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Artist: Peter Paul Rubens

Title: The Conversion of St. Paul

Date: 1610

Medium: Oil on Panel

Size: Height (95.2 cm) Width (120.7 cm)

This painting was created in the early 17^th century, in a location near modern day Poland/Germany. The author was famous in this time period for painting several Christian themed paintings from the time period of 1608-1625. In the context of this time period, it is evident that the Catholic church was undergoing several changes because of the protestant movement. During this time period, King James I of England was in the prime of his tenure, with many of his anti-Catholic rhetoric occurring when this painting was made. It is critical for the context to understand that the early 17^th century was a very divisive time period in terms of Catholicism, as the painting is clearly religious based. 

The “Little Picture” idea of this painting is easy to understand when just viewing the picture. It becomes evident that God is up in the heavens and reaching his arm down to salvation. There is a man who appears to be dying in the center of the painting with other men trying to help him live. Also, it is significant to note that there are many horses in the painting and men riding the horses. The painting also portrays many people below God. All of the people are moving around and look to be uncertain about what is going on.

The style of the painting plays a big role in developing the theme because of the color scheme and structure. The most paramount color scheme to take note of is the bright colorful light of God in the heavens. God is wearing a bright red robe, clearing trying to draw notice to him at the top. Also, there is a bright light that contrasts to the dull colors of the people in the bottom of the picture. The clouds are also a dark grey color, and the light of God is pouring through them. The texture of the painting refers to the combination of how the painting looks and the heavy build up paint to convey importance. In this painting, the texture is very rough in the center, with a lot of buildup of dull colors around the people in society. The painting appears to be very busy in the bottom with lots of people frantically moving around, with nothing going on in the middle left/right; just background like the trees and sky. However, the painting does get ‘busy’ again at the very top with God and angels appearing brightly in the sky.

This painting can be critically analyzed to form a very salient message that appears to coincide with a very important social issue going on in the 17^th century. Stated above in the context; the battle between Catholicism and Protestantism is one of the biggest social/religious complications is being engaged in this painting. The painter clearly used a distinct color scheme to portray God as the ultimate savior as he is in a bright red robe, with a bright light of religious power shining on the dull colors of the subjects below. All of the horses are running rampant and the subjects seem to be distorted around the God appearing above them. The fundamental message that the painter is conveying is that people are losing track of God in their lives and fading farther away from him as they engage in Protestant ideological beliefs. An additional theme that can be identified is the dying man in the bottom of the picture, it is not clear if this man is Jesus Christ or a man of religious importance, but he seems to draw a lot of attention from other people trying to help him. A conclusion that I reached was that the people helping him are followers of Catholicism and the others are fluttered because they have been straying away from God. The clues that lead me to this conclusion is that they are also depicted in a very bright/colorful color, whereas the other people are dulled out or not as focused on. Lastly, I think that this painting could have a very impactful meaning on today’s society due to the fact that one of the central themes is based on the issue of drifting away from God. In the 21^st century, religion is not a key aspect in many people’s lives, whereas this time period religion was essentially connected to all features of life.  

Jane Eyre

Question #2

In the text, it becomes evident there is a central idea focusing around the marginalization or silencing of the girls in the school. In context, the girls in the school are essentially required to have straight hair, that does not stand out. The principle, a male, happens to notice Julia, a new girl in the class who has her hair curled all over; unlike the rest of the class. This small and insignificant detail happens to be the factor that contributes to her getting punished by the principle.

The girls are all being silenced because of the fact that they cannot control how they wish to portray themselves, regardless of style or personal choice. Their choices are being controlled by the principle who makes it clear that following his strict rules is the only option. A phrase from the text helps depict this cruel marginalization, "She [Julia] possesses the ordinary form of childhood; God has graciously given her the shape that he has given to all of us; no signal deformity points her out as a marked character" (Paragraph 47). This example is paramount to the central idea of the text because the principle is stating his justification for calling her out in front of the class. He is embarrassing her and using fearmongering to force her to apply to the rules; no personal characterization. The principle and the school system in general, is silencing the girls right to choice and personal opinion. All of the girls are being portrayed as equal, and they are not allowed to stand out in any way from each other. Overall, the central idea of the text is that the girls are being silenced and controlled by a male dominant principle, who uses fearmongering to make the girls apply to his rules. The significance of marginalization of the girls to make them feel inferior is a critical part of the text.