Saturday 8 May 2010

Inspired by

This new project was inspired by a specific painting: Portrait_of_Don_Justino_de_Neve. By Bartolome Esteban Murillo
-You can see the painting in my previous post or visit:
http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/bartolome-esteban-murillo-portrait-of-don-justino-de-neve

Despite the fact that this is a portrait, Don Justino de Neve is not posing at all, in other words, he is not faking a pose.
His hieratic, freezing, static posture doesn´t seems to be artificial, even if is an static and non relaxing position, his back is unnaturally straight and slightly separated from the back of the chair, his hands holds very gentle, on the one hand a small book and on the other he rest and at the same time supports his posture. We are watching a non relaxed person. That doesn`t means he is stressed, is just that he has control of his body and emotions all the time, that´s why despite the fact he is holding a quite hard position, he seems to be in peace. De Neve is in peace with himself, he is not happy, not sad, is very hieratic, neutral, inexpressive; his eyes demonstrates confidence, but, that peace includes or could include terrible actions, like unfair imprisonment, torture or even murders but murders in the name of God, in the name of the truth. But even if he has some crimes in his hands he doesn`t think them as sins, mistakes or crimes, those actions are just the natural consequence of fighting heretic believes, and he, Don Justino de Navas probably owns the supreme power, the unique truth the infallible power to condemn the sinners, the heretics and also the humanity.