The Blindman's Meal Analysis

At first glance, we assume that Caravaggio has intentionally diminished the luminescence of the Divine figure of Christ, and chose to represent Him in a very human and less mystical form. Instead of a grand halo, we see a modest light encircling His head, and the greater draw is towards His posture in calling the saint-to-be, Matthew. But there are other elements that may suggest Divinity – for instance, the great beam of light shining through the window casts a forceful presence and unnatural spotlight on Levi (Matthew). The light itself may be significant in spiritual symbolism as there is no shadow projected behind Levi, rather, his whole face and upper body are shown to be illuminated by the presence of the Christ1. The Christ remains …show more content…
Specifically looking at La Vie and The Blindman 's Meal, we see the overtones of monochromatic blues and greens, symbolic of the cold and dark, repression of emotions and oppression of grief. La Vie shows us an almost reckless uncaring of life, attempting to mask pain through false intimacy and an impatience with the presentation of life (the baby), which may also suggest the desires of his Paris darling – a longterm committed partnership. It seems as though Casagemas is telling life to wait as he attempts to indulge in his obsessions and lusts, however, the pain is ever-present, even when he reaches the point of a few intimate moments as shadowed in the representations of couples intertwined in the background. It is as if Casagemas is being kept inside a box of his own lusts and …show more content…
Monet 's collection of Japanese woodblock prints seems almost out of place, but upon entering the gardens you see expounding Japanese influence. One can plainly see that the use of a single color in many shades and the lack of overt, or obvious, detail in some rooms was, in and of itself, a reference to the art of the Edo period and Ukiyo-e artists. While his gardens were their own floating worlds, the ponds and architecture suggests a way to move beyond our limited perspective and to be a place of quiet meditation. The bridge over the water garden quietly leads us to forget our troubles of this world and walk in elevation through a place of wonder; the mind is set at ease as we walk through Monet 's idealized world. Perhaps even the mirrored effect of the water suggests bringing Monet 's idea of heaven down to earth, and the bridge being a means to achieve interaction between the