St. George on Horseback Slaying the Dragon

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http://www.artnet.com/Artists/LotDetailPage.aspx?lot_id=7CE106A210B88493

While doing some research on different types of etchings, I stumbled upon some interesting information. I found a beautiful, very detailed etching by a man named Daniel Hopher (1493-1536) who was thought to be the person who developed this technique. Etching also was said to be the most popular graphic art during the 17th century, around the time of Rembrandt. Hopher was a German artist who used many different techniques and strategies. It was also thought that Hopher was the first to actually pull etchings onto paper in order to print them.

The one etching that stood out to me the most by Hopher was entitled "St. George on horseback slaying the dragon." This etching reminded me of a painting I saw when I was younger at the Art Institute of a similar genre. The etching is extremely intricate and full of action. St. George is depicted on a horse wearing protective armor and a helmet with a spear in his hand, ready to pierce the dragon. He is shown as being very strong and determined, while not showing a great deal of anger or cruelty in his face. It is difficult to see his actual face causing the viewer to rely fully on body language in order to decipher his emotion.

The horse is also a component of the etching that truly caught my eye. The horse is displayed as a beautiful, magnificent creature. To me, it almost looks as if the horse is beautiful enough to be on a carousel. The horse has a beautiful mane and armor to wear as well. It is standing on top of the dragon, looking as if it were ready to pounce. The horse is very light, while the dragon is dark and scaly.

In the background, there is a great deal going on. There are trees to the one side and what seems to be people or possibly angels off in the distance. The background of the etching is rather light, similar to the lightness of the horse. Obviously, the lightness of the horse and St. George symbolize the good, while the darkness of the dragon symbolizes the bad. This seems to be a typical work of art that portrays the reign of good over evil.

I do enjoy this etching a great deal. I believe that it is very well done and pays a great attention to detail. I think that is what captures my eye the most; the little extras that were added to the etching to make it more realistic. I think the contrasting of lights and darks helps to display the idea of the triumph of good over evil. I believe that Hopher recognized his talent and used it to the fullest extent. I really enjoyed all of his other works that I viewed as well. They all seem to share the same attention to detail that I find captivating.

Abraham's Sacrifice

While I was looking at different etchings and trying to decide which one to write about next, I continually stumbled upon work by Rembrandt, specifically his work “Abraham’s Sacrifice.” The story of Abraham is that God commanded Abraham to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice as a test. Because of Abraham’s dedication to God, he went along with the command to kill his son in sacrifice but God sent an angel to stop him after seeing that Abraham would go through with it. This is a very well-known Biblical story that Rembrandt chose to portray in his etching. The image was completed in etching and drypoint.

I think that this etching has a great deal of significance and meaning. First of all, it is based off of a very pertinent Biblical story. This brings an automatic importance to the etching because of the religious message it sends. The way that the angel is holding his hand over the eyes of the boy shows the protectiveness she feels over him. Abraham’s facial expression depicts both surprise and almost shock that he was about the commit this act. The way the angel is placed looks like she is also protective of Abraham, almost hovering over him.

The values it this etching are what caught my eye the most. The background and even the angel seem to be dark, with Abraham and his son both being in lighter tones. This makes the image of Abraham and his son stand out with the background sort of fading behind them. It is as if nothing else matters at that moment in time. The lines, however, are very precise through out the etching. There is a strong sense of perfection in the image.

Looking at the image from farther away, it is does not look like the image is made up of tiny, intricate lines. However, once the viewer gets closer, each individual line can be seen and it is obvious that they are very distinct. I think this is a great etching. It serves its purpose of portraying a story or message to the viewer through the make up of those tiny lines.

I think my favorite part of this etching is the portrayal of the angel. It seems to me, which may not be the way everyone sees it, that the angel is the protector of all. No matter what, the angel will protect Abraham and his son because he has proved his devotion. I also feel that angels are typically depicted as heavenly and not of this world, but in this etching, I feel that the angel is shone as a realistic figure in this world.