Painting reference
Emotional study
I had already studied the life model and her emotions and poses, but I still wanted to delve a little deeper in the film industry and how common it actually is that old masterpieces are being used as reference for compositions and acting. There’s also so much small details that make a good and emotional painting, so it’s important for me to study this before finishing off my own pieces for the show.
There are a lot of really great examples in modern films, where the composition of the painting has been replicated almost perfectly. Below are some of them.
The Kiss - Gustav Klimt, 1907 and Shutter Island (2020)
In the dream sequence where Teddy meets Dolores in the unknown apartment, as the dream ends Dolores turns into ashes in his arms. This particular moment is almost an exact copy of the The Kiss by Gustav Klimt, 1907. Even the dress Dolores is wearing was yellow, to further nod towards the original painting.
Klimt was a painter who took an avant-garde approach to his work. This is particularly evident in The Kiss, which was painted during his “Golden Period”. This time period is easily recognised by the delicate gold leaf details and geometric shapes.
The Kiss depicts a couple embracing in a path of wildflowers. The man is wearing a geometrically printed robe and a crown of vines on his head as he leans down to kiss the woman’s face. She too wears flowers in her hair and her garment is contrasted by soft floral patterns compared to the man’s geometric cloak. Her eyes are peacefully closed as she wraps her arms around the man, emphasising the scene’s tranquility and intimacy. (Richman-Abdou, 2022)
The feeling is quite different in the Shutter Island (2020), with more urgency and pain as Teddy tries to hold onto his disappearing wife.
Hypnose - Sascha Scheider, 1904 and The Lighthouse (2019)
The second example is the short scene from The Lighthouse (2019). In this scene Howard has a vision of Wake accusing him of “spilling his beans” and runs to the dory to try to leave the island, but Wake appears and destroys the boat with an axe. There is a moment when Wake takes Howard’s hand and light is shining from his eyes, just like in the original painting.
Schneider co-founded an institute called Kraft-Kunst for body building. The foundation corresponded with the emergence of a new art trend in Germany at the time. His works echoed of Nietzchean philosophy and fresh approach towards interpretation of bodily beauty. Uniting bodily training and art education, Schneider trained a new culture of performative beauty. He was told to be interested in the idea of suggestion and the power of it, as in the motto of Der Kulturemensch;
“We attach particular importance to an autosuggestive system, which corresponds largely to the notion of the ‘spirit that builds its own body.”
Schneider had long been interested in the power of suggestion, as his early painting entitled Hypnose suggests; there, the muscular figure of the hypnotist suggests an understanding of hypnosis as a power analogous to physical force. (Artlark, 2022) In the painting there’s two male figures, one in dark clothing and other naked. The dark clothes of the left figure are reminding of grim reapers, as he towers over the other. The contrast between clothed and clothless gives further indication of the arrangement of power. The similar feel is in the movie, as Wake appears taller, hovering over Howard. This time around, however, it’s the other way around as Wake is the one naked, Howards wearing clothes.
The Fallen Angel - Alexandre Cabanel, 1847 and Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
The third example isn’t a direct copy of the original painting, The Fallen Angel by Alexandre Cabanel, 1847. Instead, it’s more of the portrayal of the character Lucifer, and his fall from grace. Anakin’s story is very similar, so it’s not surprise that there are lot of similarities between the two. In terms of composition and emotion, there is the scene where Anakin is seen shedding a tear at the balcony, after he realises what he has become and what must be done to save Padme (in his mind). The same angry sadness can be seen in his eyes like in the painting.
Another similar scene is when Anakin cuts off Mace Windu’s hand to save Palpatine. There is a short moment where the camera is angled so that he briefly is in the same pose as in the painting.
The Blue Boy - Thomas Gainsborough, 1770 and Django Unchained (2012)
The last example is this short scene from Django Unchained (2012). In the scene Django is seen in a powerful stance wearing his signature blue valet suit. The scene looks very similar to the 1770 painting of the mysterious The Blue Boy, by Thomas Gainsborough. The boy in the painting has never been named, but there are theories that he would, in fact, be Gainsborough’s nephew.
In the painting there’s a young boy, standing and looking directly at us. He appears calm and confident in his stance and demeanor. The primary colour of the painting is blue, which is contrasted well compared to the muted background of greens and browns. A very similar scene to Django Unchained, where the colours and the pose are nearly identical. (du Plessis, 2023)
Emotions shown in paintings
As well as the portrayals in modern film, I also had a look at the paintings themselves. An old masterpieces, not only from the romantic era, are brilliant studies of human emotions. The raw and unfiltered feelings were painted on canvas, for generations to enjoy. It’s amazing how simple things like the setting of the scene, props and characters in simple poses can create such an detailed story. Like in the Ivan The Terrible Killing His Son, by Ilya Repin, 1581, it’s clear to see the regret in the character’s eyes.
The same goes for my personal favourite of the bunch, The Fallen Angel. This painting is exceptionally well made, with emotion seeping though Lucifer’s eyes even when half of his face is covered by his hand. The single tear that falls from his extremely hateful eyes has always moved me. Lucifer’s story alters a little depending of the origin of the teller, Roman, Christianity and such, but in short it’s always about his fall from grace. In the painting he looks beautifully eternal, but is tainted by the vengeful emotion displayed in his stance.
Regret and remorse
Fear and desperation
Anger and anguish
Pain of losing
References
Artlark (ed.) (2022) Modernity and the body: Sascha Schneider’s bodybuilders, A R T L▼R K. Available at: https://artlark.org/2022/09/21/modernity-and-the-body-sascha-schneiders-bodybuilders/ (Accessed: 17 July 2023).
du Plessis, A. (2023) Thomas Gainsborough ‘Blue Boy’ painting – an in-depth analysis, artincontext.org. Available at: https://artincontext.org/thomas-gainsborough-blue-boy-painting/ (Accessed: 18 July 2023).
Richman-Abdou, K. (2022) The story behind Gustav Klimt’s shimmering symbolist painting ‘the kiss’, My Modern Met. Available at: https://mymodernmet.com/the-kiss-gustav-klimt/ (Accessed: 17 July 2023).