Compare and Contrast of the Paintings Man in a Red Turban...

Throughout the history of art, there has always been a plethora of portraiture, no matter the time period or the medium whether is be sculptures, paintings or even carvings. Humans have always been fascinated with themselves and the way others look. But it’s not always about vanity, it means so much more and can be conveyed in many different ways. In some cases, the artists moved beyond that of a simple likeness and can instill different emotions in the viewer. That being said, in this essay I will compare and contrast two portraits. The first is an oil painting titled Man in a Red Turban by Flemish painter Jan van Eyck from 1433. The second work of art is Louis XIV by Hyacinthe Rigaud, a French Baroque painter. The portrait is from 1701†¦show more content†¦This is present in his portrait of King Louie XIV where he is portrayed as a wealthy, confident and even pompous individual. Rigaud made his presence a grand and majestic one. This is in stark contrast to van Eyck ’s Man in a Red Turban painting in which the subject in surrounded in darkness and is seemingly downplayed, humble and simplified. Eyck’s painting was a peculiar one in that it’ was the first painting in several thousand years that had the subject facing forward, eyes gazed at the viewer. His eyes pierce you with realism. The subject has a subtle and calm pose that makes him out to be a regal, intelligent man. The background behind the man is solid black; the man seems to materialize from darkness making the man and especially his fiery red turban pop out and art definitely the main focus. The man in the turban is said to have actually been a portrait of van Eyck himself, however this seems to only be a theory as there is no hard evidence to back that up. Eyck conjures up many visual elements and principals of design in this particular painting. The lines used in the painting are very shard and straight. He also makes use of light (here, darkness) to his advantage. As I mentioned earlier, the solid black background adds to the effects that this men is surrounded by mystery, possibly leading the viewer to the conclusion that there is more to him than meets the eye. This also gives hint to his calm, reserved