Kaitlyn Graf
Professor Bomboy
Modern Culture and the Arts
3 April 2016
Napoleon Visiting the Plague Victims at Jaffa, 1804
Antoine-Jean Gros
Antoine-Jean Gros
Narrative
paintings are remarkable pieces of art because the artist pulls the viewer in
to seek out deeper meaning and understanding of the subject. The artwork is
meant to tell a story, rather than just simply portray an image. In
Antoine-Jean Gros’ Napoleon Visiting the
Plague Victims at Jaffa, which was painted in 1804, the viewer can easily see that several events are occurring in
just one painting. There is much to be appreciated in this painting, and there
is a story being told about Napoleon Bonaparte and the people in Jaffa, Syria. Antoine-Jean
Gros’ use of the principles of design and elements of art certainly help in the
portrayal of the story. In this paper, I will delve further and analyze how
they enhance the piece of artwork. I will also interpret the meaning of the
painting and discuss what the artist was trying to accomplish. Finally, I will
discuss the critical viewpoint of Marxism and how Antoine-Jean Gros communicates
his ideas in the painting.
In Napoleon Visiting the Plague Victims at Jaffa, the painting shows a
large group of people gathered in the courtyard of a Jaffa mosque that was
being used as a military hospital (Lerouge). Napoleon Bonaparte is the central figure,
and he is shown touching one of the victims of the plague. In The Humanistic Tradition, it states
that, “…Gros converted a minor historical event…that cast Napoleon in the guise
of Christ as healer (Fiero 258).” In the Bible, Matthew 8:3, it says, “Jesus
reached out his hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be clean!’
Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.” When viewing the foreground of the
painting, there are many bodies splayed about, both already dead and in the
process of dying. The contrast between the plague victims and Napoleon is
immediately clear by the difference in apparel, his stance, and lighting in the
painting.
The elements of art and principles
of design were used remarkably well to enhance the painting. The artist did not
use harsh lines in his painting, but rather painted them softer. The viewer can
easily see the edges of the buildings, helping to differentiate between the
different aspects of each building. When looking at the painting, the shapes
are realistic to the eye, which gives the painting the illusion that it is a
snapshot of history. The pillars in the mosque are three-dimensional, helping
to give form to the painting. The clothing of the officers and Napoleon
Bonaparte have much brighter colors, such as red and dark blue, while the
plague victims are shown with very pale skin and draped in white clothes or
nothing at all. This helps to give a clear distinction between the two groups.
The darker colors present in the painting give the feeling of despair and
horror, which leaves the viewer in a sense of unease and dread. “He [Gros]
enhanced the theatricality of the scene by means of atmospheric contrasts of
light and dark (Fiero 258).” The subject of the painting is not meant to be
happy or joyous, and Antoine-Jean Gros clearly utilized colors that enhanced
the unfavorable feelings. The texture of the clothing is in great detail, and
it is easy to see the ripples and creases that are present. There is a clear
difference between the texture of the men’s skin, the ground they are standing
on, and the buildings around them. Gros also did a great job in creating a
sense of space in the painting. The
courtyard of the mosque seems to be large, although not all parts of the mosque
are visible in the painting. There seems to be many people occupying the space
of the courtyard, and the archways give the sense of open air beyond the mosque
in the background.
The focal point or emphasis of the
painting is clearly Napoleon Bonaparte. He is meant to be the main subject of
the painting, with the plague victims and officials being secondary. The beam
of the light that is shining down from the ceiling is shown directly on
Napoleon, drawing the viewer’s eyes to the center of the painting. The contrast
between the light and dark areas of the painting further emphasize the affects
of the disease of the victims, “…instilling a feeling of horror and the sublime
of the viewer (Lerouge).” There is also a contrast between the objects in the
foreground and the background. Less detail is given to the buildings in the
distance, while the people in the center of the painting are in great detail,
with much emphasis given to their facial expressions. There is a pattern or
repetition present in the design on the border of the archways and also with
the ornamental design on the edge of the roof of the mosque. When the viewer’s eyes move from the
foreground to the background of the painting, the objects seem to be getting
smaller. The artist uses proportion to give the impression that the there is a
lot of space beyond the mosque. The buildings on the top of the hill are small
compared to the men in the courtyard. The men in the painting are to scale,
giving the artwork a realistic composition. When discussing unity, the overall
sense of the painting is very unified. Napoleon is shown touching one of the
plague victims, giving the sense that he is there with the men. Many of the
officials and physicians are shown working directly with the diseased, giving
them food and care. Even though they are suffering from the plague, the artist
gives the sense of unity between the men that they are all suffering together. The
artist was able to create a piece of artwork with all elements working together
rather than standing apart.
