This 1563 painting by Giuseppe Arcimboldo entitled Winter is one of the many that I dislike. I acknowledge the fact that the artist is indeed very talented to have created such a complicated work but even so, I do not enjoy it because the tree-looking subject in this painting looks as if he was cursed. It brings some sort of wickedness and mystery with it. This looks too weird for me and this deviance from what I normally like seeing is what makes it unpleasant.
The second painting is entitled Salome with the Head of Saint John the Baptist. It is a work done by Bernardino Luini from 1515 to 1525. I like this painting because of its religious background and the story behind John the Baptist’s beheading. It is sad to think that it was at his mother’s request. This incomprehensible truth and the odd combination of the dish and head is what lures me to Luini’s art.
This last painting is called The Young Martyr by Paul Deroche which he worked on in 1855. The reason I like this artwork is again, due to its religious significance. This actually depicts the drowning of a young, Christian soul. It looks so peaceful and pure. You can almost feel her total surrender to God and the conclusion of that fate from her halo. This can portray sadness but it can also work the other way around with attaining happiness from death.
Reference:
Paoletti, J. (2005). Art in Renaissance Italy. Retrieved from http://books.google.com.ph/books?id=EFhVehAvVyUC
