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| ABOUT TRaC |
MultiTRaC Fall 2003
Jaroslav Cermák's The Abduction of a Herzegovenian Woman (1861) This forceful piece by Jaroslav Cermák provokes feelings of anger and pity when one realizes the turmoil and agony it represents. The Abduction of a Herzegovenian Woman, currently exhibited in the Dahesh Museum, portrays a horrific scene from the raids of the Bashi-bazouks, ferocious troops that were an irregular part of the Ottoman Empire, on a Christian Herzegovenian village (Turkey). In this disturbing, extremely evocative scene, a naked woman is being abducted by the murderers of her baby and husband, whose bodies lay on either side of her. The woman is sprawled across the center, being aggressively held by one of her offenders, while another is attempting to tie her up. A third intruder is about to set the building in the back on fire. There is only a hint of what we can assume to be her husband, deep in the shadows gripping the dirtied white sheet that no longer covers the woman. On the right, the lifeless bottom half of her baby is revealed, lying completely still, its chance at life taken away too soon. The woman alone emits such powerful emotion, illustrated in her positioning and color, which causes the eye to immediately jump to her figure. She is depicted as struggling, scratching the face of one offender and moving about to make it difficult to tie her up. With one hand towards the sky or the Heavens, it seems as if she is making a plea towards God. Many things in this painting symbolize parts of the Christian religion. According to the Bible, Jesus Christ was crucified with his hands and feet tied by rope and bound by a nail. Here, one offender is attempting to tie her wrist, the same way Christ was. There is also a crucifix with a torn chain that could signify a lost faith for Christianity, being wiped away by these men. The whole scene screams danger. The brown and gray alone creates and eerie mood, while the addition of the deep bloody red of the intruders' uniforms, and the dirty orange color of their skin, sets a more alarming tone. There is also a contrast to the stark whiteness of the woman, which represents a sort of conflict, a struggle for Christianity. The composition of the piece is brilliant. In art, composition is a very important factor and how a painter places his figures will determine the overall effectiveness. In the center portion of the piece, there are many exaggerated curves in the body of the woman, and fluid bends of the clothing. This is balanced out cleverly, by the simple, straight structures of the building behind the figures, and the green grass that come to a point. The bright blue sky is even controlled by the dull grayness of the clouds. Color is balanced as well, with lights and darks, dull and bold, and keeps the painting from being too much of one thing. If it weren't for the brightness in the woman's figure, and the light blue of the sky, the painting would have become tedious and sinister looking as opposed to the created effect. The painting is successful in that it vividly emphasizes its point, and illustrates a real event with true effectiveness. It captures the feeling of that moment and evokes a reaction from the viewer. Jaroslav Cermák is master of achieving this though his brilliant use of color, shape, composition and balance.
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