Fine Art Analysis

Painting of An Allegory of Chastity by Giorgione. (ca. 1478–1511) Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

MATERIALITY

• Not much information is known about this painting, but judging by the appearance of the textures and colours on the painting, this piece of artwork is most likely oil on canvas.
• A dry brush finish gives it the sharp and rough textures as seen in the painting.

SEMIOTICS

• At first glance, the painting consists of a maiden sitting on a grassfield of some sort, with a unicorn kneeling beside her. The maiden gently rests her right hand on the unicorn, with a neutral expression on her face, as if awed by the presence and action of the unicorn to even think about anything else.
• The name of the painting is "An Allegory of Chastity"; in simple terms: allegory is a short story, while chastity is the morality associated with sexual relations.
• The unicorn is one of the most mysterious of all animals, we have not seen it with our own eyes, but yet we cannot deny its existence. The myths and stories surrounding it is still being passed on today. According to ancient Chinese myth, the unicorn is careful as to not to tread on even the tiniest living thing, and is a herbivore animal, eating only plantations and living for a thousand year. And with its existence and myths being spread around the world, by the thirteenth century, in the West, the unicorn had become a metaphor for earthly love; referring back to its cautiousness as to not tread on life.
• Richard de Fournival, in his Bestiaire d'Amour, wrote:
  

I have been drawn to you by your sweet odour alone, as the Unicorn falls asleep under the influence of a maiden’s fragrance. For this is the nature of the Unicorn, that no other beast is so hard to capture, so that no one dares to go forth against him except a virgin girl. And as soon as he is made aware of her presence by the scent of her, he kneels humbly before her and humiliates himself as though to signify that he would serve her. Therefore wise huntsmen who know his nature set a virgin in his way; he falls asleep in her lap; and while he sleeps the hunters come up and kill him. (de Fournival, as quoted in Megged, 1992, 30–31)

• Whether that paragraph from the Bestiaire d'Amour was written based on the painting or not is unclear, but the point he made was important. The Unicorn was hard to capture, no one dares go forth against him except a virgin girl. This relates back to the title of the painting, "An Allegory of Chastity". The essence of chastity was portrayed by the unicorn kneeling next to the maiden; for a unicorn to kneel before a maiden "as though to signify that he would serve her", the maiden would've had to been a virgin, for a unicorn can smell the odour of pure innocence.
• The overall mood of the painting was set by the use of warm colours. The orange, the brown, and the red; possibly depicting a scene under the warmth of the setting sun. The warmth of innocent love as the maiden sat herself on the earth the unicorn has been so careful as to not damage.
• However, the warmth was contrasted by the darker shades used in the right hand side of the painting, as well as the shadow cast on the right hand side of her face (from our view). Is there another side to this 'innocent' maiden? Refering back to the Bestiaire d'Amour, the quote "Therefore wise huntsmen who know his nature set a virgin in his way; he falls asleep in her lap; and while he sleeps the hunters come up and kill him. (de Fournival, as quoted in Megged, 1992, 30–31)". Is it possible that this maiden was part of a plan to capture and/or hunt this unicorn, the symbol of earthly love?
• The maiden is not smiling, while her expression looks quite neutral, one can't help but feel that there is a bit of sorrow and loneliness surrounding her character. The way she is looking at the unicorn, exchanging eye contact with it, along with that expression and her hand resting on the beast, it seems as though she's pitying the unicorn.
• While red is a warm colour that can suggest excitement, warmth, and passion; at the same time, it can also symbolize blood-shed. The bright red dress covering the maiden from shoulder to feet, and black ribbon tied around her waist, as if telling her that she's trapped in this plan that could possibly involve bloodshed, and she has yet found a way to free herself from this shackle of a ribbon.
• The painting also gives a feeling that the unicorn already knows what's coming for him. As a symbol for earthly love, its nature is to protect the mother earth and all elements that make up this earth, that includes us, the humans. Resting on the maiden's lap, the unicorn points its horn away from the maiden, as if to assure her that its not going to harm her. There it laid its head on her lap and allowed her to caress itself, sharing that last moment of mutual love before the unicorn accepts its ultimate fate, bloodshed, darkness, as demonstrated by the bright contrasting red and the dark shades its horn points to.
  

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