Up to now we looked at Smuglevicius's
pictureformally without attention to content. Just now we will
change direction of the research. Let us elucidate picture's plot on the
ground of texts Livy (Titus Livius), 3:44-58; Valerius Maximus 6:1
given in James Hall's book Dictionary of Subjects and Symbols in Art.
"Felony of the villainous corrupt judge -- the episode of ancient Rome
history.
Appius Claudius, decemvir, one of College
of ten lawgivers, conceived by confidential passion for daughter
of honorable centurion. He devised to win her by
ruse. Appius made arrangements with one his subject, that he would pronounce
a verdict that earlier this girl was a slave and she must be brought to
Appius who have to convict in favor of Appius's accessory. However, before
making come her, father of the girl appeared wwith snatched a knife from
butcher store and speared her. This theme is meet in painting of the Italian
Renaissance and baroque. Appius sits on the site of judge. Before him the
centurion preparing to kill his daughter. The accomplice of Appius can
be recognized between crowd of warriors and women.
..
For exposure of meaning
in linguistic semiotics three levels of analysis are used: discursive,
narrative and logical semantic. At discursive level discursive situations,
performers, place and time are established; at narrative -- how does take
place transformation of states; at logical semantic level main couple of
oppositions is cleared up, run of transformation is defined more accurate
and hidden paradox is revealed.
..
Discursive level
of analysis
..
Valerius Maximus's
verbal text retold by James Hall as commentary will be analyzed
together with visual "text"
Virginius Killing
His Daughter Virginia
of P.Smuglevicius.
..
We started recognition of picture figures
in our earlier analysis. Now it needs to specify and generalize place,
time and spectators.
..
The action takes place in town square in
front of court building at the left and of rotunda
at the right. We have such opposite couples: in the distance vs
nearly, onto the rising ground of court palace vs in square on ground,
the square vs behind square, left-hand side vs right hand side, earth vs
sky.
..
Let us try to identify personages of the
picture as historic persons.
..
Rising bloody knife man is centurion
Virginius. His importance is emphasized placing him in the center of picture,
by large dab of intensive red cloak and by swift movement (scheme
of colors of the picture).
..
Above crowd in front of justice palace
in white clothes Appius sits, around other court staff. In P.Smuglevicius's
picture court as if "lies" onto people heads. Appius "sits" as if onto
compassionate women' pyramid. On the other side the knife risen above crowd
-- a sign of passed by centurion judgment. Red and white color dabs
are seen in the court, in the clothes of centurion, in the bloody knife.
Trial is common between court and the centurion.
..
Appius's accessory
at breakneck speed comes running stretching out his hands to
place of the event. According to come by chance mediaeval symbolic
his cloak's yellow color can mean shame. On the left side of the picture
yellow color has positive meaning in clothes of the compassionate women
and Virginia, also in smoke of bonfire. Hereby we can conclude that yellow
colors the artist used by accident, mainly for better balance. Otherwise
in one picture this same color has contrary meanings. We jnow that before
the beginning of a picture P.Smuglevicius did achromatic sketch. In his
painting chiaroscuro and the plastic of shapes are preceding, but not coloring.
The author "put" colors when problems of composition and drawing had solved.
That is why accidental colors are found in Virginius
Killing His Daughter Virginia. Black hired runner's cloak is
red probably also is only adornment for balance.
..
Crowd gathered together to see the trial
-- on the left side the women, on the middle and on the right warriors.
All warriorsgazesare
directed at the bloody knife. Invisible, but sensible lines of gazes form
some cone giving to the knife especial significance and weight. Turned
head of one from warriors, horizontal line of his gaze and behind him gaze
of the curly red-faced man connected warriors and women groups. The women
and the children with wonder look at Virginia and her wound. Who can not
see Virginia directly look at the compassionate old woman -- mediator between
them and Virginia. That is why gazes of looking at Virginia do not concentrated
so neatly as warriors. Blood on the knife excites wonder and troubles of
crowd and us, viewers, too. Hereby the viewers in picture can be identified
with the picture's viewers. Especially this sense is strengthened by two
little blue fellows at the right. We have effect
of picture in picture.
..
