Anger after 1698

Curator: What a powerful drawing! Before us is "Anger," created by Eduardus Jacobus sometime after 1698. It's rendered in chalk, graphite, and pencil on paper. The Art Institute of Chicago holds this intense portrait. Editor: Intense is right! My first reaction is, "Whoa, back off!" The sheer rage conveyed is almost palpable. It feels invasive, this close-up study of such raw emotion. Curator: It's an academic study of anger, of course. Jacobus dissected anger into its component visual parts, aiming for what could be understood in art. The red chalk particularly highlights the inflamed, almost feverish, quality of his skin. Editor: It's more than just a technical exercise though. The accompanying text describes anger's physical manifestations: "eyes become red and enflamed…the nostrils open and enlarged." Jacobus seeks to anatomize and thus comprehend something profound about human feeling. Looking at how it shows how socio-cultural conventions try to put people, or their emotional displays, in boxes. Curator: That’s well said! And it is important to keep in mind how social constructs shape those performances and expectations. Editor: Did you also notice his self-awareness about controlling anger with his choice of medium. He shows, but does not 'perform' anger; using it as an important emotional expression in our own daily lives. Curator: Absolutely. His careful control mirrors a societal pressure to control that emotion and demonstrates a certain kind of societal performance for what emotion is, and it seems to make people uneasy. Jacobus captures a moment on the edge, as it boils. Editor: A sentiment, I find, relevant to art production. He's capturing that moment right before losing control which in today's art can mean everything as contemporary artist try to break molds by 'over' expressing through artistic mediums, such as painting or sculpting Curator: I agree completely, I didn't see that before! It makes me appreciate it even more now that I see that additional insight and how its relevant and true to this current generation. Editor: Well, it is important that all arts are examined within its cultural contexts. The artist had control and understanding to dissect one part of humanity.