Two Dimensional Art
A Human Face: half alive, half dead
![Picture](/uploads/8/3/2/7/83274054/20160705-143353.jpg?296)
A small oil painting done on copper, of a human face. This face is half alive, half dead. The half alive side has the warmer, brighter colors like red, whereas the half dead side only ranges through the colors brown, black and white. You can also see the rough texture of the painting, left from the thick oil paint being smeared on the copper. This painting has a closed composition, the eye is continuously drawn to the face. The juxtaposition of the live half of the face and the skull is jarring, drawing the viewers’ attention. This small piece is placed in a tiny gold frame, oval in shape.
History
The painting is known to be Italian, from the 18th century. There is little to be found on this piece, other than stock photos of it. It is known to be one of the numerous curiosities that Henry Wellcome collected.
What Drew Me
I was drawn to this painting by the small size and gruesome picture. This picture could not have been painted for any educational reason, as the picture is too small to be used to show anatomy. I was intrigued by this piece of art that seems to look at life and death side by side. As a (hopefully) future biologist, I have always been intrigued by life and death and the changes the body undergoes when crossing that barrier. I was drawn to this small painting because of its comparison of life and death side by side, showing the changes everyone will eventually succumb to.
Social Angle
This painting reminded me of the difference between the treatment of medical patients throughout time, and how much medicine had developed over time. Throughout the centuries, modern medicine has evolved from previously primitive methods of treatment. Humankind's ability to push back death, delaying the inevitable has increased dramatically; healthcare is becoming more and more prevalent, even in third-world countries. This painting was made back when medicine was still rather primitive.
History
The painting is known to be Italian, from the 18th century. There is little to be found on this piece, other than stock photos of it. It is known to be one of the numerous curiosities that Henry Wellcome collected.
What Drew Me
I was drawn to this painting by the small size and gruesome picture. This picture could not have been painted for any educational reason, as the picture is too small to be used to show anatomy. I was intrigued by this piece of art that seems to look at life and death side by side. As a (hopefully) future biologist, I have always been intrigued by life and death and the changes the body undergoes when crossing that barrier. I was drawn to this small painting because of its comparison of life and death side by side, showing the changes everyone will eventually succumb to.
Social Angle
This painting reminded me of the difference between the treatment of medical patients throughout time, and how much medicine had developed over time. Throughout the centuries, modern medicine has evolved from previously primitive methods of treatment. Humankind's ability to push back death, delaying the inevitable has increased dramatically; healthcare is becoming more and more prevalent, even in third-world countries. This painting was made back when medicine was still rather primitive.