AADS/ENGL 3328.01
In her novel Sassafrass, Cypress, and Indigo, Shange employs lyricism as a persuasive mechanism for showcasing black female artistry. She does so by juxtaposing lyrical descriptions of Indigo’s creative outlets (as well as those of the women around her) with the prosaic consciousness brought on by gender-charged violence. The scene in which Indigo gets her…
Francisco Goya’s “The Third of May 1808” depicts the Napoleonic invasion of Spain where cities were raided, citizens were fired upon, and humanity was absent. In first looking at the painting, one’s attention is directed towards the man in the white and yellow clothing; all color is dull and dark surrounding him. Even as his…
“The Adoration of the Magi” (late 1750s) by Italian painter Giovanni Battista Tiepolo hangs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. It depicts the Nativity scene in which wise men and shepherds come to pay respects and offer gifts to the newborn baby. Many of the characters in the painting have their…
This scene was painted in the late 1660s by Giuseppe Recco, an Italian painter who specialized in still life art. The painting shows a cat caught in the act of eating and stealing fish. The painting exemplifies skills in lighting, and the detail into the fish scales and cat fur. The still life artistry was…
“The Calling of Saint Matthew” was painted by the Italian artist Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio in 1600. It depicts Christ coming to the soon-to-be Saint Matthew, still named Levi at this time prior to his becoming an apostle, summoning the tax-collector to leave his colleagues and follow him to a life of piety and eternity.…
While the exact date of this painting is unknown, Vermeyen lived from the year 1500 to the year 1559. Therefore can deduce that the creation of his painting, “The Holy Trinity,” fell somewhere in this range. This painting depicts God welcoming Jesus back to heaven after his crucifixion, surrounded by a bright light that is…
Black joy is a form of resistance that gives agency to Black people in times where oppression and racism have tried to take away everything else. Stowe portrays an instance of black joy when she describes Uncle Tom’s cottage at the beginning of chapter 4. The cottage is first described as a “small log building”…
The Adoration of the Christ Child was painted circa 1619-1621 by the Dutch artist Gerard van Honthorst. It shows Mary and Joseph, as well as two angels, looking over newborn Christ. The light reflects off the faces of the onlookers, suggesting that the infant is the light source in this painting. Van Honthorst, who came…
In the novel Sassafrass, Cypress, and Indigo, Ntazake Shange uses magic as a means of empowerment that in turn challenges societal expectations in the youngest character, Indigo’s, coming of age. Throughout the course of the book whenever Indigo displays an action or trait that would typically be considered “crazy” or “unusual,” the phrase “the south…
This is an oil painting of the biblical story on fatherly forgiveness known as The Prodigal Son. It hangs in the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia. The depiction of light through a technique known as “chiaroscuro” in this piece is used to emphasize important aspects of the story beyond words. The father and son are…