PURITY AND IMPURITY
It is believed the image of a man in art appeared when the art began itself. At various times, painters featured a human being in different ways in accordance with the ideals of their era and the attitude towards a man. Here I am going to identify some features of the creation of the human image of the picture of Rembrandt's " Ahasuerus and Haman at the Feast of Esther " and Nikola Mons's "Socrates visits Aspasia." At first glance, the paintings resemble in their composition woman: sitting on the right and two men, but the feeling caused be the pictures are totally different.
The Rembrandt people almost completely static, there is no sense of movement in his picture. Only Ahasuerus grips a fistful of the knife in his hand. We can feel the tension between the characters by the dark colors and shadows as well. As far as bright colors are concerned, Rembrandt hardly used bright colors. The only bright thing we can see is the scarlet dress of Esther. It is easy to see that the left side of the picture is darker that the right one, where a lot of gold is used. That is why it creates a feeling of the division into two parts - the rich and the poor, mentioned by not only colors of their cloth and the jewelry, but also by the faces of characters. Mainly warm colors dominate. Three figures sit in natural postures and with inverted heads. That also takes a message of sad feeling.
In the picture of Nicola Mons two figures, Socrates and Aspasia, sit, and the man behind Socrates stand. Their poses are graceful and soft, even a little unnatural. Their poses combined with clear and bright skin, well-built bodies and health give us the feeling of purity and divinity. Men turned to the woman who is actively gesticulating. Therefore, life and movement felt in the picture. The center of interest can be found as Aspasia because she is the brightest in the picture, this also makes us see the effeminacy.
Comparing "Ahasuerus and Haman at the Feast of Esther " and "Socrates visits Aspasia", it may safely be said that the contrary between them. Even though the main figure attracted people the most is a woman, we do not feel the same. In both pictures, women are the brightest figures, but because Mons used quite a wide range of colors than Rembrandt from white bovine to mustard colors, his picture feel more positively. In the " Ahasuerus and Haman at the Feast of Esther" figures clearly dominated on the interior, which is almost hidden into the shadows whereas Nikola idealized interior like figures part. Harp, roses and a bundle of paper on the table of Aspasia etc reflect the divinity in the picture. In both paintings, the figures interact with the interior.They complete the disposition by harmony with the spirit of the times.
The analysis of pictures makes me realize fully, that the interior and colors can change the reaction on the picture very much. There are three people, having a discussion, but one of them make you feel the purity while the other cause a bad sensation
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