Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee

Date: 1914

Artist: Giorgio de Chirico

Location: Paris, France

Style: Metaphysical Art

Genre: Religious Painting

Size: 398 × 450

This modern piece of art is one of my favorites in the modern art section of the Vatican Museum. It was painted by Giorgio Chirico in 1914. Chirico was most known for his modern surrealist paintings. This is oil on wood and is located in the Modern Religious art section of the Vatican Museum. In this description of the painting I will share my interpretation of the meaning of this painting. It is my belief, that through the use of colors and changes in the brush strokes, that the artist is trying to change the viewers emotions and create an experience from this depiction of a religious story.

There are many themes present within this painting that help draw out the drama and meaning of the painting. The beautiful thing about modern art is that it is painted in a way that shows the intensity of the emotions and places things from the perspective from the painter. It is how the painter views it brings life to the painting, without their understanding of humanity the painting is not as impactful. The painter allows the viewer to fill in their emotions by leaving it open to interpretation.

Within this painting there is a large contrast between bright colors and dark colors which associates with the mood of the characters in the painting. Christ is located in the foreground of the painting and is brightly clothed in orange.  His mandola is the lightest object in the painting, pointing to the holiness and calmness of Christ. The strokes of the paintings are more fluid and connected, while the strokes elsewhere are more haphazard. Christ is to be the figure in the painting that represents the divine and shows the calmness of God on Earth. While Christ is wearing a bright color, the disciples are wearing more muted clothing. The brush strokes that are used on their clothes are also shorter than those used to paint Christ. It is my interpretation that the muteness of the disciples clothing is to show their fear and lack of faith in the power of the Lord. In scripture Christ tells his disciples that they have little faith in the one that controls and created the seas.

There is movement to the right within the painting which I believe symbolizes the son of man and his position at the right hand of God. The flowing of the waves and foam push the eyes in this direction and the disciples are leaning to the right side which also brings to eye to this position. The counter movement within this painting is the disciples’ arms that are pointing out the storm to Christ who lays asleep. This counter movement represents the doubt within the disciples’ heart. It shows their lack of faith in Christ. Men understand fear and they revel in it, their arms reaching towards the storm show their desire for fear. In our minds we feel that if we fear something we are in control, but scripture tells us that we are not to fear and to put trust in the Lord. This painting depicts the desire to lean on the Lord, but to reach for something that we can comprehend and hold onto.

The final in the painting is the storm. This is the part of the painting that stumped me. It is not light but it is also not dark. It holds elements of calmness and elements of chaos, but it also seems to hold an interesting meaning. The sea during Christ’s time was a scary place in which many men would not travel for fear of losing their way or falling into evil. The sea was a representation of evil, fear and the unknown. I think what the painter is trying to explain here is that God is present everywhere and the light will be shown in dark places, but there is still darkness because as humans we have not hit the point of understanding the light and beauty of God.  That is why the disciples are reaching towards the sea, it is something that they can fear and give power too. They do not realize that the one sitting in the boat holds more power than the sea.

This painting is one that holds many interpretations and Biblical truths within the painting. This is my interpretation and now as a viewer it is your duty to evaluate and look at this painting. What does the painting mean to you? How does it affect you? What emotion do you feel when you look at it? What could certain parts of the painting mean? While this can seem cumbersome it creates a different response to the painting. For myself I am not a huge modern art fan, but this painting draws a sorrow for our human desire for control and fear, while it reminds me that I am to listen to my urge to move towards Christ in faith. This interpretation is mine. Now what is yours?

Bibliography:

"Christ and the Storm - Giorgio De Chirico - WikiPaintings.org." WikiPaintings.org - the Encyclopedia of Painting. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. <http://www.wikipaintings.org/en/giorgio-de-chirico/christ-and-the-storm-1914>.

"De Chirico Giorgio: Biography." Italica - Il Sito Dedicato Alla Lingua E Alla Cultura Italiana Di Rai International. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. <http://www.italica.rai.it/eng/principal/topics/bio/dechirico.htm>.