Museum Essay #1

The Accommodations of Desire

Christ's Descent into Hell

The first piece of art I choose was almost instantaneous; I was completely drawn to this oil painting. The Accommodations of Desire painted by Salvador Dali was completed in 1929 and it has this haunting look to it. Salvador Dali incorporates several dark tone colors such as a dark red, mustard yellow, and brown color. In the painting we see these white boulders that each contain some sort of illustration or activity. The painting feels violent because the expressions of the lions. The red color creates an even darker effect, as the red is used on one of the boulders as an outline for the lion head. We also see the use of negative space as Dali positions the fur of the lion head with the face of the lion completely missing. The shape of the men and the lions has a dissolving affect. The lines used to outline the men and the animals are wobbly and different to what many are accustom to seeing. I would definitely categorize this painting as abstract because although you can identify certain aspects of the panting, Dali plays with the “real” changing the outline of the men and playing with the head of a lion. I find it difficult to identify what exactly is going on in the painting. I see lions all over the canvas and I see men covering their face, it could be a giant metaphor for frustration that Dali was feeling.

            The second piece I chose is titled Christ’s descent into Hell. Hieronymus Bosch painted this oil painting, 1550-60. The painting depicts a city burning as though from punishment. The color in this painting appears to be analogous and dark toned. Bosch uses dark red, yellows and brown to cover the canvas. The piece is a landscape but you can still make out people on the fiery ground and collapsed buildings. There is a lot going on in this painting but from what you can see, this is definitely hell. In the center of the canvas there appears to be people running to the top of the cliff with their hands held up as if they are begging to be saved. There are also bodies laying dead on the ground as well the bones of animals that I am not familiar with. At the distance you can see the smooth use of the paintbrush and how Bosch beautifully paints the smoky mountains. I would say that this piece is non-presentational because it is a depiction of hell and we as people have experienced hell but have ideas of this fiery place where death fills the air.

            These two paintings are similar in that they both have a dismal feel to them, both artist use similar colors as well to express a darker meaning. The obvious similarity is that they are both oil painting. I was immediately drawn to the emotion provoked by both paintings, the colors used set me off in a deep mood that is hard to shake as I continue to look at these paintings. They both differ in that they depict two completely different things. The first painting by Dali depicts frustration that will lead to doom and the second painting is the doom. However since Christ is in the title I can’t help to shake the feeling that Bosch painted it with a bit of hope that some people from Hell could be saved. Of course that is open to interpretation.

Both these paintings relate to two reasons why I think artist do what they do. They clearly construct meaningful images and forms but also give feelings to these forms. Both these artist wanted to provoke emotion and deep thought but also wanted to give form to the feeling of frustration and what that looks like in an abstract way. Also give form to the unknown, the unknown in this case being hell.