Erik Leonhard
November 1, 2015
Professor Bomboy
HUM 101
Marxists
Interpretation of "Mr. and Mrs. Andrews"
The
first part in my evaluation is the description through elements and principals.
The lines in this painting are hard to pick out because everything seems to
flow together in a pastel like manner, which creates a very smooth texture. The
main lines in the painting are the lines of what looks like wheat. The wheat
creates depth within the painting because the line of wheat seems to go back
towards the vanishing point (if there was a solid vanishing point in this
painting. The colors of this painting are fairly neutral, except for the two
human subjects. This brings me to the focal point. The focal point of this
painting is where the most color is; on the subjects. To me, both the male and
the female subject could be drawn a little more proportionally. I feel like if
the female were to stand up, she would be taller than the male subject, which
would kind of destroy the message of the painting. This brings me perfectly
into the next piece of my evaluation, which is the analyzation.
When
thinking about the analyzation of a painting, one must think of how the
elements and principals combine to form a whole. The textures and colors of the
two human subjects really emphasize their importance. The background of the
painting (the landscape scenery) is pretty blurry and pastel like, which is
very different than the two human subjects. The lighting contrast on the man
and woman’s clothing is very crisp and more 'realistic' than the background
completely drawing the viewers’ attention to them. The colors that both
subjects are wearing are also very vibrant compared to the background, which
further draws the viewer’s eye to them. The fact that Gainsborough emphasized
the two human subjects leads into my interpretation of this painting.
To
interpret a painting, one must think about why the painter chose to arrange and
construct the painting the way they did. Personally, I think this painting is
nothing more than a family portrait. Little to Gainsborough's knowledge, he
literally painted history. By accurately depicting the subjects’ normal dress,
their dog, and the land behind them, he showed viewers now a days what life was
like back then for people of their social stature. Both Mr. and Mrs. Andrews
were real people and they are wearing what they normally would in their day and
age. The Andrew's were members "...of the so-called landed gentry, meaning
they were wealthy, often self-made, but didn't have peerage, or a noble blood
line." (The Story of...) so I think that this further backs up the fact
that this may have just been a simple family portrait. I think that the aim was
to emphasize their wealth and status. The vibrancy of the clothing of the
Andrews is a clear indicator that the painting was a focus of their status.
This
leaves one last question; did Gainsborough successfully communicate the idea he
was trying to portray? I believe that Gainsborough did a fantastic job
representing his purpose. Being a Marxist critique, I really don't think that
Gainsborough could have done a better job. He did a superior job by
representing their wealth a social status through many outlets. He emphasized
this through their clothing, the position of Mr. Andrews compared to Mrs.
Andrews, and also by the land depicted in the background. All of those aspects
lead back to the wealth and status of the infamous couple. The clothing that is
seen is in good condition, and it is not dirty at all. It is clothing of the
high class. Mrs. Andrews is seated in a nice dress, showing that she has no
need to work at all because she is financially secure. Mr. Andrews is holding a
gun and being idealized by the dog off to his side. This shows that even Mr.
Andrews does not need to work all of the time. He has plenty of down time to
waltz through his massive property with his dog and hunt. The background itself
also emphasized that they have wealth just by the sheer size of the land.
In
conclusion Gainsborough did a fantastic job with this painting form a Marxist
viewpoint. He made it extremely obvious that the Andrews were wealthy people in
a time where most were struggling. Every aspect of art from the lines, the
textures, the contrast and the focal point, was completely on mark and could
not have been more precise. Gainsborough succeeded with his purpose and made
his point as clear as it could be.
Works
Cited
"The Story of
Mr. and Mrs. Andrews." Joshua Kennon. Web. 1 Nov. 2015.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/Thomas_Gainsborough_-_Mr_and_Mrs_Andrews.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/Thomas_Gainsborough_-_Mr_and_Mrs_Andrews.jpg