Today I went to British National Gallery in London. Actually, at first I was about to see the Chinese New Year Festival at Trafalgar Square. However, since it was too crowded, I decided to go to the gallery. As I went there, I also experienced to hear a curator explaining paintings for the first time.
I have never understood the work of a curator. However, my perception about this profession changed as I listened to the description of some paintings there. It opened my eyes how a painting could be categorized as a masterpiece or not. Today I had the description of three paintings of three different artists: Titian's "Bacchus and Ariadne", Peter Paul Rubens' "Samson and Delilah", and Joseph Mallord William Turner's "Rain, Steam, and Speed - The Great Western Railway".
In this writing I want to share several things I got from the curator, especially about "Bacchus and Ariadne".
The painting was produced in 1520-1523 from classical poets Catullus and Philostratus. The painting depict the story of Bacchus, the god of wine (in Greek mythology), and Princess Ariadne. Princess Ariadne fell in love with a hero Theseus. However, Theseus abandoned her leaving her in desperation. She wandering around the shore searching for sight of her lover. And she was surprised when Bacchus who had fell in love with got off his chariot and her asked her to marry him. He offered the sky as wedding gift, in which one day she would be a constellation as a sign of immortality (as she would keep remembered when people look at the constellation).
Titian (or Tiziano Vecellio in Italian, born ca. 1490 and died in 1576) interpreted the whole story in one painting. The painting acts as a time machine. There, Ariadne stands in the front of sea looking for her lover over the horizon. However, her body language also show a response to Bacchus. In real life, it must be difficult to have such position of Ariadne --the position may make someone fall down if he/she trying it--. Her body language shows confusion between broken heart feeling, shocked, fear and (perhaps) interest to experience romance again. Meanwhile, her future as constellation is depicted in the top left of the painting. Depiction of Bacchus and his group is also very detailed. Anatomically, the creature seems very real. The painting really tell a story.
Another extraordinary about the painting is color composition. The painting is recognized with the use of the color blue prominently. It can be seen several layer of blue for the sky, as well as the sea. Different measure of blue is put on flowers, Ariadne's dress and another woman's skirt. The curator said that to produce variance of blue like TiTian did, it needs time and skill. The blue pigment used in the painting was extraction product from a particular stone and was produced for months. So it is reasonable that he spent years completing his work. It was said that he spent such time to read the poets before he started painting.
The painting "Samson and Delilah" also brings multilayer interpretation. Listening to the curator as well as looking at the painting, some weight of sadness appeared in my heart. Somehow, I can felt the tragic history of the couple. Meanwhile the painting of Turner, I cannot tell much as I did not make it to finish it. I left earlier to catch the train home.
The curator, she said that complexity and details of the painting made it was very valuable. She compared the painting to a Lamborghini. She added that the painting was owned by England and Scotland, so time to time it was moved from England to Scotland and vice versa.
The explanation on those paintings made me realize how smart the painters were. I also managed to understand the profession of a curator, how he or she is able to translate the language of painters to common language we understand. It must need some extent of knowledge about many things (as I said aforementioned -- which is including history, anatomy, psychology, chemistry, etc.).
I am really grateful for today's experience at the gallery. It was a good, good experience and I liked it very much as it expand my knowledge to weigh an art.
Note:
Check this out for Titian's "Bacchus and Ariadne".
Check this out for Rubens' "Samson and Delilah".
And, check this out for Turner's "Rain, Steam, and Speed - The Great Western Railway".
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