The
First Easter
[Nov. 2004, Intro to Art]
![[view the painting]](firsteaster.jpg){kind=link}
In
approaching this paper, it was my desire to learn about an art movement I had not
previously studied. With that in mind, I came across the paintings of Arthur
Hughes and was intrigued because I could not readily classify his style. I was
curious to learn how both the attention to detail and stilted figures seen in The First Easter could coexist in a
philosophy of art in recent history. The historic approach of the
Pre-Raphaelite movement, to which Hughes belonged, surprised me with an
unexpected link between the Medieval and Victorian ages. It was also a
revelation to discover another way that one group of artists age answered the
question of what is the truest style of representation in challenge to the
Renaissance tradition. The study of this painting and its moment in art history
has deepened my appreciation for the widely varying philosophies and aims of
art.
- - - - -
A cursory
look as The First Easter by Arthur
Hughes yields both questions and some general observations. The flatness of its figures calls to mind the
stylization of Medieval art, yet its precise attention to realistic detail,
especially in the botanical forms, reveals that it belongs to an entirely
different artistic period. Hughes treats the Scriptural subject of this
painting with reverence and a refinement that makes it an evocative mood piece,
though without passion.
The
stylistic contradictions of the piece finds an answer in a brief movement in
the history of British art called the Pre-Raphaelite movement. The
Pre-Raphaelites first came to the attention of the art world in 1849 with the
formation of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, an association of seven artists
led by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, John Everett Millais and William Holman Hunt
(Barringer 7, 12). The Brotherhood deliberately challenged the overwhelming
influence of the Renaissance masters upon European art, especially in its
painterly style as typified in the work of Sir Joshua Reynolds (Townsend 9).
The Pre-Raphaelites instead admired the Italian and Flemish painters before the
time of Raphael, believing that their flat planes, bright colors, and attention
to detail were truer and more direct representations. The movement was not
merely historic, however. It was undeniably a child of the Victorian Age,
reflecting 19th century values and emphasis on empirical science in
its insistence on precise attention to detail.
While
rejecting the artistic traditions of the Italian Renaissance, the
Pre-Raphaelite movement demonstrates many of the characteristics of classical
art. Its figures are composed; emotion is generally restrained. Composition was
usually treated informally, however, and in their attention to surface detail,
the Pre-Raphaelites hold greater kinship to the art of the early Northern
Renaissance than any other period. Visual traits of the movement include a
deliberate unconcern for the scientific perspective, flat figures with no
structural modeling, clearly defined outlines, and brilliant color.
Pre-Raphaelite paintings were especially noted for their meticulous attention
to detail. They were concerned with rendering every square inch of the painting
in sharp focus. This was in bold contrast to the time-honored style of a
carefully rendered subject emerging from a less distinct background (Townsend
9). Early Pre-Raphaelite painters made a practice of taking their paints
outside to more accurately capture the forms of nature. As Ruskin wrote in an
article explaining the philosophy the Brotherhood:
“The Pre-Raphaelites intend to surrender no advantage which the
knowledge or inventions of the present time can afford to their art, [only to]
draw either what they see, or what they suppose might have been the actual
facts of the scene they desire to represent, irrespective of any conventional rules of picture-making
[…]” (Barringer 35).
Their passion for realism combines interestingly with their often
unrealistic subjects. These ranged from the sensual female portraits by
Rossetti to classical and literary themes and idealized visions of the age of
chivalry. These romantic subjects characterized a reaction against the
unromantic characteristics of the Industrial Age that was under full steam in
Arthur
Hughes was one of the later artists in the Pre-Raphaelite movement. Born in
1832 in
Little
information survives concerning the history of The First Easter. The year was 1896, near the end of Hughes’
career. Although Hughes mentions it in two letters written at his home studio
of Kew Green, it is only to remark that it was taking longer to complete than
he had anticipated (Wildman 286). The
First Easter was not Hughes’ only religious painting. Several of his works
have spiritual themes, including his own version of the Annunciation. He painted The
First Easter for exhibition at the
In his
notes, Hughes also refers to this painting by the name “He Is Risen.” Its
content is primarily a straightforward narrative of the Biblical story of that
proclamation from the angel to Mary Magdalene and her companion at the tomb of
Jesus. Mary stands to the left of the painting, enveloped in a dark robe of
mourning and carrying the basket of spices brought to anoint the body of Jesus.
