Free Essay On The Injured Child

A few days ago I had a chance to visit one of the most famous museums in the world – the Denver Art Museum. It is renowned for its unique incomparable works of art that depict all the verges of the human life.
Although every painting has its own history and attracts the visitors by its marvelous colors and texture, there was one particular picture that made me feel dumb. It was a work of a famous French artist Gustave Dore. This piece of art stood out against other no less distinguished paintings. It was the picture ‘The Family of Street Acrobats: The Injured Child’.
It is a pleasure for every observer to enjoy a tender piece of art, because such a work gives a sense of delight and freedom. The chosen picture, indeed, embodied darkness and grief. I could see the sorrow depicted on this painting.
The first thing that the visitor of the museum notices is dark shades throughout the canvas. We can see a hopeless mother who holds her injured child and a father who sits nearby. The image of a father is rather strange, because his face expression and haircut make him look like a desperate demon. His eyes are wide open and it is obvious that he is on the verge of crying. Nevertheless, the father holds back his tears in order to support the wife and to be a pattern of a strong man.
The mother is even more upset than the father, but she hides her face behind the son. Her eyes are closed; her head is dropped because of despair. It is possible that she has not buried her hope for the child’s recover, but this hope remains only in her heart, not on her face.
A vivid feature of this picture is the costumes of the parents. Although the parents are extremely unhappy, they wear bright smart costumes. This peculiarity provokes a strange impression. Only after a few seconds of a deep reflection one realizes that the mother and father are street acrobats who have just come home after a hard working day.
The central point of the canvas is the injured child. When we look at this poor boy, our hearts are laden with pity for him. We can feel the pain of the miserable child who has to play joyfully with his parents just like many other children instead of lying in the mother’s arms.
The family seems to be poor, as the clothing of the boy and the background confirm the economic status of the people on the picture. Of course, it is possible that they were captured not at home, but in a dressing room of the couple, but, nonetheless, the setting is too awesome.
Unlike many typical modern pieces of art, this picture made me think and empathize. As I did not know the history of this family, I started to imagine the times, when they lived, the political and economic situation in the world of that time. I was wondering what the reason for the child’s injury was and whether this illness can be cured. It was not an ordinary bright picture that could bring nothing but joy. This canvas has something to tell us; its aim is to make us feel the sorrow of other people and sympathize with them.
Thus, this piece of art depicts the feelings that are common to every human being. It would be good for everybody to see the picture and sense its history and deep meaning hidden in the eyes of the suffering people.