I found Makovsky’s Tamara and the Demon to be a fascinating piece of art that echoed the Academy’s heavy emphasis on religious iconography and used color to send a powerful message of virtue over evil. At first glance, when looking at the painting, the eyes are drawn to the faces of Tamara and the Demon because the painting as a whole is rather dark, and their pale faces catch the viewer’s attention as a contrast to the darkness. This darkness is meant to feel enveloping to mirror the Demon’s power and capability of destruction in Lermontov’s poem Demon. The darkness is given a heavy presence in the way it surrounds Tamara completely. Her figure is shown as pure and holy with her white dress, meant to pay homage to the character’s empathy in Lermontov’s poem, who sees a soul in pain rather than a tyrannous demon. This purity acts as a rebellion against evil, which ties to the poem, where Tamara is so virtuous that she takes pity on a demon, wishing to soothe its pain. This is also expressed in the painting, as the white symbolizing purity shines in the darkness.
Also catching my eye is a chalice filled with burning candles above Tamara, which illuminates a slate that I believe portrays Mary holding a baby Jesus, drawing the eye to her in the sea of darkness. This addition adds to Tamara’s image as a holy woman, but also connects the demon’s embrace of Tamara to common religious iconography. With the demon holding a limp and sullen Tamara, the execution of the painting is heavily reminiscent of a Pietà, where Mary holds the body of Jesus. Having been trained in the Academy, I’m sure Makovsky would have been aware of a Pietà, and with the image of Mother Mary in the background, I’m confident that the imagery of Tamara in the demon’s arms is meant to mimic the artistic staple that is the Pietà.
I’m not usually very astute when it comes to deep artistic analysis, but I am quite confident in my assertions regarding Makovsky’s Tamara and the Demon. The parallels to Lermontov’s poem and Makovsky’s training in the Academy are on full display in this work, and the use of dark space to highlight lighter areas send a powerful message of virtue shining in darkness.
Gabe, what you see in the background is the icon and icon lamp in Tamara’s room; every pre-Revolutionary Russian home had this, placed in what was called the “beautiful corner” of the room. The icon was meant to provide protection to the home’s inhabitants. Your connection here between the image of Mary in the icon and the Pietà-like figures of Tamara and the Demon is astute and thought-provoking!
I think that your comments about the use of darkness in the painting are interesting, particularly juxtaposing that darkness with Tamara’s white dress. Adding on to what Professor Gillespie commented about the “beautiful corner” where the icon is located, I find it powerful that the only aspects of the painting that are illuminated is the icon and Tamara’s face—emphasizing the protective nature of the icon. Finally, your comment on how Tamara’s purity is “a rebellion against evil” was extremely throughout provoking as well.
I really liked your analysis of Tamara and the Demon! I totally agree that the light-dark contrast’s purpose is twofold; the contrast certainly brought my eyes to each face, and the darkness symbolizes the power and temptation of evil. I think both the icon’s light and the brightness of Tamara’s face relative to the rest of the palet show resistance to this temptation. Indeed, the significance of what is dark and what is light in the painting– as you pointed out– have religious undertones.
I also really liked your analysis of Tamara and the Demon. The first thing that I noticed in the painting was the contrast between the darkness and light in the painting. I found that this contrast between light and dark is common in the paintings of the Itinerants, such as the painting of Ivan the Terrible and his son by Repin. Also, I saw that the two faces were the only parts of the painting with a soft style that is contrasted in the rough brush strokes of the surrounding area.
I found the concept you mentioned that the demon is “surrounding” Tamara very interesting. I saw this as a unity of the two figures. Tamara’s dress and the demon’s cloud are semi-translucent at the bottom right of the image which suggest a unity of the two figures rather than the more common message of the corruption of purity (which you established that the light was meant to represent). This idea of unity probably reflect on Tamara’s extremely virtuous nature rather than a reflection on anything else. Overall an interesting analysis!
I think the unity of the figures and the color blending of the demon’s dark robes and Tamara’s light robes definitely illustrate this theme. I also think that the unity is an important aspect of the theme of salvation seen in this piece. Tamara’s death is a final act of forgiveness and pity; she serves not as a lover to the demon, rather a maternal figure providing love to a tortured soul. The visual unity in the painting parallels the imagery of the pieta, the uniting of Jesus and Mary (mother and son), and evokes the theme of maternal love.