As the youngest of five children, I grew up seeing my siblings develop and display great artistic talent. It came as no surprise since my dad was an avid painter when he was young. I saw my siblings sing enchanting melodies, draw riveting portraits, and play infectious tunes on a variety of musical instruments. I was quite disappointed the day I realized that my talents in those areas were far from being on the same level as my siblings'. I've since realized that my creativity is channeled in a very different way. I've longed to look at an impressionistic painting and feel a burst of emotion or feel the pull on my heartstrings upon reading a lovely poem, but try as I might, I see art in a very different way. I like art that imitates reality. I like logic. I like raw emotion, exposed meaning. So while I looked through the art of the Romantic Era, I wondered if I would find anything that truly made me stop and feel.
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| "Fishermen at Sea" Joseph Mallord William Turner |
Joseph Mallord William Turner was from a middle-class family. He didn't have high social standing or abundant wealth. He had his art. He was classified as a prodigy in his youth and continued to receive renown for his artistic genius. What stands out to me though isn't the lines or colors, it's the reality of the scene. It's the fact that I can close my eyes and be in this painting. I can feel the spray of the water and the glimmer of the moon as it reflects off the water. I can look at this painting and feel like I'm a part of it, even without an overly artistic mind. I don't have to study it for an hour with my feet together and my head tilted to one side. I can let the emotions that I already have connect with this scene that feels familiar to me even though I've never been a fisherman at sea.
image credit: public domain images via Wikimedia Commons
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