STAGE 3
CONFRONTATION
Liberty Leading The People
by Eugène Delacroix
1830
Oil on canvas
2.6 x 3.25 m
The Raft of Medusa
by Théodore Géricault
1818-1819
Oil on canvas
4.91 x 7.16 m
Bakunin's Barricade
by Ahmet Ogut
2015-2018
Free Zehra Dogan
by Banksy
2018
The Raft of Medusa was a contemporary painting of a scandalous shipwreck in France. The captain had reserved the lifeboats for himself and his officers, while the other 152 passengers and crew were left with a hurriedly-built raft. The 15 survivors of the shipwreck had horrifically turned to consuming human flesh for survival. The painting depicts the moment they spot the rescue ship, their rescue not yet promised.This art piece is very representative of confrontation. It contains both philosophical and political commentary, and confrontation plays a role in both. The philosophical commentary focuses on man’s conflict with nature and its elements, and man’s inner conflict of morals and ethics versus survival. When pitted against nature, a struggle and conflict with nature ensures. With no choice left, how far would you go for survival? Though not depicted in this painting, it documents an event that sparked an enormous amount of conflict within many people - it also confronts us with the uncomfortable reality of the lengths we might go to ensure our survival. The political commentary refers to the depiction of an African man being held aloft at the top of the pyramid of the survivors, waving for the rescue ship. By “placing a black man at the top of the pyramid of survivors and giving him the power to save his comrades by signalling the rescue ship”, there is the notion that “freedom for all will only occur when the most oppressed member of society is emancipated.” (Stokstad & Cothren, 2010). This in itself confronts the political and social climate back then, by pointing out the problems or issues Géricault had with society back then and painting it to be exhibited.
This painting depicts a literal confrontation - the French revolution. This painting depicts a personified Liberty, leading a motley crew of fighters - a schoolboy, people of wildly differing social strata (a bourgeois-looking man and a regular worker) - and rising up against the French monarchy. The painting floor is littered with corpses of people from both sides, which does display some sort of sense of the glory of war, but a conflicting sense of horror of the death and destruction brought by such confrontations. Another sense of confrontation is France’s flag in Liberty’s hands as they fight the leaders of France. There is an irony in that the revolution is fighting for the sake of France but defying its leaders, which brings about a confrontation within itself as well. There is a chaotic air to the painting, a lot of elements clashing against each other - the different social stratas working in tandem, the bodies from both sides, the overwhelming feeling of glory and victory one feels from the picture. The painting is quite literally a story of confrontation at its peak, as well.
Bakunin's Barricade was based off "a barricade inspired by Bakunin’s never realized proposal in 1849 using works from the Van Abbemuseum’s Collection" (Ogut, n.d.). Bakunin's proposal involved placing works of art from the National Museum in front of a barricade and hinged on the hope that the Prussian troops would choose not to risk destroying the art. This piece is less of an example of confrontation and more like a factor of confrontation - there will always be risk involved during confrontation. There will always be collateral damage, risks to be taken, sacrifices that must be made during confrontations, and this art piece successfully conveys that - a risk to take by placing treasured art there and hoping soldiers would not be willing to destroy it, a sacrifice knowing full well that there's a possibility of the artwork being destroyed, and being unable to view it at the museum, and collateral damage if the paintings did get destroyed. How much would you be willing to pour into a confrontation?
In 2017, Turkish journalist and artist Zehra Dogan was imprisoned for a controversial watercolour piece on the political climate of her country. In retaliation, reknown street artist Banksy painted a mural on a white wall - black lines for every day which Dogan remained in prison, slowly turning into prison cells. The art piece Dogan painted that got her imprisoned was projected above the mural. This is yet another depiction of factors of confrontation. In most confrontations, one side will have leverage over the other - power, authority, the power of the state behind them. This might result in unfair results or an imbalanced scale - however, conflict and confrontation is unfair and is seen from Dogan's case. The white wall Banksy chose to paint on also gives the sense of innocence and guiltlessness, like Dogan had not done anything and was being martyred, which is yet another factor of confrontation. Which side of your confrontation are you on?
This is the next painting in The Course of Empire. This picture is a stark contrast to Consummation. Darker colours, chaos and destruction running rampant, and more. The city that once stood so tall is now crumbling. The head of a once-magnificent statue has been cut off. Storm clouds or dust clouds seem to be rising back up against the cities, and a wall of fire as well, giving us the impression that nature has risen up to reclaim its land. We are recalling the theme of nature against man, and here it seems more obvious with various different elements of nature against man, in a destructive, explosive confrontation.
The Course of Empire: Destruction
By Thomas Cole
1836
Oil on canvas
99.7 x 161.3 cm
References
Ogut, A. (n.d). Bakunin's barricade. Retrieved from https://www.ahmetogut.com/ahmetwebbakunin.html
Stokstad M. & Cothren, M. W. (2010). Art: A brief history (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall