August 9
Peter Paul Rubens, 'Wunder des hl. Franz Xaver'
* While we were exploring the Kunsthistorisches Museum in the first week we were given an assignment to find examples of both Protestant and Catholic sensibilities. Today I went back to the museum and found a few paintings that I thought represented these very different religious perspectives. Firstly, the Catholic example I found is by Peter Paul Rubens, an artist known for his dedication to the Catholic faith. In the painting, ‘Wunder des hl. Franz Xaver,’ a religious scene is being presented which clearly promotes and helps spread the ideology of Catholicism. A saint is showing, by pointing up to the angels above, that through God one can be saved, unlike those that are suffering and dying down below. People are horrified as they look upon the ill, as if they are witnessing real proof of the devil. Catholic Baroque art was clearly all about propaganda and wrangling in as many followers possible during the stressful and competitive years of the of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation.
* On the other hand, Protestant sensibility can be seen in Johannes Vermeer’s ‘Die Malkunst’ of 1666. Vermeer, as well as most Dutch artists of this time, focused on the daily activities of commoners. Die Malkunst is an expression of the working mentality, which was dominant in Protestant sects, especially Calvinism. There isn’t a feel of religion in the piece as opposed to the Catholic one. It’s displaying simpletons and everyday life and the prospect of salvation through grace alone. Also, the style itself isn’t showy or grandiose like the Baroque style; it’s more conservative and refined.
* Tonight also was the opera. The night alone was fun simply by the fact of seeing everyone dressed up and taking part in a cultural event. Although we were in the very last row of the highest tier I still had a wonderful time. In fact, since I stood most of time in order to see all of the stage, it reminded me of what it would have been like to have lived back in the day when everyone besides the upper-class had to stand during the entire performance, such as with Shakespeare’s Old Globe. But then I realized, on both the left and right balconies of the theater, that there were people standing in specifically ‘standing only’ areas. I guess a lot of things haven’t changed, which works as a nice segway into my thoughts on the opera itself. Don Giovanni: a timeless story about a man playing the field with his loyal wingman at his side. I was a bit disappointed that this version was a modernized representation merely because everything these days seem to be modernized and I just wish I could see something the way it was originally intended. Regardless of settings, I was amazed by the stage set and thought it was a fitting choice to have it set in a hotel; perfect for Don Giovanni to see women checking in and out, as well as a perfect place for a bachelor pad. Don Giovanni clearly has a lavish lifestyle and in a way is brought to his senses when the ghost of Donna Anna’s father appears and tells him he won’t live much longer. I was a bit confused at first during the last scene when they were much older, but it makes sense that this is the way Don Giovanni would become if he continued to live this way. The descent into Hell scene was also riveting and the squirting blood was really entertaining.
posted by lauREN @ 9/11/2006
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