Blog Post #4

I decided to go with "The Nun" by Otto Dix, a German painting made in 1914. This painting struck me at first glance because of the strong features and expression on the nun's face; they really make you understand how deeply she must be thinking about whatever it is she's pondering. That being said, she appears to be very troubled by something.

There is a mixture of cool and warm colors in this painting, but I'd argue the painting generally takes more of a cool tone overall, as seen by the nun's black robe, pale skin and green undertones. That in addition to the abundance of lines and angular shapes, such as the sharpness of her hand and face, makes the painting seem a bit chilling to me. We get the sense that there's a serious struggle being portrayed here. More specifically, I get the impression that this nun is having an internal struggle in regards to her religious duties. 

I say that because she has two distinct images split between the painting; on the left, near the upper corner, there's Jesus nailed to the cross. It might be a bit hard to tell, but you can see that his body is covered in dripping blood and he's also wearing the crown of thorns. On the other side of her head we can see a naked woman holding her stomach in which there is an apple (or at least that's what it looks like to me). 

This is very much like the classic angel on one shoulder and devil on the other scenario. The depiction of Jesus on the cross represents the holy duties she must follow as a woman in her position, and the lady on the right represents the earthly pleasures the nun is tempted to indulge in, turning her away from her faith. These temptations might consist of certain kinds of knowledge, as evidenced by the forbidden fruit in the woman's belly, or the desire for bearing children and/or having sex. Nuns aren't allowed to be in any sort of romantic or sexual relationships, and I think the woman on the right embodies those relationships, as she appears to be pregnant. The nun seems deeply troubled by these thoughts, as we can see from her downcast expression and the way her hand is rested over her chest.

I read up some more about the work and the artist, and my own analysis of the art was actually not that far off! As for Otto Dix, he's most well-known for his harsh depictions of mid-war Germany. He wasn't afraid to paint extremely graphic, dark scenes, which he knew a lot about seeing as he was a WWI veteran. Later on in life, though, he delved more into landscapes and Christian art, which fewer people know him for. I think it's really neat that Otto Dix was not necessarily religious, but still found meaning in biblical stories and enjoyed portraying them.