Bringing Life to Art

The exhibition of Valentin de Boulogne at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is impressive for a number of reasons. Firstly, it has a significant number of paintings of this artist whose work is decidedly difficult to find. Secondly, it displays these works in a manner in which there are a number of thematic devices within them that become manifest to the viewer.

Finally, the Met is displaying these works for the next several months which is suitable since, in the humble esteem of this writer, de Boulogne's works require a substantial amount of time to fully absorb. Thus, it is possible for viewers to return to compare and contrast the painter's technique in some of his more notable works. Upon initial observation, the Met's Valentin de Boulogne: Beyond Caravaggio, is somewhat overwhelming. There are approximately 50 works of this artist on display in the various rooms in the museum (Christiansen, 2016).

Although this number might not seem excessive, the level of detail, and the intricacy involved in it, that characterizes the vast majority of this work makes it difficult to ingest in a single viewing. Such a statement is perhaps a little paradoxical when one realizes that it is exactly this level of detail that gives this exhibition its strength. Whether viewed individually or collectively, the minute details that the artist ascribes to all of his works is certainly one of the most noticeable facets of his painting.

Perhaps another eminent aspect of the collection of de Boulogne's material on display at the Met is the subject matter. Many of this artists paintings render people in poses and activities that are undeniably naturalistic. In fact, there is a fluidity or "looseness" (Sauerwauld, 2016) and degree of motion found in these works that helps to animate these human subjects which imbues them with a degree of realism or, perhaps, surrealism.

Valentin's ability to blend naturalistic qualities with an ethereal, otherworldly style is well exampled in Martyrdom of Saints Processus and Martinian. The elongated form of the central figure of this work, who greatly resembles Christ, has a sinewy, motion-like quality that is typical of many of the personages depicted in his works. Similarly, the life-like depiction of the angle on the right of this work conjures sensations of motion.

This fact is particularly true in the curved right thigh in the foreground of the angel, which extends his shape to his outstretched right hand. The result is a starkness of imagery that captures moments of movements which are "transitory" and (Christiansen, 2016) true to life, yet somehow beyond it. Another critical facet of the display at the Met of de Boulogne's work is the religiosity found throughout the pieces. One can argue that this is a common motif found throughout the majority of the paintings on display.

For instance, the aforementioned work (Martyrdom of Saints Processus and Martinian) was displayed as "the alterpiece for Saint Peter's Basilica" (Christiansen, 2016). Moreover, the epoch during which the painter created was one in which religious works were extremely popular. The artist created the bevy of his paintings at the end of the Renaissance, when religious themes were commonly found in the works of artists. An excellent example of this proclivity of de Boulogne is found in Christ Driving the Merchants from the Temple.

The religious significance of this work is underpinned by the title. Nonetheless, it is important to realize that in this depiction, as in some of his other ones, the figure of Christ is extremely realistic. Many painters illustrate the eminence of Christ's role in Christianity by bestowing upon him an innate holiness that is reflected in his clothes, his poses, and even with the sort of light and texture characteristic of his appearance.

Part of the naturalistic movement in art for which de Boulogne was a purveyor was to portray subjects naturally, a fact which is underscored in this work with Christ's normal clothes and striking similarity to the merchants he is driving out of the temple. There are certain aspects of the media that de Boulogne employed that helps contribute to the naturalism of many of his works -- and to some of their surrealism, as well.

Most of these works were rendered in oil paints on canvas, materials which were not uncommon during the time in which the artist was laboring. The level of detail found in most of de Boulogne's work directly correlate to these materials, particularly the effect of the oil paintings. This material bestows a heaviness and, in many cases, a sense of gravity that is influential in rendering the ornate details of his subjects. This realism was aided by the use of actual models which the artist painted (Christiansen, 2016).

In this respect, it is even responsible for transposing a degree of humanity and even credibility to the personages in his works. This effect.