BA5 Colour and Light in two religious works

I've been studying religious works, especially considering the subject of "Darkness and Light" for the Bishop's Art Exhibition 2013.

Here are two works with the subject of Christ which I'll be comparing in terms of the use of light in the paintings. The first is Christ of Saint John of the Cross (1951) by Salvador Dali. The second painting is The Body of the Dead Christ in the Tomb (1521) by Hans Holbein (the Younger).

It is important to note that these digital copies of the original works do not necessarily reproduce the original colour of the paintings. It is important to also consider that the space, and environmental light within which these paintings are viewed will also affect the colour of the piece.

I had seen prints of Christ of Saint John of the Cross (1951) by Salvador Dali before viewing the painting at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow in the late eighties.

The painting was hung at the end of a gallery under a skylight high above. This allowed the viewer to walk towards the painting and experience the changing perspective as the work is approached.

There seems to be at least two sources of light in the lower half of the painting; the cloud obscured moon which is high in the sky and another source of light, possibly the dawning sun, below the horizon. The still lake reflects the blue of the horizon, with slight hints of reflection in the water of the figure, boat and jetty in the lower right of the picture. The strong light from the right of the image that illuminates the Christ also lights the boat and figures, casting strong shadows with ambient light in the shadows, providing a third source of light.

The subdued tones of the lake and clouds work in contrast with the strong source of light that 'spotlights' the figure of Christ. Ambient light and the muted colour is taken from the storm clouds in the sky of the landscape below.

Christ is illuminated with almost surgical clarity with the focused source of light from the right of the image. The darkness beyond the Cross is absolute which focuses our attention on the Christ. This is a painting technique called chiaroscuro which serves to provide a strong contrast of light and dark and effectively render the body in three dimensions.

The focused light on the Christ has the character of an electric spotlight, possibly the light source used by Dali to illuminate his subject. The shadows cast by Christ's body are dynamically occluded by the subject attesting to it's solidity and presence, with a halo effect around the shadow. A fill light is supplied by bounced light reflected from the cross which Dali has rendered as stone to emphasize it's weight and endurance. This is a cross as statue or monument.

The artist has also added a slight halo effect around the shoulders and feet of the Christ. This lends a feeling that the Christ is detached or floating above the solid stone cross, rising above the solidity and darkness of the world below.

The painting The Body of the Dead Christ in the Tomb (1521) by Hans Holbein (the Younger) predates Dali's work by over four centuries. It's subject, the dead body of Christ in the tomb must have been controversial, almost heretical, in it's time.

Here the body of Christ lies unmoving, entombed and seemingly devoid of life. However, given that the body is enclosed, where is the light coming from?

The head, hand and feet of Christ are grey and in shadow. His hand is seized with rigor mortis, a sure sign that this is a corpse whilst the rest of the figure exhibits ruddy health. The extended finger seems to have moved the cloth beneath it; perhaps the Christ is returning to life?

The main source of light appears to be shining from above the legs of the figure, giving specular highlights along the shin bones and illuminating the shroud draped upon the groin and base of the grave. One can imagine that the lid of the tomb is being pulled aside, revealing the body. Chiaroscuro is used sparingly to give a high contrast between the light from above and the dark of the grave,  lending form to the body.
 
Bounced light reflects back onto the face of the figure lending it the cooler, greyer pallor of the tomb. Dynamic occlusion is rendered by Holbein in the shadows beneath the legs, arms and on the neck of the body.

Although the use of light in Holbein's work is more subtle and less extreme than that of Dali's painting the work still evokes a mood that is unsettling. Both paintings contain sources of light that would not be present in the natural world which lend an otherworldly, supernatural effect to their subject.