Analysis of Gerrit van Honthorsts Painting, Musical Group on a Balcony

Analysis of Gerrit van Honthorsts Painting, musical theater theater comedy Group on a Balcony The Dutch painter Gerrit van Honthorst was known in capital of Italy as Gherardo delle Notti (Gerard of the Night Scenes) for his striking use of a single decipherable source to illuminate a swart scene. He was successful in bringing Caravaggios gaying techniques with him to the North, influencing many painters, including Rembrandt. But his painting Musical Group on a Balcony is a departure from his customarily dark depictions. This piece was the first Dutch illusionistic ceiling, which Honthorst painted for his own home in Utrecht. Honthorsts use of perspective, bright yet simple composition, and lighthearted effect matter are representative of the untaught career that many renascence artists celebrated. Seeing the painting mounted on the ceiling in The Getty alternatively of looking at it straight-on from a computer screen helped me to understand Honthorsts ac complishment of perspective. Its position on the ceiling forces us to look up at it, and we have a sense of being removed from the amusing scene above us. We are reminded of Marlowes poem The Passionate shepherd to His Love, as the speaker imagines himself and his lover removed from their immediate world, admiring a rustic scene And we will sit upon the rocks,/ Seeing the shepherds feed their flocks. The group postgraduate above us on the balcony could be the very melodious birds well-nigh which Marlowes shepherd speaks. Just as we are onlookers of the merry musical group, they look upon us as well, inviting us to join in their merry-making. A man stands with his arms around his lover, as though singing keep up live with me, and be my love. The entire group seems to be saying t... ...nd to its earthly, pastoral feel. The Humanist movement encouraged the flourishing and the rediscovery of art, and the way many renascence artists chose to do this was to depict life in a bucolic, natural setting. The pastoral life was held up as an ideal and silly living situation, and the musical group on the balcony fits this perfectly. The composition of the painting is very simple and light not a lot is going on in this scene, characterizing the carefree country life. Honthorsts delightful painting captures the essence of an ideal upshot in the Renaissance life. Just as the speaker in Marlowes poem invites his lover to discover with him all the pleasures that a pastoral life can offer, the group on the balcony urges us to join them in their merry-making. twain entreaties are effective in evoking the sweet and simple music of a carefree life.