I believe that Antoine-Jean Gros did
an excellent job utilizing the elements of art and principles of design in displaying
a story through Napoleon Visiting the
Plague Victims at Jaffa. The images in the painting are realistically
portrayed, giving the viewer a glimpse of history. The subject of the painting
is an actual interpretation of a historical event. The scene that is taking place
is during the Syrian Campaign in March of 1799 (Lerouge). Napoleon Bonaparte had appointed Gros to
create this painting because “…[he] wanted it to help clear the accusations of
the British press, who had alleged that he had wanted to execute the
plague-stricken during his retreat to Cairo (Lerouge).” The specific event that
the artist was showing in this painting was when Napoleon had decided to visit
the plague victims because he was worried that the fear and loss of morale due
to the outbreak of the plague was affecting his men (Hibbott). I believe that
Gros was trying to portray Napoleon as the calm, strong leader who was trying
to console and alleviate the concerns of his troops. “The painter is implying
that Bonaparte's virtue and courage justify the horrors of war (Lerouge).” The
painting was presented to the public right before the coronation of Napoleon,
which some saw as a particularly opportune time (Lerouge). Gros wanted to draw
the attention not only to Napoleon, but also to the suffering of the men who
were affected by the disease. Even though Napoleon was shown as this dignified
man in the center of all this anguish, it can be seen that many of the victims
had given up and were holding onto the last moments of their life. Gros was
commissioned to create this painting, but I believe that he wanted to make sure
that the men who suffered and died from the plague in Syria were not forgotten.
Napoleon Bonaparte was a strong,
commanding leader, and the power that he had as General during the Syrian
campaign is easily seen in Gros’ painting. The focus of the light in the
painting, the contrast of colors, and the difference in the emotions all work
together to draw the viewer’s focus to Napoleon. When I first looked at this
painting, the feeling of suffering and fear were very clear to me. After
further research on the subject matter, I was able to gain a better
understanding of what these men were going through at the time. With the light
focused on Napoleon, I understood that he was the leader of the group. He
seemed at ease and calm compared to the officials and other men around him.
Most of the plague victims that are portrayed in this painting did not or most
likely were not going to survive the disease. The viewer is seeing these men at
the end of their life, and I believe that Gros did an excellent job in
representing this message. It makes me feel sad and scared for all of those who
had to suffer through the plague.
Antoine-Jean Gros’ Napoleon Visiting the Plague Victims at
Jaffa is a magnificent piece of art that instills this sense of suffering
and despair into the viewer. Napoleon Bonaparte’s sense of power and control is
easily understood with most of the focus of the painting being on him. Even so,
Gros did not want the men who suffered from the plague to be forgotten, and his
outstanding portrayal of the events in Syria helps that fact. Antoine-Jean Gros
was able to use the principles of design and elements of art to help in the
portrayal of the story. The importance of this painting was to show a glimpse
into the historical event when Napoleon courageously visited the plague victims
in Syria. It also brought light to the agonizing of his troops and what they
had to endure. Antoine-Jean Gros created a remarkable painting that I will
never forget.
Works Cited
Fiero, Gloria K. The Humanistic Tradition.
6th ed. Vol. 1. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. Print.
Gros, Antoine-Jean. Napoleon Visiting the Plague Victims at
Jaffa. 1804. Oil on canvas. Louvre, France.
Hibbott, Y.
""Bonaparte Visiting the Plague-stricken at Jaffa" by Antoine
Jean Gros (1771-1835)." British Medical Journal 1.5642 (1969): 501-02.
Web. 2 Apr. 2016.
Lerouge, Ophélie.
"Napoleon Bonaparte Visiting the Plague-Stricken in Jaffa." Louvre. 2004. Web. 01 Apr. 2016.
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