Artistic Analysis Essay
This oil painting is known as Apollo and Hyacinth. Alexander Kiselev, who lived from 1838–1911, was a landscape painter. He studied at the Saint Petersburg Imperial Academy of Fine Arts, and was bestowed to the title of a professional painter during this time. Traveling to different parts of Russia with the purpose of painting sketches for his art, he created this well-known canvas. Painted in 1884, this piece now rests in the Museum of Fine Arts Academy, located in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Kiselev’s pieces mainly focus on masculinity, nobility, and beauty. His depiction of Apollo and Hyacinthus expresses traits of masculinity with their emphasized muscular bodies. Furthermore, he represents nobility and beauty with Apollo holding Hyacinthus with goodness and honor, and both men with looks of allure and attraction. Apollo is supporting evanescent Hyacinthus, after accidentally striking him with a discus (X. 185). The disk is painted gold in the painting, and lays near Hyacinthus’ feet. Gold represents achievement or triumph, and is often viewed as rare and genuine. Perhaps, Kiselev portrayed the disk as gold to emphasize its value of enrichment and quality to the story of it being the cause of Hyacinthus’ death. Hyacinthus is peering up at Apollo with a desperate plea for help, while Apollo looks down on him with guilt and respect. These emotions expressed form an image of sorrowfulness and grace captured during the climax of the story.
The colors of the cloth draped around Apollo and Hyacinthus relate back to not only the events of the story, but also to Roman times. In ancient Rome, red symbolizes blood and courage. Hyacinthus’ death draws a pool of “blood, which having been poured out, had marked the grass on the ground” (X. 211). Yet, the red cloth is wrapped around Apollo, not only to symbolize the death of Hyacinthus, but to represent his bravery and honor for awaiting the very end of Hyacinthus’ life. On the other hand, Hyacinthus is covered in a white cloth, exemplifying his innocence and purity. Others believe that white can also symbolize death or the transition from one’s former life. Similar to Kiselev, almost every other depiction of Apollo and Hyacinthus have the same colored clothes cloaked around their bodies, or entwined within the two. This continuous pattern emphasizes the importance and symbolism of the colors of the cloth In addition, a detail that Kiselev chose to leave out of his painting was the hyacinth flower, which Apollo turns Hyacinthus into in order for him to live eternally and to represent his passing (X. 206). Many other artists include this detail in their depictions of Apollo and Hyacinthus, to signify its importance in the story, and how it especially pertains to the ending. However, Kiselev may have omitted this part in a desire to focus the observer’s eye on the main characters of the story, instead of on the tragic end.
Sources Used:
Main piece analyzed and background on artist:
http://www.artnews.com/2006/01/01/the-scandal-sweeping-russiaae%E2%84%A2s-art-market/
http://www.russianpaintings.net/doc.vphp?id=518
Symbolism of colors:
http://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/color-gold.html
Different paintings I observed to compare and contrast to Kiselev:
http://24.media.tumblr.com/1c4ffa51fddd740d8f90a45ef6f97738/tumblr_msp2rdvFD31sqw5tfo1_500.png
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/1b/67/e0/1b67e0aafe83ab856f363914615f749f.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5e/The_Death_of_Hyacinthos.gif
Main piece analyzed and background on artist:
http://www.artnews.com/2006/01/01/the-scandal-sweeping-russiaae%E2%84%A2s-art-market/
http://www.russianpaintings.net/doc.vphp?id=518
Symbolism of colors:
http://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/color-gold.html
Different paintings I observed to compare and contrast to Kiselev:
http://24.media.tumblr.com/1c4ffa51fddd740d8f90a45ef6f97738/tumblr_msp2rdvFD31sqw5tfo1_500.png
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/1b/67/e0/1b67e0aafe83ab856f363914615f749f.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5e/The_Death_of_Hyacinthos.gif