When strolling through an art gallery, you do quite a bit of staring. You roam about and observe each piece of art closely and intimately. In doing so, you make judgements on figures, landscapes, and objects that are depicted. This is by no means abnormal, however, on occasion, you may stumble upon a painting that locks eyes and, depending on the posture, facial expression, or setting, reacts to your shared eye contact in some way. These kinds of paintings amplify the emotion that you have with the image by making your relationship with the painting intimate. One of the most prominent examples where this strategy is expertly applied is in Mattia Preti’s Pilate Washing His Hands.In this painting, the dramatic commotion occuring in the foreground and background is overshadowed by the facial expression made by Pilate as he seems to stare into your soul. As a viewer, you can practically read off of his face “what was I supposed to do,” and “who are you to judge me.” It should be noted that this is so much more than a portrait, where eye contact is standard. Rather, this is a fracture of the fourth wall where the image breaks free from its setting and interacts with the viewer. That being said, How is Preti able to make such a message clear solely from the eye contact that is made with Pilate? And, is there more going on than just the face that contributes to the emotional effect. By observing similar art pieces that utilize this same technique, hopefully you will be able to better understand how Preti is able to interact with you through paint, brush, and canvas.
Mattia Preti, Pilate Washing His Hands, 1663, Oil on Canvas, 81 1/8 x 72 3/4 in., the Met in New York, 1978.402.
Camille Manet, on a Garden Bench, 1873, Oil on Canvas, 23 7/8 x 31 5/8 in., the MET in New York, 2002.62.1.
First and foremost, there is Camille Manet’s on a Garden Bench. This painting depicts a young woman being approached by a man in a public area. The man seems to have a romantic interest in the young woman based on the bouquet of flowers he has presented to her and the fixed gaze he has on her. The woman however, looks away from the man and looks at us, the viewer. The emotional effect being projected here is based on the social context of these two people. The young woman looks at us as a way of escaping what appears to be an uncomfortable and awkward moment.
Claude Guy Hallé, The Restoration of the Catholic Religion in Strasbourg, 1681, Oil on Canvas, 18 5/8 x 22 in., the MET in New York, 1976.100.11.
Second, is The Restoration of the Catholic Religion in Strasbourg by Claude Guy Hallé. In this painting, the figure in focus is presenting to us the raising of the cross, symbolizing the restoration of the Catholic Church. He is placed in the middle of the action yet he is separated because, unlike the rest of the figures in the painting, he is not focused on the cross but rather on the viewer. His gaze towards us, amidst the commotion around him, invites us to be directly involved with the raising of the cross. The personal invitation given here demanded the action of the people of that time to be involved in the resurrection of the Church.
Third, in Jacopo Ligozzi’s Allegory of Avarice, we are forced to share the fear and discomfort of the young woman who is being approached by Death. If her gaze were to be focused on Death and the price of her soul that is clutched in his hand, we may feel pity but we would not share her fear. However, she looks to us as a way of pleading for help; an intimate form of eye contact that naturally makes us uncomfortable. Similar to Manet’s painting, she looks to us in order to escape the moment.
Jusepe de Ribera, The Holy Family with Saints Anne and Catherine of Alexandria, 1648, Oil on Canvas, 82 1/2 x 60 3/4 in., the MET in New York, 34.73.
This fourth example is slightly different due to the fact that we now have two pairs of eyes catching our attention. The Holy Family with Saints Anne and Catherine of Alexandria, by Jusepe de Ribera depicts an elegant and beautiful family. In this painting, the viewer is being judged possibly more than the viewer is judging the painting. One pair of eyes comes from the mother who, based on the way she presents her child, is considering whether or not we even deserve to look at him. The father, who stands in the shadows, and glares at us in an almost suspicious manner. This is a great example as to how the viewer can be directly affected in a more personal way upon simply looking at a piece of art.
Caravaggio, The Musicians, 1597, Oil on Canvas, 36 1/4 x 46 5/8 in., The MET in New York, 52.81
Finally, Caravaggio’s The Musicians, makes us as the viewer feel as if we have just entered a room. The lad in the back, being somewhat darkened by the shadows, is the first to acknowledge that you have entered the area. This detail pulls us into the scene and convinces us that the room is active and lived in by figures that are alive and busy. The boy with his back to us along with the one who has just noticed us over his partner’s shoulder, makes us feel as though we have interrupted a practice session and therefore we feel the need to quickly turn and exit the room.
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