Recolouring Images: An Orange Glow
These two paintings are interesting examples of reds or oranges being used to depict a spiritual or biblical scene.
Watts specifically choses to depict the scene of the end of Noah's Flood, not with the typical symbolism of the text, such as the rainbow or arc, but with an overpowering orange glow of the sun.
‘I have not tried to paint a portrait of the sun such a thing is unpaintable — but I wanted to impress you with the idea of its enormous power.'
- George Frederic Watts
And while some online depictions show Lantara's painting as bright yellow, the actual colouration is much closer to a red-orange.
Highest quality online copy
Painting reference for correct colour grading
Symposium’s corrected image in the archive
Aivazovski goes in the opposite direction with his signature grey blue tones. He imagines Genesis 1:2 as a deep glowing blue light:
‘Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.’
- Genesis 1:2
'And the Spirit of God moved on the face of the waters' Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky 1838 Oil on panel 23 x 18.5cm Collection: Private collection
When abstract or mythological scenes are depicted, the choices made are very conscious ones. Nothing is simply 'by observation', and how painters choose to create the spiritual glow of light always provides fascinating comparison.
What do you imagine the Spirit hovering over primordial waters to look like?
Which do you think of these three paintings is most effective?