Saint Jerome (2017), Alasdair Gray, photo relief print
'Saint Jerome' (2017), by Alasdair Gray, is a photo relief re-print based on a 1955 woodblock cut he made previously. My initial thoughts on the print were that I got a very cultural sort of religious feel from it, mainly due to the figure that can be seen with flowing facial hair, seemingly nude, who looks like a scribe of some sort contained within a very chaotic scene of different animals and plants, and some type of ruin. However, on closer inspection I began to realise that, in my opinion, the piece is actually a commentary on the environment and our climate, and how humanity has affected this. A lot of the imagery within the piece symbolises life and death, and relates to the themes of impermanence or the impending mortality of existence itself, ie. The skull that can be seen beside the man, making us think of these themes, as nothing is permanent. The skull could symbolise a warning of what could become of us if we aren't careful?
There are many easily overlooked aspects to be observed within the piece, which is something I believe the artist did deliberately as he wanted to create a thought-provoking piece that at first glance didn't appear as much to get viewers minds going, to then take their own interpretation of the work. Several creatures can be seen in the piece, some birds can be seen on branches of a dead tree at the top of the piece, while a man and a lion can be seen at the bottom. They've been done in such a style that it looks as though the artist has taken reference from old tapestries and styles from medieval times, but put his own spin on it through exaggerating aspects of the creatures and their surroundings. The eyes of the creatures themselves all seem to look directly at the viewer, and even the birds whose heads aren't facing us still appear to be looking directly at us, as was typical of medieval works too. This is clever as it creates a feeling of being observed by the piece itself and creates a relationship between viewer and the actual piece, which is important as it draws attention to the details. The eyes of St Jerome are also contained within a triangular composition; on level with the brickwork behind him, the draped fabric that can be seen stretching through the piece, and the branches of the dead tree, all combine in this composition to create an area of focus in the centre of the piece. This is an interesting choice by the artist as the aspects which come together to create this triangular composition are all ones which also individually lead our eye around the piece, which is important for the viewer to be able to take in all the information. Another stylistic choice is that the creatures all appear to be done in a mythological style, relating to the medieval reference, and the birds actually look similar to what phoenix's are depict to be like, which nods to the idea of rebirth and perseverance. This is important as this could be the artist commenting on how we as humans have caused so much detrimental effects on our planet, yet still nature perseveres and can thrive regardless of the challenges faced by human civilization. I believe that the composition of the creatures in the piece is also important, as the phoenix-like creatures are placed above an old ruin, which could symbolise nature taking back control and thriving even through the waste that humanity produces. The man in the piece, assumed to be the prints namesake, St Jerome, is seen to be sat by a majestic lion, which is very attention grabbing, and I feel as though the artist is commenting here on how we as humans can live coinciding with such creatures in a way that isn't harmful, to them or our planet which we share with them. This also relates to a time in St Jerome's life as it is said that he befriended a lion and removed a thorn from it's paw at some point. The way in which the man's back is turned on the old ruin supports this as his back is turned on the harmful industrious side of humanity, instead choosing to be at one with nature as he appears very relaxed due to his pose and facial expression. The man is also nude from what we can observe, so this too could relate to the idea of St Jerome choosing a simpler, more eco-friendly lifestyle and just being balanced with nature. This could be Gray trying to depict a part of St Jerome's life as it is said that St Jerome went for a period of time to live in the desert, at one with nature. The candle which can be seen above the man could represent this epiphany of learning to coincide with nature at this time in his life, as candles are synonymous with enlightenment and illumination.
It is important to mention, I feel the piece has strong similarities in the styling and overall message as Pablo Picasso's 'Guernica', which is another monochromatic piece that comments on humanities destructive tendencies and the suffering we can cause if we aren't careful, both pieces representative of warnings of what could become of us. The use of a monochromatic palette is very important in both pieces, as it conveys the tone of loneliness, pain and suffering caused by destruction, and also allows for the viewer to focus more on the important messages the artist is trying to put forward through their imagery and symbols within the pieces. Both are very bold pieces because of this palette choice, and help to make them stand out. As well as this, 'Guernica' and 'St Jerome' both have made use of matte black, which helps to not distract the viewer from the subjects within the pieces. Both pieces also are done in a more abstract, angular approach, which aids in the visual understanding of what we are actually looking at as all aspects of the pieces are defined. The figures in both have been exaggerated and distorted to put focus on them. There are aspects of jagged line and contrasting more free-flowing wavy lines in both pieces, and this contrast is important as it adds to the idea of Humanity vs Nature, and how humanity/human structures and nature coincide. A part of Gray's piece which relates to this coinciding with each other is the dead looking tree and its branches intertwined with the old ruin at the centre of the piece.
'Guernica' (1937), Pablo Picasso, oil painting on canvas
Overall, I really enjoy this piece of work as it has a lot of depth and hidden meaning, and I really enjoy those little details within the piece. From the tiny details on the rug or tiling St Jerome can be seen sitting atop, to the brickwork and the way in which the lines have been angled to create depth and draw attention, I really enjoyed analysing these aspects of the piece. There was a lot going on, and a lot more I feel I could have written about, however I feel as though I captured a lot of the piece and its meaning within this analysis. This is a piece in which I feel everyone who views it will take a different opinion on the messages and what it is that Alasdair Gray is trying to convey, however I feel this is what Gray wanted as he wanted to create a thought-provoking piece.










