Heaven and Hell

Artist: Ocvave Tassaert

Title: Heaven and Hell

Date: 1850

Medium: oil on fabric

Provenance: Musée Fabre (France)

Source: www.religious-art.org

Religious art

Describe: people climbing over each other to get to Heaven. Angels are in heaven at the top, welcoming some in. The people are struggling to reach the top.

Analyze: the colors go from dark (in the left corner), to bright In the middle, to calm hues of blue at the top. The stack of people and swirly clouds create lines that bring your eye to Heaven. The top is emphasizing the angel. The people and the swirling lines create rhythm which draws your attention to certain points in the piece. The darkness of Hell and brightness of Heaven create a contrast that explains the meaning of the piece.

Interpret: the color and contrast of the painting show the terrifying idea of Hell and the beautiful Heaven. Hell is a terrible place to imagine, and the artist chose to show it with dark, sad colors. Where the angel stands is emphasized because people are reaching out with all their strength to reach her.The clouds and people bring your eye to the top, with emphasizes Heaven and the angel, where the people are fighting to go. This is a symbol for how hard people try to be good. Some are falling, but are caught by others, which shows love and commitment. It brings a certain rhythm to the piece, which moves your eyes to different places.

Judge: I think this painting is beautiful. It shows how Heaven is hard to reach, but the hard work is worth it. I think this piece is very entertaining to look at, because of the emotion of the people. The artist created a creepy painting that is at the same time full of hope and light. I really enjoy this painting.