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Jeruba's avatar

Help me think of a painting of a certain sort?

Asked by Jeruba (55829points) March 5th, 2022

I’d like to find a classical painting that depicts a cruel or violent subject in a manner that is beautiful and perhaps even delicate; maybe something in the hand of one of the Old Masters, such as Tiepolo, possibly of a scene of martyrdom or assassination, such as St. Sebastian, or Judith beheading Holofernes (but examples of the latter are generally too gruesome for my purpose).

It doesn’t have to be religious, although it’s hard to find something in this vein that isn’t.

I’m looking for a clear contrast between the subject matter and the rendition. I want something that seems almost like a beautiful layer of fine lace (metaphorically speaking) laid over a ruined corpse.

This is to illustrate the idea of depicting something terrible in a way that is in itself a thing of beauty.

Any ideas? If so, please post a link.

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8 Answers

raum's avatar

The Extraction of the Stone of Madness by Hieronymus Bosch

Dude is way too chill for getting a hole drilled into his head.

flutherother's avatar

Landscape with the Fall of Icarus by Bruegal the Elder is what comes to mind. The violent subject matter is there but isn’t very prominent.

Mimishu1995's avatar

You will have a field trip with John Trumbull. The man’s entire career was to make beautiful paintings about the war. I first knew him through this beautiful painting. It depicts a massacre, but it’s so poetically beautiful that I only see the glory of the hero, not the gross details.

JLeslie's avatar

It seems you like the rococo style and colors, and if I remember my art history correctly, that’s often depicting lightheartedness and so it’s more difficult to find what you want compared to the Baroque, which tends to use more primary colors (or closer to primary) and I think of you as not being a fan of that color scheme. Baroque also is often religious in its tragedy as you mentioned. Covered in lace as a description made me think more of Impressionism.

The artwork of a friend of mine since childhood might interest you. Joyce Polance. Scroll down a little and see more of her art besides the main one featured on the link, like her Cabin painting might interest you also https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-Fault/394029/2584638/view?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=%5BPLA%5D_2200_US_Smart_Shopping_Paintings&g_acctid=343-048-3320&g_campaign=%5BPLA%5D_2200_US_Smart_Shopping_Paintings&g_campaignid=6455443608&g_adgroupid=81277910350&g_adid=378577119100&g_keyword=&g_keywordid=pla-299161505471&g_adtype=&g_merchantid=120942723&g_productchannel=online&g_productid=P1-U394029-A2774843-T1&g_partition=299161505471&g_network=u&g_ifproduct=product&g_ifcreative=&gclid=CjwKCAiA1JGRBhBSEiwAxXblwT_tuKluUI4KPwXr7O9wnLURcPckXWdpVOZ0YY5aXJj5ExyA8x_63hoCUMIQAvD_BwE

I found this Undertow painting https://fineartamerica.com/featured/undertow-winslow-homer.html

Drowned https://fineartamerica.com/featured/drowned-1893-jakub-schikaneder.html

I thought this was interesting too. https://fineartamerica.com/featured/micael-strogoff-terry-reynoldson.html

Assassination of Lincoln https://fineartamerica.com/featured/the-assassination-of-abraham-lincoln-english-school.html

One more https://fineartamerica.com/featured/the-figures-of-francesca-da-rimini-and-paolo-da-verrucchio-appear-to-dante-and-virgil-ary-scheffer.html

kruger_d's avatar

Their are many lovely depictions of the death of Ophelia. Michaelangelo’s Pieta also has the tension of being both sumblime and somber.

Jeruba's avatar

Some great suggestions here. Thank you. I think the Millais Ophelia might be the one for me, but I’ll look at all of them.

Timely commentary on the Breughel’s Icarus, seen through the eyes of W.H. Auden:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/03/06/books/auden-musee-des-beaux-arts.html

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