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Imagination Paper

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Imagination Paper
July 16, 2012
By Leeanne Reichert
ENG/340 Creative Writing – Erich Sysak
University of Phoenix

“Apocalypse” By Francis Danby created in the 18th century An individual’s creativity and artistic talents express how one may feel about something or perceive the world around them. Many pieces of visual art and writings can evoke certain emotions in individuals that can create some sort of connection on a personal level. Our imaginations can run wild and take us to other realms or new worlds just by what we see or read. The piece of artwork that I find rather fascinating is a visual piece called the “Apocalypse” from the Romantic era (18th century), created by James Francis Danby. I will discuss the images within the painting as well as the language, occurrences, culture, purpose, reasoning, and my own personal response to this piece. The story that comes to mind when I first see the painting “Apocalypse” is the story revealed in the book of Revelations from the Bible. The image of the angel unveiling the mysteries of the seven seals and the revelation of Jesus Christ to “John” is the vision that I think of when looking at this painting. The painting portrays a very heavy feeling of gloom and torment as if something has already occurred. The dialogue that the painting seems to represent is one of a violent, yet religious tone. One can sense the angel’s prophesying of the coming evilness, anguish, and struggles, as well as the tones of having faith in something that is much grander and will ultimately occur, bringing along with it the hope and the goodness pertaining to the everlasting future of the human spirit. My perception of the painting, along with the mental dialogue previously described, is a scene of the good triumphing over evil. The aftermath that has already occurred (the evil) is not quite over and is represented by the setting sun colored red (the blood of the human race). But, evil will eventually meet its fate through the forces of good which is represented by the huge image of the angel with her arms open wide welcoming the end. I think the painting expresses the book of Revelation after some of the seven seals have already been open. The angelic figure (which may represent hope) is a welcoming figure among the sea of darkness and the red colored sun. The incredible and ornate images that are portrayed in the painting of the “Apocalypse” reflect a time and culture when there were many new developments occurring, especially among the sectors in religion. After the Revolutionary War (1800s), many sought to expand the country (U.S.) westward and seek new religious avenues during this period. The period is better known as the Second Great Awakening (WGBH Educational Foundation, 2012) and the revivalist temperament. Everyone and everything, including artwork, gave off a sort of apocalyptic overtone which helped to develop many of the different religious groups that are still present today. Such religious groups include the Mormons and the Seventh Day Adventist. The main object or image that the eye focuses on is the huge angelic figure that is evenly centered within the painting. I think the main purpose behind the images appearance and size is to display the immense strength and power that the angelic figure possesses even though it is obviously surrounded by dark forces. The thoughts of the artist Danby, is portrayed well throughout the painting. You can see that Danby wanted to express the struggles of the world through the natural lightness and darkness within the painting as well as the coming end of the human race which continues to unfold as the blood red sun sets in different stages among the darkness (evil). The angelic figure, with what looks to be an arch or a rainbow above her head, represents as a warning and a sign of hope about the inevitable end as well as something that is good and much greater that has yet to happen. By doing this, the viewer can get the sense that certain events have already occurred and more is still to come. Francis Danby might have created this piece of art to simply express his view of the book of Revelations and to stimulate the same emotional response in others as he felt after his own interpretations of the book. I think he wanted to capture how great the evil of the world is and that our time here is brief, but at the same time he wanted to emphasize how powerful God is and his message to all of humanity. Many of his works have much of the same storyline and apocalyptic theme, most of which is taken from the Bible. Danby’s artistic style usually focuses on painting the human figure, and features a number of detailed figures that evokes many different emotions while providing plenty of action. When I look at this painting, I instantly think of a battle taking place between two realms. One realm is light, warm, and ranks higher above all other things while the other realm is scary, dark, and cold. I think the artist purposely painted a dark landscape of water underneath the angel to represent the coldness of death. I can also see a constant struggle between the lightness and darkness as if it were to represent the battle of good and evil that we all face each day in this world. The ghostly image of the angel is a strong symbol of morality and goodness. The power of the angel is displayed through its size and how it seems to trample over anything insignificant under its feet. The outstretched arms imply that there is something greater and more victorious than the angel. And the blood, red sun that is setting in the background underneath the angel makes me think that an insignificant time is eventually going to come to an end. The painting also reminds me of some of the mental scenes that I can imagine after reading from a fantasy storyline. There always seems to be a battle of good versus evil in which the good always prevails. The painting looks almost mythical with the faded image of the angel as if it were a god or goddess along with the dark and gloomy background that always seems to play an important role in mythical stories. I found this painting amazing because there is so much going on within it that one may not experience the same reaction from it each time it is viewed.

References
Galerie Creation (2012) “Apocalypse”. Retrieved from: http://www.galerie-creation.com/james-francis-danby-apocalypse-l-1585300.htm
WGBH Educational Foundation (1995-2012) Prophetic Belief in the United States. Retrieved from: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/apocalypse/explanation/amprophesy.html

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