Innocence in Art History
The word innocent can imply naivety or blamelessness. It’s two-fold meaning insights images of youthfulness and, in a sense, freedom from the bleakness of life. Today the word innocent brings up images of people who were wrongfully and brutally murdered, more than it does of the youthful image of children. But such was not always the case. In an age when seven-year-olds have their own cell phones and depression rates are steadily increasing, it is easy to forget the importance of youth. Often we think of returning to our youth as a time of bliss and freedom from the pain in the world, when we are only returning to a time when we did not know how painful things could be. As society has grown and evolved our idea of childhood has evolved too. Once they were seen as small adults, but with philosophers like Rousseau, the understanding of children’s mental cognition became clearer. Similarly to the evolution of our understanding of children’s complex nature, the societal values of innocence have changed over time. Within the art scene, society’s values of innocence coincide with the content and form of the overarching artistic movements from the time period the pieces come from. With this understanding, we can view art focused on this theme of innocence and youth with a deeper understanding of the societal norms and the art movements' effect on the theme. In order to evaluate this we will be contrasting work from the 19th century with work from the 20th and 21st century.
Pierre Auguste Cot, Springtime, 1873, Oil on Canvas, 84 x 50 in, the Metropolitan Museum of Art This 19th century piece shows a young man and a girl swinging amid a blissful spring. This is a neoclassical work, following the conventions of the era with its use of curved lines, classical subject matter, and idealism. During this time philosophical thinkers and artists moved towards making virtues attractive through use of a narrative with an educational lesson attached. Cot uses neo-classic sentiments to illustrate young love with implied lines creating a circle around the close figures. This piece also demonstrates innocence through the use of symbolism, with the spring representing youth and new life.
Pierre Auguste Cot, The Storm, 1880, Oil on Canvas, 92 1/4 x 61 3/4 in, the Metropolitan Museum of Art Another 19th century piece by Cot, The Storm shows two youths covering their heads, running away from an oncoming storm. Cot uses the familiarity of Springtime while evoking images from the classic Daphnis and Chloe, to capture the youthfulness of the figures. This piece follows the same neoclassic ideas as Springtime in its use of classical content with a narrative and lesson. In Springtime, the figures are enjoying each other’s company, but here the figures are escaping oncoming darkness, perhaps running from the future. Although this piece slightly follows the conventions of the Rococo style, it has the moral innocent narrative that Rococo style lacks. Finally, youthful love is a demonstration of innocence by nature.
Alfred Drury, The Age of Innocence, 19th century, Bronze on green marble base, Height 16 in, the Metropolitan Museum of Art Drury created this bronze statue in the 19th century. This bust of a young girl, titled age of innocence, perpetuates the idea that children possess innocence that other age groups do not. In contrast to the other pieces, this girl looking longing into the distance seems to know something that the figures in the other pieces do not. Although she is cast in bronze, a solid weighty material, she seems transient. This little girl looks like she is looking to the future, that there is something on the horizon that she is yielding to.
Giovanni Maria Benzoni, Innocence Protected by Fidelity, 1852, 32 1/4 in, the Metropolitan Museum of Art In this 19th century piece, Benzoni carves innocence as a young girl, with her form rendered softly. The girl seems tired but content, holding onto a half-made flower crown. Even a single rose has fallen to the base of the statue. The dog, named fidelity, by her side is looking up at her. Dog’s have often been used as a symbol of fidelity in art pieces, and the relationship between the dog and the girl is close. While the girl is rendered idealistically and naturally, some elements seem out of place. The flowers, the dog’s fur, and the girl’s hair are more stylized. This follows the neoclassical style and is up front about the lesson it conveys.
Paul de Longpré, Flowers: Roses and Lilacs, late 19th–early 20th century, Watercolor on brown paper, 13 11/16 x 9 1/2 in, the Metropolitan Museum of Art This watercolor by Longré features a florilegium study of White roses and pink lilacs. White roses and lilacs have symbolized purity and innocence for hundreds of years. Although it is unknown when this was painted exactly, we know that it does not follow the conventions of impressionism or post impressionism from the 19th-20 century. It more closely resembles neo-classicism and romanticism. The romantic movement focuses on eliciting emotions from the viewer while still following some aspects of classical form. There was a focus on nature over society. Here we see elements of the more classic rendering, the flowers appearing natural while fading back into the space. The use of the natural flowers combined with their symbolic meaning contribute to the innocence and life the piece exhibits.
Sibylle Peretti, Victor, 2009, paper, oil, gouache, pencil, photograph on acrylic sheet, 58 x 86 inches, The Hunter Museum Flowers remind us of spring, new life, and beginnings. Peretti’s use of dried flowers overlayed on this young boy’s face reminds us of the spring of youth. An antique feeling envelops this 21st century piece due to the lack of context from when the photo was taken within the piece. This makes the boy seem to only exist within the piece. The dried flowers add onto to this mystique, once alive and vibrant, now encasing the child. The post-modernism era is characterized by the falling apart of the idea that society is being pushed forward by art. There is an uncertainty of reality in this art movement. Peretti’s work takes historical figures and shows their fragility and strength in her art work. She follows the conventions of the postmodernist era by letting the art exist within itself without the impression that it is going to change the world.
Edvard Munch, Worker and Child, 1908, oil on canvas, 76 x 90 cm, Munch Museum, Oslo, Norway This expressionistic painting from the 20th century features a young girl running towards a working man, her father. The little girl’s white dress contrasts against the man’s dark clothes that match the other workers clothes. The black arm band around the workers arm suggests that he may be in mourning, and the presence of the little girl suggests that perhaps her mother is dead. The sense of movement, life, and color coming from the little girl implies innocence and youthfulness. She is not weighed down by the hardships of life the men in dark clothes experience. This work reflects the form of its time because it uses expressive color to elicit an emotional response and convey the story of a bright little girl.
Candido Portinari, Boys Playing, 1958, oil paint, 73cm x 59.5cm, Projeto Portinari,
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Portinari’s painting captures a moment of boys playing in the forest, playing with slings, and gathering bananas in the 20th century . This piece was made within the modern art era as a neo-realistic piece. Neo-realistic art uses daily life as inspiration in regard to colors and shapes. There was a rejection of academic art during this time. Here, Portinari’s painting uses the vibrant colors characteristic of the style. He also captures the daily play that young boys partake in. The atmosphere and content of the painting are whimsical and fun, as if you are looking at the piece through the eyes of a child. Some of the little boys take on a transparent look to them, sometimes blending into the background and adding a sense of movement and time. This adds to the idea of the fleetingness of youth and the innocence of the boys.
No comments:
Post a Comment