The merry family jan havicksz steen

I am needing revisions made to my comparative art essay for my final project in Humanities. You will need to review the annotated document to see what improvements need to be made and also use your best judgment to improve the overall essay. Please include at least 2 additional credible citations.Johnson 1 Artist's Name: Jan Steen Title: The Merry Family Style Movement: Dutch Baroque Date: 1668 Location: Rijksmuseum Johnson 2 Artist's Name: Vincent Van Gogh Title: The Potatoe Eaters Style Movement: Post-Impressionism Date: 1885 Location: Van Gogh Museum Johnson 3 Tareesa Johnson FAS 202: Introduction to Humanities II Southern New Hampshire University 04/06/2017 Comparative Art Essay Introduction Art has been used throughout time as a form of expression as well as therapeutic relief. It is also used to immortalized cultural themes as we transition from one period to the next. In this essay, I will be evaluating two art pieces with similar themes. The first painting that I will be comparing is The Merry Family by Jan Steen in 1668. This depiction of a happy family meal was created during the Dutch Baroque period using oil on canvas. It is currently located Rijksmuseum and stands approximately 110.5 cm by 141. The second masterpiece that I will be evaluating is The Potatoe Eaters by Vincent Van Gogh. This work was created in 1885 using the oil on canvas method. Furthermore, this post-impressionist painting is held in the Van Gogh Museum in the Amsterdam and measures 82 cm by 114 cm. The image shows a family of peasants as they share a meal under dim light after a hard days work. It can be assumed that the figures in the picture have a sorrowful look of hopeless and mistrust upon their faces. I will be using this essay to analyze the importance of family gatherings, the symbolism of unity represented by sharing a meal, and the impact that a family meal has on contemporary society and art. How the Selected Works Reflects the Social or Cultural Identity of Its Day Johnson 4 Cultural or social identity is the feeling of belonging to a particular social group of gathering that has a distinct way of life. Steen’s The Merry Family was painted during the Baroque period which was shortly after the end of the second Anglo-Dutch War. The influence of the social surrounding is evident throughout the painting. In the 17th century, the Dutch society was dominated by affluent middle-class citizens. The community prided themselves on emphasizing equality so that the differences between class, status, and income were lower than in other countries. The people from this period were well off and often shared meals with people that they were intimately acquainted with which included family. For example, it can be seen in Jan Steen’s work that the figures of the image consist of both adults and children are happily dining and drinking. Artists, such as Steen, also emphasized unity and wealth through the use of deep, vibrant colors to show the contrast between the light and shadows. The vivid colors of lightly worn garments show that the figures from this work can be identified with the richer social group. This can also be determined by the bounty of foods and drinks presented in the painting.