The man covered his face with palms behind
the accessory of Appius in Valerius Maximus description
of history is not mentioned. He is only a figure for strengthen emotional
expression. From the standpoint of gestures he is symmetric repetition
of whining woman and from the standpoint of gestures he is repetition of
black shadow in dark clothes of the compassionate woman.
..
The pillar behind the centurion
is not obelisk, because obelisks are become pointed on top. Shape of the
pillar more similar to pillar of cemetery gate. Almost such pillar we can
see in C.D.Friedrich's picture Entrance to Cemetery (1826 year).
Smuglevicius transformed the bowl on top of pillar to sphere.
..
In descriptions of Rome courts also it
is not reference to bonfires in court squares or to burning of convicts.
Mostly felons were punished by cutting of head, by pricking the eyes or
by crucifixion. Thus in the picture smoke and the pillar are done wilfully
as elements of mysticism and can express god's apparition.
..
Dead half naked girl is Virginia. Her thick-set
though beautiful and idealized body resembles ancient examples. The body,
held by one from Virginia's girl friends and by the compassionate old woman,
easily comes down. Gracefully stretched out her hands resemble wings of
a nestling. She also resembles a bow with broken arrow. In both cases her
relation with air and sky can be acknowledged. Over Virginia's head is
little halo (article about halo)
formed by two white dashes of the edge of the cloak of the old woman marked
on background of the head.
..
Clothes of the bent down old woman servant
or just compassionate woman more similar to clothes of Rembrandt's epoch,
but not the fifth century BC in Rome. By narrow waist-band falling shadow
from the head's cover on her hair refers to hidden halo increasing woman's
spirituality.
..
Three girl friends of Virginia in blue,
in white and weeping. The girl in blue turns viewer's attention. Blue color
is symbol of divinity, truth and faithfulness. In Christian tradition
Virgin Maria is depicted in blue. The white long dabs from both sides of
the blue girl are similar to angel wings. That all can be a hint that god
justifies girl's death and prepares for acceptance her soul in heaven.
Therefore in the picture the pillar and bonfire appear in square of Rome
court. Thanks to symmetry and yellow colors in clothes of women and of
one warrior yellow of smoke, they are related with yellow of Virginia.
Combination of yellow, white and blue colors repeats itself in smoke and
sky, in the assistant of Appius and in figures of the blue viewers. Bonfire
smoke through cemetery gate as if carries soul of not quilt girl to sky.
From stylistic aspect compulsion of glance of viewer to slide through women
group figures and smoke into depth is a baroque element.
..
I have to mention that though the author
depicted Romans, but his personages are more similar to stumpy and bumpkin
Lithuanian Samogitians, they show Smuglevicius's common genetic roots with
known
the 19th century painters of saints from Samogitia
(Western Lithuania).
..
Here such opposition pairs are possible:
Achromatic colors vs chromatic colors, the living being vs the dead, vertical
position vs horizontal position, naked body vs dressed body, women vs men,
warriors vs townspeople, active people vs observers, spirituality vs brutality,
compassion vs brutality, victory vs loss, rightness vs injustice, fall
vs rise, pillar vs centurion, rest vs confusion,
yellow vs blue, gazes concentrated to one point vs gazes not concentrated,
bringing up of kid vs child's killing, sentimentality vs heroism, weakness
vs spiritual power, girl vs bird vs angel.
..
Judging by light blue sky it is depicted
day time, but not midday, because the shadows are long. Since light is
yellow, but not orange, sooner action takes place in the morning, but not
in evening. Just tragedy has happened. The centurion
has pined knife into breast of his daughter. Now and here he triumphs lifting
hand with bloody knife. People who sit by Appius
beside
palace of justice do not know yet what has happened here. They are quietly
waiting. They as if live in the past. Appius
is the reason of what has taken place. Cause always goes before consequence.
In that way we can think that in Smuglevicius's picture time is twofold.
On the one hand, a moment is depicted. On the other hand, from aspect of
development of action time in space has its continuation. Where is court
-- the past; here nearer - the present; the third divine eternal time in
sky, where souls of the good live. Such opposition pairs are possible:
Hereby generalizing the research I can
state that space of the picture are divided in such
way: in front topical space; farther the court rise -- paratopical space;
sky -- utopian space. Time: in sky eternal time; on
the court rise the past; in front the present. By hierarchy performers
can be classified so: celestial judge, earthly judges, warriors, women,
children.
