Christ | part 2

 Red in painting: from sexuality to power

 In secular images, red is no less important than in icons. Often, the artist uses red to make a dramatic accent, to draw the viewer's attention to a specific detail in a landscape or character's clothing.

 XV century: new possibilities of red

 In the Renaissance, religious images are gradually replaced by secular ones, and the place of pious Madonnas is taken by naked Venuses.

 The technique of painting is also evolving: artists are moving from tempera to oil paints. The fact is that tempera was made from a mixture of powdered pigments and egg yolk, so the paint dried instantly. The artist had to apply color very quickly and could not allow mistakes in the drawing: it was almost impossible to correct something later.

 Oil paints are another matter: they can be applied in a thin layer, superimposed one color on top of another, and thus achieve a depth of color never seen before. Oil painting can be easily corrected, wiped off with solvent or completely scraped off the surface.

 It is believed that oil painting spread widely in Europe thanks to the Flemish Jan Van Eyck, who got tired of working with the old method.

 Oil not only helped him broaden his palette, but also allowed him to introduce numerous details into his paintings. The main color of his works, be it the Ghent Altarpiece or the Portrait of the Arnolfini Couple, was red.

 Jan Van Eyck "Portrait of the Arnolfini Couple" (1434). A source

 Red remained a very expensive dye, and only wealthy people could afford scarlet fabrics. The fact that the couple has almost all the furniture in the bedroom is upholstered with red fabric, speaks of their wealth.

 Jan Van Eyck "Portrait of a Man in a Red Turban" (1433). A source

 Researchers believe that this is a self-portrait of Van Eyck. The red turban was an excellent advertisement for him - proof of success and access to the most coveted dyes of his time.

 16th century: red - Titian's brand

 The main masters of the early 16th century - Michelangelo, Raphael and Leonardo da Vinci - did not pay much attention to red. But Titian, who replaced them, made a name for this color, and in the literal sense.

 In his "Venus of Urbinskaya" or "Woman with a Mirror" there is a shade that is completely different from the red that was found among his contemporaries. As a result, they began to call him by the name of the one who glorified him - "red titian".

 Titian "Venus in front of a mirror" (1555). A source

 This special color of a warm, reddish-brownish-orange hue gives his paintings a sensual atmosphere. Titian's Venuses were so popular that they even influenced the ladies' fashion of the time. The artist's contemporaries bleached their hair and then dyed it with turmeric and saffron.

 XVII century: red is the color of pleasure

 The 17th century is a triumph of the Baroque style, focused on wealth and excess. Architects create incredibly complex shapes, and artists depict lavish celebrations.

 The paintings of the Flemish artist Paul Rubens became a real celebration of color in painting. His palette is always built on complex, almost dramatic color contrasts, where red symbolizes great passions, intense experiences.

 Rubens "Tarquinius and Lucretia" (1609-1611). A source

 Rubens "Susanna and the Elders" (1607). A source

 Rubens "The Abduction of the Daughters of Leucippus" (1618). A source

 In the paintings "Tarquinius and Lucretius", "Susanna and the Elders", "The Abduction of the Daughters of Leucippus" the red color appears very pointwise, only on the fabric, which hides intimate places. This is very symbolic, because in all these stories we are talking about the dishonor of girls.

 And in "The Love of a Roman Woman", where Rubens interprets the antique story about the old man Kimona and his daughter Perot within the framework of the Christian concept of mercy, red emphasizes a young and healthy female body.