Structuralist Analysis

Painting by Peter Paul Rubens c1636

'Landscape with Rainbow'

Grove Art online No F014951

The requirement to annotate the image provided a challenge as I could not see within the restrictions of the blog how to place comments adjacent to the image. I have compromised by transferring the image to Photoshop, increasing the Canvas Size and using numbers to relate to the following list.

1 Horse and Cart;  2 Haymaking;  3 Trees;  4 Ponds;  5 Geese;  6 Cattle; 7 Farm Workers

Grove Art Collection No F21872

The same action has been applied to this image.

1 Cattle;  2 Trees;  3 Cottages;  4 Tower;  5 Mountains; 6 Pond;  7 Dog;  8 Farm Worker; 9 Horse and Cart;  10 Sheep.

In almost any landscape of the countryside one expects to see trees and before the Industrial Revolution farm activity. The question is whether these are deliberately included by the artist as symbols that the viewer can relate to and set the image in context. By use of common symbols such as farm animals, farm workers and agricultural activity the artist can be reasonably sure that the viewer will know particularly when large cities and urban dwellers who have little if any contact with the countryside was the exception rather than the rule. However if one examines the paintings more carefully it is evident that both artists are presenting an idyllic setting that gives a probably false impression of the reality of a farm labourers life.

As the paintings were created for the landed gentry (the only people that could afford them) they necessarily were designed to confirm the land owners in their beliefs about the society in which they lived and created. They did not wish to be reminded, even if they knew, of the conditions in which the average agricultural labourer  worked and lived.

Group Portrait of Colmore Family 

Artist Johanne Zofanny

Bridgeman Education Library No 50093

Using the same convention as above:

1 Father;  2 Eldest Daughter;  3 Mother;  4 Children;  5 Nanny;  6 Rural building; 7 Hen with chicks.

Although the family group is painted against a rural backdrop the composition is very formal and follows the convention of showing the father figure as the guardian of the family with the wife looking towards him. The eldest daughter stands between the mother and father but separated from both by a small gap suggesting the beginning of independence. The mother has the youngest child sat on her knee (the nurturer) with one daughter close to her mother paying attention to the youngest child suggesting a close knit family. The nanny (this is an assumption on my part and may well be the grandmother of the children) has one of the children standing on her lap but the child looks towards the rest of the family group. The overall impression produced by the artist is of a close loving family. The family theme is underlined by the inclusion of the hen with her chicks.

The background including the building on the right edge of the image (6) suggests the landed gentry and that the building is part of a larger construction that can just be glimpsed.

A family group by a river 1668

Artist Cornelis Picolet

Bridgeman Education Library No 121480

1 Cattle;  2 Fowling piece;  3 Father;  4 Mother;  5 Baby;  6 Dog;  7 Young daughter; 8 Ducks;  9 Farm labourer

The group is informally posed with only the father, who is standing, looking in towards the group. Each of the others seem to be in their own little world and the cohesion of composition seen in the Colmore family portrait is not so evident. However it is evident that it is a family group although this is an impression (obviously re-inforced by the title of the picture) as there is no direct evidence.

Although one is a formal grouping and the other informal both are in a rural setting with clear indication of wealth and position in Society. In both images the Father is the dominant figure and therefore implies the 'protector' role usually assigned to the Father. The mother is seated and close to the youngest member of the family suggesting the 'caring' role although perhaps this is a little less evident in the second image.

Using common symbols whether in a formal or informal portrait is necessary to ensure that the viewer can make sense and identify with the image. An idealised view of family life is the desired aim and by the use of easily understood elements the chances of misunderstanding on the part of those who look at the pictures is lessened. In a sense both pictures are saying  "gaze upon my family and see how happy we are and how prosperous".

General comment: It was difficult to find an informal portrait because in paintings in particular there was the sense of everything having been posed. It is difficult to imagine that the family group posed in that setting whilst the artist painted. Later photographs in the Bridgeman Library captured the more informal moment made possible by the improvement in the technology. Early family photographs did there best to emulate the painters work not least because of the need for the family to be still in the time the plate was exposed.