..
Geometric relations
between important picture's details from plot aspect
..
In my earlier research fact was established
that figure consisted from diagonals and perpendiculars of a picture brought
on this picture's important detail connects it with
other important details and helps to establish field of interests of subject,
or, in other words, its potential value's objects and anti objects (exhaustively
about the
method). Such vanes (see
illustrations)brought on Virginius
Killing His Daughter Virginia onto centurion's
head include: in one direction such objects that excite subject's anxiety
-- daughter's body symbolized honour; in other direction hands and legs
of citizens showing confusion, the cemetery pillar, the palace of justice,
smoke and sky that are the inducements of crime. In interests' field of
Virginia in one direction there are the women, head of the centurion
and buildings; in other direction legs of the centurion. In interests'
field of Appius's
assistant
in one direction there are pelvis of the girl, space between
centurion's
hips
-- what are the signs of his obscene thoughts, in other direction there
are point of the knife and legs of blue observer -- that excite fear. In
one direction of the field of man covering by palms his face there are
dead girl's stomach and her foots (probably this warrior dreamed about
the girl) and the centurion; in other direction
there are Appius's
assistant
and the blue observers. In interests' field of the old woman there are
legs and foots of Virginia and the centurion,
Virginia's girl friend, palace of justice, the pillar. From aspect of meaning
it is noticed still one important area marked by vanes -- the lower part
of triangle consisted from perpendiculars to picture's diagonals. Full
body of Virginia fits into such area of the old woman. Body of Virginia
is her guardianship object. Under subject's head often the lower part of
this same subject is seen, that mostly is an object of trouble and tendency
of any person. In guardianship field of Appius
there are the group of women; warriors and sky excite his anxiety. In guardianship
zone of the weeping woman we see Virginia and her girl friends.
..
Narrative level
..
In history of Virginia two lines are intertwine.
One, like in fairy tales: Appius gives task
for his accomplice - to bring him value object -- the girl (phase of manipulation);
the accomplice go out to do the work and is late -- the girl already dead
(not executed executive phase). Other line is by centurion.
His value object is honor of warrior, family, daughter. He gets to know
that Appius plans to take honour from his
daughter (phase of competency). The centurion acts very resolutely spearing
his own daughter and not giving value object to Appius
(executive phase). Centurion can be called subject, Appius
anti subject (or on the contrary)
..
The pillar is similar to bust of man or
idol. In pillar with fire and in figure of the centurion there is some
likeness. Head -- sphere of pillar, the shadow from the sleeve -- bottom
of pillar roof, lifted hand -- smoke, the flying red cloak remind about
fire. The white figure of Appius also is distorted
repetition of pillar. Head -- sphere and two horizontal dashes below. Around
this red dabs -- fire. His assistant's extended hands and the flying
cloak also forms as if roof similar to pillar's. Thus flying red cloak
Appius,
Appius's
assistant, pillar and centurion have similar
shapes. They are related by one function -- trial. Appius
and his assistant are the executives of court, the centurion
became a judge and a death sentence executor compelled by circumstances,
the pillar in fire symbolizes the divine judge.
..
In the picture phase of sanction is depicted.
Subject the centurion positive appreciates his action by swift gesture.
The second epistematic addresser -- invisible
judge god vindicates way out chosen by the centurion. He takes the dead
daughter into heaven (hands turn into wings, halo over head). These two
sanctions are the compliment each other and coincide with norm of classicist
ideal. From the point of view of content V.Bransky describes classicist
ideal in this way: anti hedonistic heroic origin claims from art to depict
victory of goodness against evil (by no means on the contrary). For that
cult of moral, law rules over and social origin predominates over personal
. Thus killing of own daughter from classicist positions is appreciated.
Honor is more valuable than life. Such paradoxical idea lies in basis of
Virginius
Killing His Daughter Virginia.
..
Logical semantic
level
..
Transformation starts itself from Appius
who desires to acquire value object, the girl. His assistant must find
the girl and bring her. The centurion, owner of the girl, heard about Appius's
criminal designs, spears her. Appius does
not acquire value object. Because value object of centurion
is honor, and it differs from Appius's value
object -- the girl, thus the centurion does not lose his object of value.
