The Geographer and the Flight to Egypt
The Geographer is an oil painting on canvas from the seventeenth century that was created in the Caravaggio School. Jacopo Bassano painted The Flight to Egypt, an oil painting on canvas, in the sixteenth century. Although there is only one man in the first piece of art, there are multiple people present in Bassano's piece, including men, women, and children. The Geographer is a depiction of a real person who appears to be speaking to people while sitting at his desk. As the title of the image suggests, the man could have been a geographer, and is dressed in a red rob which was from Central Europe which is the origin of the artwork. He has books open in his desk, and looks to be addressing onlookers on a subject that pertaining geography. For the Flight to Egypt artwork there is presence of divine beings particularly angels. According to Svenningsen (16), Bassano was interested with religious artworks, and in this artwork he decides to include a divine figure in form of an angel. The angel was leading the way as other people in the artwork followed.
Style and Technique
In terms of style, both The Geographer and the Flight to Egypt are painted on a smooth surface as no brushstrokes are visible. The colors that have been used in both artworks include red, black, white, brown, and green (Norton Simon Museum). Additionally, the artist has also used lines and shapes dominantly. According to Kleiner, artists often use contour line to represent various parts of the body (7). In both artworks, contour lines have been used to represent shapes such as the eyes and mouth person in the artwork. In the Flight to Egypt the artist uses space to bring out the various elements in the artwork. Moreover, both artworks are of abstract form as the artist seeks to paint a given picture in the viewer's mind.
Meaning and Interpretation
The painting of "A Geographer" communicates the importance of studying the main features of the world including astronomy, geography as well as geology. Considering that the man in the painting is engaged in a conversation, the painting acts as a call to action for people to study the world deeply and extensively. Jacopo Bassano's, "The Flight into Egypt" offers a visual description of Joseph leading His family out of Bethlehem into Egypt. Therefore, the painting reconstructs the events during the period of Christ and serves as a motivating factor for Christians (Bailey). Further, the elements of the painting refer to the end of the story, to Christ's passion and crucifixion.
Differences and Similarities
The style of The Geographer and the Flight to Egypt are similar as both artists use oil on canvas to come up with their painting. Additionally, the form of the artworks is different; The Geographer is a two-dimensional artwork while the Flight to Egypt is a three-dimensional artwork. The other difference in the artworks results from their function; while Bassano's art serves a religious function, the School of Caravaggio serves a communication function as the subject matter seems to be addressing people. Further, the images were painted in a different cultural context given the fact that they are from different centuries.
Conclusion
In conclusion, The Geographer and the Flight to Egypt are similar and different in several ways. The artworks are similar in the fact that they contain people, but one of them also includes a divine being. The colors that have been used and the style are also similar. However, the artworks are different in terms of their purpose, function, and form. In general, even though the artworks are from different centuries, they have both similarities.
Works Cited
“Jacopo Bassano, “The Flight Into Egypt””, director. Colin B. Bailey, 2017,.
Kleiner, Fred S. Gardner’s Art through the Ages: A Concise Western History. Nelson Education, 2016.
Norton Simon Museum,. “A Geographer”. Nortonsimon.Org, 2017, https://www.nortonsimon.org/art/detail/F.1968.11.03.P/.
Norton Simon Museum,. “The Flight Into Egypt”. Nortonsimon.Org, 2017, https://www.nortonsimon.org/art/detail/M.1969.35.P.
Svenningsen, Jesper. “A noble circle. The vogue for collecting Italian paintings in Denmark 1690-1730.” RIH a Journal (2014).
