# Visual art to pair with a Requiem?



## macgeek2005 (Apr 1, 2006)

I'm going to be putting together a video thing where I'll have the sequence of a Requiem playing, with the English translation appearing, and I'd like there to be a series of paintings/images to go with it as well, following the text as much as possible in terms of their content, etc.

Does anybody have any ideas for what would be good to go along with it? Perhaps mostly religious art from around the 13th century, when the text was written? I just want it to be traditional Western art, fitting of the text, to make it as immersive and dramatic a presentation as possible.

In addition, are there any good online galleries for this sort of thing?

Thanks!


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Rothko, his darker works.


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## macgeek2005 (Apr 1, 2006)

Hmm... not quite what I had in mind. Traditional Western art, fitting of the text. Religious images.. vivid images.. etc. Not abstract art.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

Following your line of thought, Giotto is the most prominent example of 13th-14th century proto-renaissance humanist art with a clear religious programme (the Arena Chapel including the Last Judgment, for instance). 

But his psychological and pictorial language is less developed / expressive by today´s standards than say later artists like Rogier van der Weyden, Hieronymus Bosch, or, even later, Dürer and Michelangelo, who all created ambitious religious compositions too.

(try the google image search)


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## JCarmel (Feb 3, 2013)

http://www.wga.hu/index1.html

Hope you find something of use...


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## macgeek2005 (Apr 1, 2006)

joen_cph said:


> Following your line of thought, Giotto is the most prominent example of 13th-14th century proto-renaissance humanist art with a clear religious programme (the Arena Chapel including the Last Judgment, for instance).
> 
> But his psychological and pictorial language is less developed / expressive by today´s standards than say later artists like Rogier van der Weyden, Hieronymus Bosch, or, even later, Dürer and Michelangelo, who all created ambitious religious compositions too.
> 
> (try the google image search)


Yes, this actually makes sense.. I want something that is as vivid to the text as the music is, and the music was composed in the 18th century. So 17th/18th century art may actually be more fitting, given the presence of the music as well, than 12th/13th century art.


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## david johnson (Jun 25, 2007)

gustave dore - http://dore.artpassions.net/
john martin - https://www.google.com/search?q=joh...gH2mYCIDA&sqi=2&ved=0CFYQsAQ&biw=1920&bih=888


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

> Yes, this actually makes sense.. I want something that is as vivid to the text as the music is, and the music was composed in the 18th century. So 17th/18th century art may actually be more fitting, given the presence of the music as well, than 12th/13th century art.


For the 18th century, the series by the Tiepolos might be an option. Despite a certain rococo charm, they also have a lot of narrative details and an airiness which could be suitable to the "flight" of music ;-). They didn´t produce a well-known "Last Judgment" or many "horror scenes" though.

In general, 18th-century religious series of paintings didn´t provide much new as regards pictorial language or invention, compared to the earlier centuries.


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## Xaltotun (Sep 3, 2010)

Pictures of gothic architechture, probably the greatest artistic achievement in 13th century Europe. Go for the original French cathedrals like Amiens, Rouen, St. Denis, Notre-Dame de Paris.


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## rborganist (Jan 29, 2013)

Gogle the name Gustav Dore and see what comes up. He illustrated the Bible (I think it was the Latin Vulgate), so there should be plenty of appropriate images, whether it's doom, death, and destruction for the Dies Irae or redemption for the Pie Jesu, etc.


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## Anselm (Feb 24, 2011)

How about Matthias Gruenewald's Crucifixion from the Isenheim alterpiece? Too late for medieval, and too early for the 18th century, but may still be of interest to you. One of the most graphic depictions of the crucifixion, so may suit your Requiem depending on what it is.

On the other hand, how about counterpointing the Requiem with images that make you think about what's being expressed? Scenes of war, death and devastation, for example, in the opening Requiem ("Grant them eternal rest, O Lord") section, such as Giotto's "Massacre of the Innocents" or a portait of Genghiz Khan Genghiz Khan at "unto thee shall all flesh come".


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## Ralfy (Jul 19, 2010)

Look for depictions of Biblical scenes, such as the ones created by artists listed here:

http://www.artbible.info/art/

in connection to various texts used in the Mass:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_for_the_Requiem_Mass


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