Susan Thorp 9-12-2012 Momentous Events Portrayed with Oil Paints The birth of a child and the death

of a loved one are two of the most life changing events people can experience. In this essay I will compare and contrast two very different paintings that each embodies one of these events. The first painting is oil on panel with no displayed title. Although the art is listed as A Vanitas Still Life at the Flint Institute of Art, this refers to the type of art, not the title of the piece (Vanitas (art)). This is a Flemish work of art originating in the Netherlands sometime in the 17th century and was acquired by the museum through purchase in 2008 (Unknown). The second work of art is Simeon and the Infant Jesus by Benjamin West. This American oil on canvas painting dates back to 1796. Mr. Stanley Gillen donated this work to the Flint Institute of Art in 1978 (Benjamin West). Both pieces of art exemplify the divine events of either birth or death in ways that are comparable to each other as well as contrasting. When considering A Vanitas Still Life the elements contained in it all unabashedly reference death. Like all vanitas paintings, this work relies on words to create emphasis to what the work is trying to portray. Perhaps the most haunting words reside directly underneath the skull. When translated to English, we read I was as you are now; you will be in the future as I am (Unknown). There is much symbolism in this piece. Our eyes are drawn first to a skull which is often a universal symbol of death. A viewer also notices an almost empty hourglass, a reference to time quickly pouring away. On the right side of the painting is a candle that burns brightly for now, but is almost to the end of its life. The center of the table contains a set of flowers that are beginning to wither and lose their petals. We also observe a book that is nearing its final pages as well as a clock that has just struck twelve. All of these symbols are working in

orchestration to present the message that life is short, death is inevitable, and all humans are here for just a brief period of time. To say that symbolism helps define this work is an understatement. While the message of an ending and death is heavily meshed into the first painting, the message of the second painting is of hope and life. The very essence of who Simeon was and what he believed is in direct contrast to A Vanitas Still Life. God had promised Simeon that he would not die before he got the chance to see the Messiah (Driscoll). Simeon himself is a powerful symbol of Gods promises and the covenant between Him and His people. Other than Simeon and the symbolic gesturing of Jesus toward Heaven, there are relatively few symbols contained in this work. One thing both of these paintings have in common is the fact that they are both representational. In representational art, the piece contains items from reality that are easily recognizable (Lazzari 17). In A Vanitas Still Life the skull, flowers, clock, hourglass, and other items are obviously items from everyday life. Simeon and the Infant Jesus contains people in real form as well as a pair of birds. All of these items in both pictures represent real life items. Formal elements are heavily relied upon in both pieces of art. In A Vanitas Still Life the dark colors help to emphasize the message of death. Dark colors and shades are used throughout the painting helping to relay the grim symbols of death that are so engrained in the work (Lazzari 29). Simeon and the Infant Jesus exhibits bright colors, especially in relation to infant Jesus. The way the light is displayed naturally brings the eye down toward Jesus as the focal point of the entire work of art.

A Vanitas Still Life is one of several pieces of art to originate from The Netherlands in the 17th century (The Golden Age). In fact, this period of time is generally referred to as The Dutch Golden Age in reference to the fantastic strides that were being made in Dutch commerce and society during this time period. Another huge factor during this time period was the belief in Calvinism and the afterlife. This may suggest why there is such a vast amount of paintings like A Vistas Still Life from that time period (The Golden Age). The Dutch were enjoying great successes, but they knew their time on Earth was fleeting. The Calvinist belief system could have strongly influenced this thought process as it is became the state religion in The Netherlands ("Dutch Calvinism and Tolerance -- to 1650."). Simeon and the Infant Jesus comes from a different time period and culture. Originating from the recently freed United States of America in 1796, this painting shows little reflection of the society that birthed it. The work instead focuses on an event that occurred many centuries earlier in a different part of the world. This piece is most certainly a religious work of art while A Vistas Still Life can be thought to have religious undertones at the very least. Although both pieces offer depictions of life changing events, they do so in two different ways. While one painting is full of death and darkness, the other is full of life and light. The elements contained in A Vanitas Still Life are unique to the time period of which it originated while Simeon and the Infant Jesus could really have been painted at any time. The first piece is a relatively run of the mill piece as far as art goes. The artist is unknown and there are several other pieces like it from that era (Vanitas (art)). The second piece is a piece that helped to catapult the artist, Benjamin West, to international appreciation (Benjamin West).

Works Cited

A Vanitas Still Life, Flint. 28 Nov. 2012. Personal photograph by author. JPEG file. Benjamin West: Simeon with the Infant Jesus. Flint: Flint Institute of Art, n.d. Print. Driscoll, James F. "Holy Simeon." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 13. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 9 Dec. 2012 http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13794c.htm "Dutch Calvinism and Tolerance -- to 1650." Dutch Calvinism and Tolerance -- to 1650. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2012. http://www.fsmitha.com/h3/h18-eu6.htm Lazzari, Margaret R., and Dona Schlesier. Exploring Art: A Global, Thematic Approach. Boston, MA: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2008. Print. Simeon and the Infant Jesus, Flint. 28 Nov. 2012. Personal photograph by author. JPEG file. "The Golden Age." Of Dutch Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2012. http://www.essentialvermeer.com/dutch-painters/dutch_art/golden_age.html Unknown: A Vistas Still Life. Flint: Flint Institute of Art, n.d. Print. "Vanitas (art)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2012. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/623056/vanitas