Her face reflects her grief at the death of Jesus. She shades her eyes, gazing
down at the prostrate figures of the two Roman soldiers who had been guarding
the tomb. The Biblical account tells us that they had been rendered unconscious
by the supernatural occurrences surrounding Christ’s resurrection. Mary’s
companion also gazes to the right of the painting; however, she sees something
that Mary has not, a brilliantly glowing being of light. Its arm is upheld in
proclamation. In awe, Mary’s companion kneels and makes a gesture of
submission. A sapling tree between the two women and the angel separates the
mortal and the divine, dividing the composition down the center into areas of
darkness and light. A curiously glowing dove sits perched in the background
behind the women.
The painting
is pervasive with iconography that would have been easily understood by Hughes’
contemporaries. The flower buds on the small tree in the center of the painting
have burst into bloom with delicate white flowers, and the grass below is full
of crocuses and poppies, early spring flowers. These not only reference the
time of year that the first Easter is supposed to have occurred, but also could
evoke the new life for mankind to be found in Christ’s resurrection. The cycle
of spring itself can be compared to resurrection with its renewal and re-growth
after the harsh death of winter. The glowing aura surrounding the dove perched
in the shadows echoes the brilliance of the angel. A dove is the traditional
iconographic symbol for the Holy Spirit. Light, also, seems to carry special
meaning in this work, with the darkness of the half with the two women
representing hopelessness and despair, and the brightness surrounding the angel
representing heaven and the bright hope of the resurrection. The First Easter has many similarities
to Annunciation paintings in art history: the angel in the role of a messenger,
the kneeling woman’s gesture of submission, and the symbolic presence of the
Holy Spirit. These similarities bring the audience to contemplate the parallels
between the good news of the Savior’s birth and that of His resurrection.
The way that
an artist makes use of the visual elements at his command plays a large role in
determining the style of the work and the way its message is portrayed. In the
medium of painting, these elements include line, movement, shape, color, the
illusions space and light, pattern, and texture. In The First Easter, the most important of these elements are line and
light.
Line
functions in a variety of ways in this painting to create different effects.
Hughes used it to describe texture throughout the painting, especially in the
grass and the bark and limbs of the sapling. Another way that line forms in
this painting is through the edges of the shapes. The characteristically
sharply defined edges of Pre-Raphaelite forms can be seen especially in the
contours of the women’s clothing and the edge of the tree-trunk. These hard
edges give the figures a linear quality in their definition. A final important
kind of line used in The First Easter is implied line, in this case a
directional line pointing toward the angel. This implied line begins with the
direction of the kneeling woman’s eyes and continues upward through the curve
of the tree branch to the angel.
Movement in
a two-dimensional work of art is very closely related to its line, especially implied
line. Although the implied line in Hughes’ paining is diagonal, which is
usually associated with dynamic compositions, The First Easter conveys a feeling of placidity. This impression is
created by the composed and serene depiction of the figures. Their fixed gazes
contribute to the overall static nature of the composition, and the horizontal
position of the unconscious Roman guards tends to further emphasize the lack of
movement.
Shapes in
the work are formed by the various figures, such as Mary Magdalene’s cloak, the
angel, and the circular shape surrounding the dove. As discussed, these shapes
have clearly defined edges and not are not modeled. This use of shape gives the
figures a flattened look and is one of the major characteristics of the painting
that mark it as a Pre-Raphaelite work.
Light and
color are arguably the most important elements of this painting. Hughes used
them both literally in the local color of the figures, and symbolically to
intensify the meaning of the work. Broadly, the painting divides into two areas
of balanced and dramatically opposite values. The glowing angel brightly
illuminates the right side, while the left falls under a dark shadow emphasized
by Mary’s cloak of mourning. This dichotomy makes the painting neither
predominantly high key nor low key, instead drawing on the contrast of the two
halves. The angel is the only source of light in the work, and it itself is
represented as a creature of light. In this work, Hughes makes use of a
predominantly analogous color scheme of oranges, yellows, and yellow-greens.
The only exceptions are a brilliant tinge of blue in the background of the
upper left corner and a hint of blue in skirt of Mary’s robe. Warm but subdued
shades give the painting a soft, glowing feel. This rich and earthy palette is
characteristic of the later works of the Pre-Raphaelite movement.
