.

While the painting utilizes Christian symbols, Angus adds additional layers of meaning by referencing her homeland, which can be seen in the background. The stunningly blue sea and rich vegetation celebrate the natural beauty of New Zealand while also creating a stark contrast with the war-torn landscapes that would have been prevalent in contemporary media. In Rutu, Angus reminds the viewer that peace is worth protecting.

Rutu is more of a spiritual portrait than a realistic image of Angus; the New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage describes it as her “most imaginative self-portrait.” It captures her ethos of peace, using the established iconography of the Madonna to symbolize her pacifist ideology.

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.

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