Barocci makes use of many straight lines consistently
throughout the painting. A few circular shapes are used in the painting;
however, straight lines dominate most of the piece. If one were to make a
diagram of the painting, most likely the following details would be included: A
general outline of the central figures, the unique building in the distance,
and the entryway through which the figures are running. I would exclude the
banister and staircase, the soldiers fighting in the background, and the rubble
in the bottom right corner because these are portions of the painting that are
not necessary to its overall integrity.
It is easy to see that Barocci uses a lot of contrast in
this painting. Dark shades are mostly used, especially in the background. Two
other prominent colours used in the garments and battle scene are red and green.
Overall, the painting itself is highly saturated. When used with the contrast
in the painting, the colours add to the realism and place an emphasis on the
danger that Aeneas and his family are trying to flee from.
Upon first glance, the viewer is drawn to the central figures,
Aeneas and his family. The rich red and green used in their garments catch the
attention of the viewer, as well as their pale skin colour which contrasts with
the dark, burning city of Troy. By using this contrast, the artist is able to successfully
make Aeneas and his family the focal point of the piece.
The central figures of Barocci’s painting are from Virgil’s
epic poem, the Aeneid. The main
character in the Aeneid is Aeneas,
shown just off center, carrying his elderly father, Anchises, over his
shoulder. To the right of Aeneas is his wife, Creusa, who is slightly separated
from her family. This almost foreshadows her disappearance and death shortly
after this scene in the Aeneid.
Finally, on the left of Aeneas, is his son, Ascanius. In this particular scene,
Barocci choses to show the family fleeing from Troy after the city fell to the
Greeks. Barocci is able to effectively express the emotion in the family’s
faces. The viewer can clearly see the distress on Ascanius and Creusa’s face.
On Aeneas’ face, Barocci manages to capture a more reserved, calm emotion. It
is Anchises’ face that really stands out, however, showing uncertainty and a
greater fear than what we can see in the rest of the family’s expressions. The
environment that Barocci has created is grand, showing the magnificence that
was the city of Troy. It is also dark, showing the time when Aeneas and his
family fled, and dangerous. This is shown by the flames slowly engulfing the
city, and the soldiers at war in the background.
During my research, I came across many instances where an
emphasis was placed on the patronage of the piece. The piece was originally
commissioned by Emperor Rudolph II in 1586 and while Barocci was known for his
religious pieces, the Emperor did not prefer devotional images (Richards). That being
said, the central argument for my paper will focus on the Classicism of the piece, the figures, and the architecture.
Bibliography
Bertela, Giovana Gaeta. Disegni di Federico Barocci.
Citta di Castello: Leo S. Olschki, 1975. Print.
"Classicism." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th
ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 23
Feb 2012
Friedlaender, Walter. "Federico Barocci." The
Burlington Magazine (1964): 186-187.
<http://www.jstor.org/stable/874281>.
Gillgren, Peter. Siting Federico Barocci and the
Renaissance Aesthetic. Ashgate Publishing, 2011.
Index, Myth. Aeneas. 2007. Electronic. 22 02
2012. <http://www.mythindex.com/greek-mythology/A/Aeneas.html>.
Lingo, Stuart. Federico Barocci. London: Yale
University Press, 2008. Print.
Paul, Carole. The Borghese Collections and the
Display of Art in the Age of the Grand Tour. Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing,
2008. Print.
Richards, Louise S. "A Study for Aeneas' Flight
from Troy." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art (1961):
63-65. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/25142447>.
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