Several
aspects of the painting combine to effect the perception of space in this
painting. Flattened figures tend to compress the depth of space, and the
placement of all the figures in the near foreground heightens that effect.
Additionally, Hughes treats the background as uniform and somewhat indistinct,
with no recognizable forms standing out. This gives the impression of shallow
depth.
The final
two visual elements to consider are pattern and texture. The First Easter contains no pattern, but texture is a very
important aspect of the work. Hughes pays a great deal of attention to the
textures of the various natural forms that he wishes to represent. He is particularly
detailed in his representation of the botanical forms such as the tree, the
grass, and the flowers. This concern for realistic texture in the portrayal of
nature is one of the aspects in which this painting represents the
Pre-Raphaelite style.
In his role
as the artist, Hughes brings these visual elements together to express his
purpose through logical principles of design. The first two organizing
principles of the painting are unity and variety, which work together to make a
painting both cohesive and interesting. The way in which the forms of Mary and
the angel mirror each other on either side of the composition gives it its
basic compositional unity. Further unifying elements are the painting’s
analogous color scheme, and the uniformly detailed brushstrokes. The most
important unifying element, however, is its narrative content. Each figure and
every aspect of the painting has a specific role in the telling of the story.
In a broader sense, even the hue and value choices were designed to help communicate
the overall theme of the painting through symbolic meaning. Variety, meanwhile,
provides visual interest and further meaning through the contrast between the
dark and light side of the painting and the various kinds of flowers carpeting
the forest floor.
Another
significant principle of design is that of balance. The composition of this
painting does not demonstrate a strict formal balance such as found in
Classical works; rather it loosely falls into two symmetrical halves. The low
key section of the painting on the left makes that side slightly weightier.
This balance both adds to the drama of the piece and contributes to its calm
feeling of contemplation.
The tilted
visual weight plays a large role in bring the viewer’s eyes along the path that
the artist intended, to the focal points of the painting. The composition does
not contain just one central focal point. The viewer’s eyes are first drawn to
Mary Magdalene’s face, framed as it is by her dark robe and hood. They travel
then to the brilliant form of the angel, the second focal point of the
painting. Hughes emphasizes the importance of the angel and the message that he
brings through two specific techniques. One is the brilliant, almost glowing,
color and value that envelop the angel and mark it as a heavenly being; the
second its implied line of sight directed through the branch of the sapling.
The First Easter is not a rhythmic work as we might
think of the rhythm in the brushwork of Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night or the staccato rhythm beat out by the repeating
windows of Edward’s Hoppers Sunday
Afternoon. It is a very composed, contemplative painting. If one must speak
at all in terms of rhythm in The First
Easter, then the still, reflective pool evoked by Mary Magdalene’s
melancholy eyes would epitomize its tempo.
The final
twin principles of design are scale and proportion. Hughes sometimes tended to
draw elegantly elongated figures, such as in his The Annunciation (Wildman 69).In The First Easter, however, the proportion of the figures is normal.
With their concern for realistically rendered natural forms, the
Pre-Raphaelites did not tend to abstract or distort their subjects as the later
expressionistic artists would. The Pre-Raphaelites had little interest in
experimentation with unusual scale and proportion.
The First Easter is in no estimation a great
masterpiece, but it does provide an interesting study of the art of the
Pre-Raphaelites. It demonstrates a style different both from the ancient art
preceding it and from the modern art that would arise in following years. Art
critics traditionally do not attribute much importance to the art of the
Victorians; nevertheless, it has the same value that all periods of art
inherently have of giving insight into the character of its age. Hughes was not
the most important or creatively gifted artist of the Pre-Raphaelite movement
and this painting is therefore not of the highest artistic caliber with
slightly awkward composition. Yet it is interesting nonetheless, and its
message of the contrast between despair and hope is worth meditation.
Works Cited
Barringer, Tim. The Pre-Raphaelites: Reading the Image.
King, Philip, ed. Pre-Raphaelite and Other Masters.
Swinglehurst, Edmund. The Art of the
Pre-Raphaelites.
Townsend, Joyce H;
Wildman, Stephen. Arthur Hughes: His Life and Works.