The Prodigal Son

The Return of the Prodigal Son was painted by Rembrandt Harmenszo van Rijn in Amsterdam in 1662. The painting is an illustration of a parable from the Bible, the parable of The Prodigal Son. The parable says a son was granted his inheritance by his father but he went out and spent it. The son was so ashamed at what he had done that he decided not to go home and confess to his father. Eventually the son returns fearful that his father would never forgive him for what he did. To his chagrin, when he gets home his father instantly forgave him for his mistakes because he didn’t care what his son did, he only cared that his son was home. While The Return of the Prodigal Son was being painted, the Netherlands signed a treaty of alliance with France and Dutch gold diggers killed over 400 people from the Nayar warrior caste in India (timelines.ws). These events helped shape the theme of this piece of art.
The Return of the Prodigal Son is a depiction of the parable of the The Prodigal Son. The Prodigal Son symbolizes the fortune seeking Dutchmen killing the Indians for money (timeline.ws). They take someone else’s fortune to benefit themselves only. The detail of each person in the painting tells a little bit about them, especially the son. The son is bent down at his father’s knees. His clothes are pale compared to the red colors on the other clothes in the painting. The son is also only wearing one worn out shoe and the other shoe has fallen off. There is a slight profile of the son’s face that looks as though he is relieving all of his worries and fears that his father wouldn’t forgive him. He also looks relieved to be home again with his family where he belongs. The father appears to be content as well as reassured that his son is back safe. He is looking down at his son consoling him, letting him know that everything would be alright. The reunion of the father and the prodigal son is a direct correlation of the Netherlands signing a treaty with the French (timeline.ws). They are both embracing each other for who they are and accepting their flaws. The story behind The Return of the Prodigal Son reflects the series of historical events the Dutch were involved in.

"Timeline Netherlands." Timelines of History, Today in History, World History. May 9, 2011. http://timelines.ws/countries/NETHERLANDS.HTML.

"Rembrandt Biography and Chronology." Rembrandt Van Rijn: Life and Work. May 9, 2011. http://www.rembrandtpainting.net/rembrandt_life_and_work.htm.

Norwich, John Julius. "Rembrandt Harmensz Can Rijn." Oxford Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Arts. April 18, 2001. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1990. 378.

Don't Be Afraid to Speak Out

Speechless was painted in 1996 by an Iranian artist named Shirin Neshat. Iran in 1996 became incredibly active in their desire to possess nuclear power and military artillery (www.globalsecurity.org). Iran tried numerous times to harness nuclear power within the country and consulted with countries like China and Russia about nuclear advancements in Iran (www.globalsecurity.org). While all of this was happening the people of Iran were dealing with the problems left over from the Iran-Iraq war and the continuous oppression from the Ayatollah. Shirin Neshat turns a country’s feeling into a work of art.
Iran’s large involvement with military technology could play a potential role in Speechless, explaining the gun next to the girl’s face. The girl looks fearful for her life and fearful of her circumstance. Her face looks surprised and doesn’t know what to do because she doesn’t want to make a wrong move that could cost her her life. Her eyes look full with sorrow but her mouth is drawn as if she wants to speak and be heard but she can’t because she is scared for her life. This girl could resemble Iran and its people. In 1996 Iranians were still feeling the repercussions of the Iran-Iraq war. The war only ended 8 years before the picture was painted, in 1988 (Persepolis). The country was devastated because not only were they being attacked by Iraq but they were being oppressed by the Iranian government. The painting can depict the concerns of the Iranians who don’t want potentially dangerous nuclear activity in Iran. The girl wanting to speak but can’t can symbolize the Iranians who want to speak out but can’t because they are afraid. The fear seen on the face of the young girl in Neshat’s Speechless signifies the distraught emotions of the Iranian people.

Coughlin, Con. "1996 Iran Special Weapons - Missile, Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Weapons News." GlobalSecurity.org - Reliable Security Information. May 9, 2011. http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/iran/1996/index.html.

"MoMA | Shirin Neshat. Speechless. 1996." MoMA | The Museum of Modern Art. April 18, 2011. http://www.moma.org/explore/multimedia/audios/27/652.

Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis. New York: Pantheon, 2003. Print.

Fear at Kent State

The Kent State Massacre in Kent, Ohio happened in the midst of the Vietnam War. In 1968 the My Lai Massacre devastated the American public. The Vietcong lived in My Lai, where many had been killed weeks prior to the massacre. On March16, 1968 U.S. troops bombarded My Lai and killed over 300 unarmed Vietnam civilians including men, women, and children (www.pbs.org). Many people would escape to Canada or other countries, anything to stay out of the war (www.ohiohistorycentral.org). This was a dark age for the U.S. because of the continuous demonstrations, whether violent or not. It was the people vs. the police and it would all unravel at Kent State University.
The Kent State photo is very conflicting because on one side are protestors who appear to be calm and on the other are angry police. The demonstrators look calm but fearless when faced with adversity. The protestors are being pointed at with bayonets but they challenge the guns with flowers, as if the flowers symbolize innocence. This picture also depicts what the Vietnam War was like: innocent civilians being killed by U.S. troops. The protestors show a great amount of bravery because they are surrounded by police officers with guns. Even more bravery is being shown when the demonstrators take the protests a step further and fight war with peace by placing flowers on the tip of the bayonets. This piece of art stands for all of the brave people willing to sacrifice their life for the good of others in spite of their fear.

"Kent State Shootings - Ohio History Central - A Product of the Ohio Historical Society." Ohio History Central - An Online Encyclopedia of Ohio History - Ohio Historical Society. May 9, 2011. http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=1595.

"American Experience | PBS | Vietnam Online." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. May 9, 2011. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/vietnam/trenches/my_lai.html.