Artists have been trying to capture the appearance of love for centuries.
“From ancient Greek statues to impressionist paintings, love –expressed in its many forms– remains a timeless motif in galleries around the world”
In the lead up to Valentine’s Day, I traced through the halls of the National Gallery of Irelandand found my favourite pieces that I feel represent love.
First up on our list is Dinner Hour at the Docks by Jack B Yeats. This small oil painting, created with the heavy strokes of distinct colour that is a signature of Yeats’ works, captures a sentimental moment, filled with love. The scene captures a sweet moment where a dock worker sits down to eat his dinner that has been prepared and delivered to him by his wife while they spend his lunch break together. The tenderness of this act of service is amplified by the two figures who huddled together in an alcove in the right corner of the frame, creating an intimacy in which their meeting unfolds. Painted in 1928, and poetically capturing an old Irish form of love, Dinner Hour at the Docks remains a heartfelt and moving piece which focuses on human connection.
Two Lovers in a landscape by Thomas Bridgford also captures a sentimental moment between two lovers. This oil painting portrays love through time spent together, with our two young lovers happily wasting the evening away together. Created within the Romantic style, with great attention paid to the rolling hills and paddocks behind the two central figures, the painting echoes a blissful solitude centred around young love. The Fern in the foreground can also be read as a symbol to everlasting youth and the innocence of young love.
Looking at paintings that are so rich in artistic symbolism, Hugh Douglas Hamilton’s Cupid and Psyche in the Nuptial Bower is sure to catch anyone’s eye. Based on the myth of Cupid and Psyche, Hamilton’s piece captures the two lovers in a darkened forest, surrounded by symbolic details. – The wings that adorn the figure of Psyche are butterfly wings representing the soul, while Cupid’s bow and quiver lay against a tree in the foreground. Ivy can also be found in the background which often represents immortality in Greek Art. The figures’ playful, entangled poses radiate an excitement about their wedding and what awaits after the I do’s.
When looking at how the posing of figures in paintings convey deep emotions, it is impossible not to mention the meeting of Hellelil and Hildebrand, Meeting on the Turret Stairs by Frederic William Burton. Perhaps one of the most recognisable paintings on display in the National Gallery, the painting is inspired from the Danish ballad where Hellelil falls in love with her personal guard Hildebrand. This tender moment would be the last meeting of the two lovers as Hellelil’s father would soon disapprove of their union and order for Hildebrand to be killed. The longing and passion of the star-crossed lovers is evident in Hildebrand’s face as he grasps at his last moments with Hellelil, while she turns to look at Hildebrand one last time. The wilting flower at the bottom of the stairs may represent the fleeting nature of this moment and for the couple’s chance at a life together.
“The true poignancy of this piece lies in the observer’s awareness that this is their final goodbye”
The last painting I want to mention was Luca Giordano’s Venus, Mars and the Forge of Vulcan. Unlike the sweet or sentimental paintings we have previously looked at, Venus, Mars and the Forge of Vulcan is bursting with passion and emotion. The painting shows Venus, holding the child Cupid as she is – guided into bed by Mars. Venus’s husband, Vulcan, is completely unaware of the affair unfolding behind him as he and his assistants are focused on forging Jupiter’s thunderbolts. The God of Love and the God of War make for a passionate and fiery love affair. Although not a love that anyone should aspire for, there is passion captured in the dramatic venetian style of the piece.
This is only a brief overview of the kinds of love that are on display in the National Gallery of Ireland. Between portraits of lovers, oil painted romantic myths and impressionist expressions of passion, love can be seen echoing around the halls and galleries.
