Art History Rembrandt's Lucretia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Art History Rembrandt's Lucretia - Essay Example She made the decision only because of unfortunate circumstances, and she would have lived a happy life but for them. Being the young and virtuous wife of Collantinus she was happy till she was raped by Prince Tarquinius after which she condemns herself to death with enormous historical repercussions where the kingdom ceases to exist. Rembrandt has caught Lucretia in her last highly anguished moments of death invading her body. He has used impasto, palette knife and scoring for further affect. The composition is frontal with triangular balance. Art historians agree that an element of privacy is maintained with the averted gaze and the painting bears a further interpretation that she was pulling the bed curtains around her as she was dying. Rembrandt has chosen the most dramatic event with psychological dimensions and the diagonal lines he has used have enhanced the effect. This work shows the victim on the verge of death, almost at her last moments. With the agony of termination, another point that hits hard is the sense of complete isolation. â€Å"Rembrandt’s Lucretias embody not only suffering and injustice, but what it is to experience these things, to be an individual subject – a point reinforced by their utter isolation in a three quarters view from which every extraneous detail is systematically eliminated† Braider (2004, p. 60). The limpness of her body, deathly pallor of her face with the lights going out of her eyes, the total stillness of the form combined with the powerful all-consuming black background, could not have portrayed the story better. Her high-born and decorative clothes, reflecting her status in life, the nobility of expression despite the overwhelming death, grips the viewer. While the browns in the dress almost merge with the background, the gold stands out creating a breathtaking composition. Lucretia is known for artistic continuity, with her hair merging, colours subdued, and the agony writ large on her pale face.

Worldcultures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Worldcultures - Essay Example In fact, some of their great architectural works still stand strong in major towns and cities across the globe. However, one is left wondering whether the modern architectural works would withstand the test of time and last long as the structures build in the ancient Rome. The great work of the Romans can still be seen and emulated because of the superior architectural ideas and engineering skills they used and the kind of reputation they built put of their great work that certainly made them conquer the world, influence and rule it for this long. Jenkins reveals that the Romans did their architectural works with a lot of dedication and professionalism with the aim of producing a useful architecture3. To ensure that this is accomplished, they ensured that thorough planning was done before starting any construction works. It is for this reason that buildings, bridges, marketplaces, cities and harbors contracted by the Romans are still admirable to much architecture to date and are adopting their styles in the construction according to Jenkins4. Brown notes that the Romans employed different styles in their building, which influenced many architectural pieces5. The arch is a perfect example, which is a structure made using a mixture of the bricks, stone, and concrete. The arch was meant to give strength to or support buildings. The arches were mainly blocks, which are wedge-shaped and were to be supported using wooden materials during construction. The arches created by the ancient Romans were very strong and could withstand a lot of weight. To ensure that this is so, they used a mixture of volcanic sand and lime to create a strong and durable concrete. The strong concretes made from these mixtures were then be used to build strong and beautiful structures like the aqueducts used for supplying water to the major cities as noted by Brown6. Immediately after this remarkable accomplishment, other