The modern era was characterized by many bright achievements as well as many dark moments. Artists such as Rembrandt and Picasso made social statements through their work which people can still understand today. Rembrandt favored existentialism, promoting messages of individuality in his works while Picasso favored Nihilism, as characterized by his mysterious works of art.
Most of Rembrandt’s work, containing elements of both light and dark, can be described as mysterious and thought-provoking. By using mostly contrasting colors, Rembrandt’s thoughts could be easily portrayed and therefore understood by people. Figures in the foreground, such as people doing daily activities were in the “spotlight” of his paintings. They were characterized by light colors and were heavily emphasized and accented. Meanwhile, things in the background were given darker colors, used to help bring out the importance of the figures in the foreground. The implied meaning of these portraits was the importance of existentialism, or individuality. The lighter colors of the individuals in the painting captured the attentions of viewers, possibly hinting at the potential people have in themselves.
On the other hand, we have Picasso, who created portraits characterized by abstract elements. Many portraits were broken down into their component parts, only to be put back together in a way people would never have imagined. His portraits possibly suggested that the nihilistic viewpoint, stating that people are simple parts strewn together with no real aim or meaning. There was no real connection between people and their environment, resulting in a sort of apathetic view on life.
Jenny Zhan, Dylan Mulcahy, Caleb Ong, James Jin, Amber Austin.
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