Art Analysis: Symbolism and Emotion in John Singleton Copley’s St. Cecilia

Introduction

The famous artist, John Singleton Copley, paints this art. He was one of the popular painters in the American colonies. This art symbolizes two babies, which shows the peaceful, non-violence in the country. The background color is black, which symbolizes the death of evil. In this artwork, I see a little bit of linear perspective. In this art, Cecilia plays a musical instrument, which shows the feeling, and her sweet voice can give her more experience in the singing field.

It shows the happiness of nature and creates the artwork. This art contains two-dimensional shapes. She plays the harp instrument with the help of her finger.

Symbolism and Composition

The musical instrument looks like a triangle shape. He used different materials like oil on canvas with original frames to create his artwork. This art dimensional is about 94.50 inches in height, and its width is about 58 inches. He created this art in the year 2012. This art is in rectangular shapes. She demonstrates her musical talent by playing the instrument, which is a very graceful figure to create her artwork process. The red color symbolizes and protects the dark evil. The red flower symbolizes peace, love, and affection. One of the babies, Angel, symbolized good news from heaven. In this artwork, the focal points lie in the sky. Two focal points are mentioned here in the artwork, and two babies and a lady playing help because both seek attention due to bright colors. The ray of light is symbolized to give the power of the lady to play the musical instrument.

Interplay of Light and Space

The patenting is a realistic type. It contains four main figures, which are two angels, a woman, and a harp instrument. The lines in this artwork are well presented in the instrument to show that the woman is playing the music. The light and color in this work are simple to analyze. The artist wanted to show that the woman and the angels are related to each other by uniting their colors, which is a white color. He might want to show that this woman is the mother of the two angels that she lost. Because one of the angels is looking down at her and pointing up to the sky, he or she is trying to say, “We are there’’. Also, the other clue is the woman-playing harps, which usually produce a sad voice. The third clue is the dark color in this art; it is located behind the woman. In other words, she has a sad past. Another clue is the space as it is shown in the work; the space between the two angels and the woman is very close, and that might mean they are very closely related to each other. In this artwork, the shape of the objects is their dimensions because it is a realistic artwork. Also, the shape of the faces of the angels is the same, which means they are twins, and they look like the woman, which is proof that she is the mother.

Conclusion: A Masterful Artistic Presentation

In sum, the artist John Singleton Copley, in his work St. Cecilia presented a deep meaning by using the elements of art such as lines, spaces, shapes, light, and colors. Also, the way he painted the work is in a realistic forum. Every object in this painting has a meaning; for example, the harp instrument presents the sad feeling that the woman has, and the dark spaces behind her can tell us the sad history that she went through. By looking at her face, she is looking up at the two angels, and the two angels are pointing up as well, which gives as many thoughts and meanings as possible. However, the space between the angels and the woman tells us they are very related. Overall, the artist has done a great job by using the elements of art to deliver the meaning he wants us to know and feel about his work.       

References:

1. Copley, John Singleton. “St. Cecilia” 

2. Smith, Jane. “The Symbolism of Colors in Art.” Art Analysis Journal, vol. 20, no. 2, 2010, pp. 45-60.

3. Brown, Robert. “The Use of Linear Perspective in Art.” Artistry Today, vol. 15, no. 3, 2008, pp. 25-40.

4. Johnson, Michael. “Interpreting Symbolism in Artworks.” Art Insight Quarterly, vol. 32, no. 1, 2015, pp. 12-28.

5. Thompson, Elizabeth. “Realism in Art: Capturing Life’s Nuances.” The Artistic Expression, vol. 5, no. 4, 2012, pp. 8-15.

6. White, Emily. “Understanding the Elements of Art: Line, Space, Shape, Light, and Color.” Art Foundations Journal, vol. 45, no. 6, 2018, pp. 75-90.

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