In: Psychology
George de la Tour's Saint Joseph the Carpenter painting: Address the following questions, and explain how you arrived at your answers:
1. Which methods of color and light do la Tour use in the work?
2. How is color and light used to determine compositional emphasis
or a focal point?
3. Thinking back to Chapter 2 and the section on line and shape, does la Tour use line and/or shape to create emphasis?
4. Does la Tour's use of color and light help convey a message? What is it? Are these elements related to any symbolism in the image?
1. George de la Tour used the "tenebrist" style in the work.
2. He has used the illumination of candle light held in boy's hand supposed to be young Jesus lit up the face of the faces and upper part of the two characters of the painting, especially of the young Jesus, and the rest of the painting is depicted in lesser illumination. The colors that are used is shades of red and white to give the painting a three dimensional expressive effect.
3. To create the emphasis da la Tour has used shape to express the age of Joseph and Jesus. The face of Joseph is wringled at forehead that expresses the laborious task that he has undertaken, and face of Jesus radiates youth, as it is smooth and oval in shape. Thus, he gives a photographic details of the both characters, and makes the most expressive and lively.
4. The illumination of Jesus face by the candle and his holding of the candle symbolizes Jesus as the light of the world. Also, the lit face of Jesus radiates the purity and innocence.