Divine judge takes up her into heavens. Nothing had happened. Nobody had
lost value object and nobody had acquire it. Virginia is not a subject,
but only value object for Appius and her honor
value object of the centurion. Main opposite
is: attempt upon honor vs defense of honor. Trial from top vs
trial from bottom (trial of Appius is
called trial from top -- through its localization over crowd; trial from
bottom of the centurion -- the knife from bottom thrusts into sky, the
centurion by hierarchy is lower than Appius).
Earlier I established that lines, risen by the letter "V" or bunch, predominate.
Fall -- rise, fall -- rise, ... Or trial from top, trial from bottom. In
structure of lightning zigzag line -- from the left to the right
and down, upwards to the right and down -- also is fall and rise. Thus
swindle of trial from top is corrected by trial from bottom. Between them
divine trial localizes itself. Official trial vs centurion's
trial, Appius vs his assistant vs centurion
vs divine judge. On the other hand assistant's pose resembles pose
of man pushing forward invisible wall behind that the centurion.
Hereby Appius with hands of his assistant
pushes the centurion to crime not only spiritually,
but also physically. Then transformation turns into such: manipulation
for crime vs competency vs execution vs sanction. Addresser of manipulation
is leader of organized crime Appius,
addressee -- the assistant, centurion's knowing about the evil intent --
acquisition of competency, killing -- execution, preparation of girl to
fly into heavens -- sanction of the centurion
and
of divine judge.
..
In that way I established main opposition
and its isotopes. However, still one secondary
version of content we can grope on the left side of the picture. The woman
in red held the baby is related with the centurion
by red color. She brings up a kid, the centurion kills his daughter. In
this concrete case the pair of oppositions life vs death is not
covered all, because it does not touch the reason of crime -- Appius,
his court and the right side of the picture. In Smuglevicius's picture
opposition attempt upon honor vs honordefense becomes more
important than universal antipode life vs death.
..
In the picture there are not any signs
showing that mean Appius's trial is blameworthy
by the author. Schematic, cold and indifferent figures of the judges stick
over crowd of people on background of powerful building with ancient order.
Fire, that can be an attribute of celestial judge, does not seem burning
the court. It is born near the court palace, it is rising up into empty
space, blown at the right that smoke would not disturb rest of the judges.
Swiftness of Appius also can be interpreted
in different ways: perhaps he runs to steal the girl or maybe feeling tragedy
he hurries to come to the aid of Virginia. The judges represent a state
institution that remains by its localization and calmness over citizens
and over their moral estimations. Again it is a confirmation that social
origin is over individual and over god, because god can do nothing except
souls taking in heavens and smothering up this conflict. Two serious crimes
are committed: the representative of court has made an attempt on the life
of the girl and her father killed her. For protection from one crime another
still more serious crime is done. No one crime is doomed by the artist.
Though there are the two blue little men. They are not similar neither
to representatives of warriors nor to pitiful women. Their austere poses
and deep blue do not show admiration or helpless pity. They are distinguished
from dined crowd by their concentration. They stand near lower edge of
the picture that is related withzone of the future (exhaustively
about zones of picturehere).
They are linked with future world through their small stature. They can
represent estimators from future perspective. They can be identical with
us, viewers, and they can be timid spokesmen of author's sanction. However,
they are not noticeable enough. The noise of the action energetically drowned
their irresolute sanction and it do not influences upon main idea of the
picture.
..
Connection between
syntactic and semantic levels of analysis
..
In discursive and in logical semantic levels
main opposition pairs, isotopes, are established . Oppositions express
contrasts, isotopes -- analogues of contrasts, repetitions. Contrasts and
nuances (especially in color area) as it was already mentioned in syntactic
level. Repetitions also are essence of symmetry. Symmetry is a problem
of syntactic level too. First of all between harmonious picture's indispensable
conditions V.Ganzen and the colleagues mentioned repetition of the whole
in parts (V.Ganzen, P.Kudin and B.Lomov, About Harmony in Composition,
in journal Technical Aesthetics, 1969, Nr. 4, p. 1-3). So repetition
again. This same is in one picture many times. This is isotope. Hereby
harmony directly connects syntactic level with semantic one or, in other
words, it connects spheres of formal and pithy factors. (Go
to part 3)
