This Painting Is Moments Before Disaster

This piece is called A Huguenot by John Everett Millais. It's based on an event known as the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre that took place in Paris on August 24th, 1572. This woman is catholic and her lover is protestant. She wraps her arms around him and appears to be trying to attach the white piece of cloth around her lover's arm. She looks up at her love, desperately pleading with him to put the white band on his arm so his life may be spared. He gazes down at her lovingly, with a tender and unwavering look in his eye. He’s had to make the unfathomable choice between love and his faith. It’s obvious he’s already made his decision and there’s nothing she can do to change his mind. This piece is truly heartbreaking! Millais created it during the height of his Pre-Raphaelite period. Thank you for watching!

#arthistory #art #classicart #fineart #preraphaelite

Credits:
Cloud special effect from Vecteezy

[ForestGirlTeresa]

The expression on the young man’s face in particular is so tender yet resolute. It’s an amazing demonstration of the artist’s conceptual power and skill.

[serafinadesiree]

In the opera this painting is based on, she actually converted to protestantism after she failed to convince him, they got married hastily and died as martyres that same night, her own father killed them, not knowing it was his daughter... opera is just so powerful and emotional 🥺

[korwynze]

seeing paintings like this in a museum without any context is so sad, these stories should always be added, always. you cant appreciate the full extent of the work until you know

[kimkook]

You can actually imagine the pain in her eyes and his gentle, small smile is soo perfect, it expresses that he’s trying to convince her to let him go.. just like a movie scene. Soooo captivating and beautiful but the meaning behind it just added more value to this piece of art!

[pncne]

i never thought i’d be this invested in “boring old paintings, ” it’s really opening my eyes to how intricate they are and the stories behind all of them! love this series

[emilybarclay]

Never in my life have I seen love portrayed so perfectly as in this painting. The woman’s devotion and heartbreak are plain to see and the man’s adoration and acceptance of his fate are palpable

[_kc]

The man’s tender and heartwarming gaze towards his lover is literally captivating.
The symbolism and meaning of the painting is so complex- yet simple at the same time.

[Catloaf]

He has the most calm and peaceful expression, as if saying 'don't worry dear, everything is okay' with his eyes. He let go of his worries and fears, all he thinks about is how much he loves her. It really captivated me.

[zad_rasera]

Are these tears in my eyes?
The artist really managed to capture the feelings in their faces. It's... fantastic.

[manbeckl]

I love this. She is like, "please wear this so you don't die" and he is all, "no babe, I am not going to pretend to be Catholic." His smile is evidence that he truly believes what he is saying, regarding his faith. One of them could have decided to convert, for love, but they didn't. Pretty powerful stuff.

[ankylosaruswrecks]

As someone with absolutely no knowledge of art other than "I think I like that, " I am loving this series. Obviously I know that paintings are full symbolism. But learning the history, focusing on the details and having the symbolism explained is awesome!

[melaD]

As a Protestant, the story behind this painting really moved me. The look of peace and acceptance on his face, knowing he would be martyred is very Christ-like to me. Thank you explaining the context of this painting.. it really is tragic yet beautiful.

[candiigurl]

I’m an aspiring animator and one thing a lot of people in this category don’t discuss too much is the fine art of the past centuries. You’ll get some coverage of more modern art, 20th century at the latest, but never the relics of the past. That’s why I’m so glad I found this channel. You discuss pieces with qualities that have been overlooked in a lot of art circles, and in an in-depth way that’s not pretentious or boring. You have a sense of humor and subtle bubbly-ness. Glad I found and subbed to this channel!

[KingKogi]

If my art teacher was able to teach art history like you, I wouldn’t have fallen asleep on those art history days 😅 thanks for your work!

[a-]

Flower symbolism in this artwork: the artist could have chosen any number of attractive plants as background, so I think there's a strong chance that the choice of plant species is deliberate. The ivy symbolises love and fidelity - obviously that represents the couple. The orange nasturtium flower next to the man's calf symbolises patriotism and victory. I think it means that he believes in his cause, and and anticipates that he will win.
For him, victory may be a spiritual one, meaning he gains a place in heaven, and the certainty to meet his love again later on in the afterlife. For him it may not necessarily mean that he will save his life when the mob attack him.

[Juleesuz]

As a person who doesn't "understand" art, I really appreciate the explanation of this and the historical perspective of this piece. I love his history, so your explanation really brought meaning to me. I get it now! I just found your channel so hopefully I will be able to dig deeper. BTW, my brother graduated in Art Science and my sister graduated with a Graphic Art degree. I appreciate art, but I don't understand it. My brain has a hard time understanding it.

[riaconradt]

Knowing the background story of a painting makes it all the more impactful. This scene which seemed so romantic had become so tragic. It made me appreciate it even more.

[AspenFireflyGaming]

I adore Pre-Raphaelite art, and it's precisely because of pieces like this. One innocuous armband and the expressions on the couple's faces suddenly throw us into a deep and tragic story rooted in love, faith, and history. A stunning work, although that always goes without saying when discussing the Pre-Raphaelites ❤

[kryw]

The emotion in their faces is exquisite. It’s a rare gift to capture feeling so unambiguously.

[KitsuyuutsuR]

This is what TRUE love looks like. The expressions on their faces is so heartbreaking knowing their circumstances, yet beautiful because their love for each other is so pure. Truly a masterpiece.