Image/Object Analysis
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Image/Object Analysis
The Chosen Painting
By Lucas Cranach the Younger and Workshop
Childhood is a critical stage in the life of an individual. It comes with numerous experiences that shape the individual as they transition from one stage to the next. Erick Erickson’s psychosocial stages of development highlight the dynamics of childhood. For instance, in the adolescence stage, Erikson depicts a crisis stage where an individual can gain self-identity or be consumed by the confusion that comes with it. Childhood has long been viewed as a period that needs guidance and support (Adams N 2017). Unlike today, most people did not view childhood as a period of helplessness that required guidance. For instance, children as young as fourteen got married to older men (Heywood 2017). The painting by the German artist Lucas Cranach the Younger and Workshop, “Christ Blessing the Children,” depicts children’s true nature, their helplessness, and the need for guidance and support. It represents the conception of children during the time of Jesus, illustrating that despite the barriers set up by the adults, Jesus demystified them and used the children to teach important lessons such as humility.
Historical Context
The painting “Christ Blessing the Children” traces back to the period between 1545 and 1550. This period was characterized by renaissance art and art that veered from the set-out painting rules and drawing. For instance, it broke away from nature painting to artifice painting. The German artist Lucas Cranach the Younger and Workshop, used oil on beech to properly depict the image of Jesus and the little children. Cranach used the story of Jesus as depicted in the Gospels of the Bible to bring out the theme of the free dispensation of divine grace, which is also a critical tenet in Lutheranism. In the historical context, children were forbidden from freely mixing with adults, and when the disciples saw this, they objected (Van Oyen G). However, Jesus brought out a new conception of children, further using them to teach the disciples important life values such as humility.
Visual Components of the Image
The painting exhibits excellent use of space, and the artist has balanced the objects, thus bringing out an artistic congruence. For instance, from the balance created, it is evident that Jesus is at the center of the painting. There is also proper use of lines to bring out different shapes in the painting. These shapes enable the proper visualization and differentiation of characters. For instance, one can separate children from adults and females from males. Shapes and lines have also been used to show facial expressions as children can be seen to be happy. Jesus is also seen to be jovial while holding a child in his arm. There is also a mixed reaction on the faces of the disciples who had earlier prevented the children from coming closer to Jesus.
The painting also exhibits good use of color, and the artist continuously plays around with elements of hue and saturation. This approach makes it easier for Jesus to be identified in the painting. The painter has used a darker color in the background, bringing out the objects clearly (Adams N 2017 pg77). The artist has placed younger children in the middle ground and slightly older children in the foreground to bring out different childhood development stages. On the top of the painting, the artist has used the words “Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.” This strategy has helped to explain what the painting is about.
Pictures of children are considered to be the most sacred and most common of our time. The pictures tend to guard the idea of childhood innocence, yet they also can undo this idea of innocence (Evans J 2016). These present some of the issues that historians encounter with sources regarding the history of childhood. For instance, some of the methodological challenges include varied conceptions of children. Some sources portray children as helpless, while others depict them as independent of capable of technical life choices. The analysis has acknowledged these problems despite veering to one side of conceptions about children.
Conclusion
The painting by the German artist Lucas Cranach the Younger and Workshop, “Christ Blessing the Children,” depicts children’s true nature, their helplessness, and the need for guidance and support. It represents the conception of children during the time of Jesus, illustrating that despite the barriers set up by the adults, Jesus demystified them and used the children to teach important lessons such as humility. Children were not allowed to interact with adults, a notion that Jesus changed among his disciples. The painting has used lines, different colors, and scripture writing on top of the painting to bring out the message of children coming to Jesus Christ for blessings.
References
Adams, N. (2017). The Evolution of Protestant Art : Works by Lucas Cranach the Elder and Albrecht Diirer. The Humanities Review, 1(1), 7. https://digitalcommons.bucknell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1006&context=humanities-review.
Evans, J. Through the lens of the Romantic Child (Doctoral dissertation, Department of History of Art, Faculty of Arts, University of the Witwatersrand). https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/188774970.pdf
Heywood, C. (2017). A history of childhood. John Wiley & Sons.
Liebel, M. (2017). Children without childhood? Against the postcolonial capture of childhoods in the Global South. In ‘Children Out of Place’and Human Rights (pp. 79-97). Springer, Cham.
Van Oyen, G. To Receive the Kingdom as a Little Child The Social Implications of Mark 10, 13-16. https://dial.uclouvain.be/pr/boreal/object/boreal%3A220591/datastream/PDF_01/view