Fig. 1

Joan's figure in this same pose is repeated twice, only for once going out from building, for the second time climbing on hill by the path that leads up to desert. Motion takes place from the left to the right and from the front to the deep. Time slips in this same way -- earlier the going out is, after the climbing on hill. One Joan's figure is nearer, another one in the distance, but their sizes differ little (2.3:2), when the houses, that are much near from spectator than second Saint Joan, are so little that even a dog would not go to them. We may think that such approach of the artists was done for easier reading of plot. If sizes of two Saint Joanes differed very much, it would be difficult to identify figures. It follows also that the application of inverse perspective was demanded by easier reading of plot.

Fig. 2

In image's deepness behind figures' backs enlightened by sun luxuriant trees and the exotic animal elephant show the past -- paradise that the heroes soon will leave. The figures themselves stand near lower edge in the present. The figure of Eve covers the great part of central vertical, Adam is more on the left of Eve. They do the action that will determine their fate, they entice themselves to eat up an apple. In the nearest place of image at the left above embracing the trunk of old tree, letting down its head, stretching out black wing grass snake grinning chuckles. Its head hangs over Eve and shows disasters that will befall her. The trunk of tree reminds about human body. Grass-snake's bent leg is similar to mirror reflection of bent leg of Adam. Or man will oppress woman when they will left paradise; or human being (man / woman) will be tortured by monster, because the trunk of tree is more similar to male's body than female's.

Fig. 3

The hero is a man with stick here. He leads a few animals -- sheeps or/and goats. He comes from the village loomed at the foot of a hill. The wayfarer passed by two people on the little hill; one from them stands, another sits. Configuration of these two people is similar to the wayfarer's with animals. In front configuration of slowly dying tree and stump with dry branches also is similar to configuration of wayfarer's with animals group. In this way the past is in the village. Powerful, firm mountains ranging in distance by horizontal and the church can signify divinity, celestially calm life (horizontal is most calm from lines). Further at the left side two people sitting can signify slow flow of life and humanness. The group of wayfarer has elements of humanness and bestiality. The stick on shoulder means power over animals. In front on the right side in zone of the future drying tree can signify the end of life. Only birds fly.

Fig. 4

Rembrandt does not show a moment from Bible story, but he squeezes the long action into one scene in such way: the father still is in state of embracing; the Prodigal son does the motion of next moment going down on his knees; the elder son (who must return when a calf will be butchered and dances will take place) already here and he stands on the right. So Rembrandt's The Prodigal Son is an example of simultaneous representation of time.

Fig. 5

willy-nilly the glance is forced fast run from the bottom of the picture along meandered lines of way, along the yellow stairs upwards and into deepness. The figures of two women dark dressed and two ones light dressed that go into deepness strengthens rightness of supposition that time must be "read" to this direction. Meandered upwards strained road's lines through slanting stairs transform themselves into straight horizontal lines of roofs. Yellowish grayish, pale and greenish colors become dark, rich, red, blue and green. Opposition pairs here: verticals vs horizontals, not rich colours vs rich. Object of value here is rest and the cool that are acquired by stairs from noon's hot breathing street reaching houses on the hill where living being can take rest.

Fig. 6

consists from achromatic dark grays, richer blue; in the middle white, rich green and very rich red appear. Below nor rich colors again. Still below orange, light blue and white colors. Opposition pairs for picture Slopes can be formed so: dark colors vs light colors, achromatic vs chromatic colors, cold vs warm colors, blue vs green, red vs orange. Object of value can be determined as warmth and light -- as if though ray of sun slipped into arbor.

Directions of states transformations Taking structure of picture into account I established that most probable directions of reading of picture and also directions of states transformations are:..1. From the left side to the right, down and along rows. So in Egyptian Psychostasy (Fig. 7)

Fig. 7

images are laid out along horizontal rows separated by lines. The first figure from the left at upper row has largest area of white color and first of all it turns spectators attention to itself. Besides that the figure is turned to the right that shows direction of "reading". However, in this same row other figures are turned to the left side and along horizontal line they return the glance at the first figure. Further the glance can sliding down go to lower horizontal row. In wide lower row all figures except one are turned to the right...2. From depth to front, from top down as in Leonardo's The Last Supper...3. Deep down from front as in Vincent van Gogh's The Stairs in Auver...4. Equally well to depth and from depth, because any reference to one or other direction does not exist, as in art works of impressionists...Characters of transformations of states On the ground of analyze of 39 painting works by character of transformations of states (see table2) can be classified in this way:..A. Euphoric state transforms itself into dysphoric:1. Life transforms itself into death as in Greek Eos Near the Body of Memnon (Fig. 8).

Fig. 8

The trees straining to sunny sky express joy of life, because the youth was living. But now he dead. There in the distance was life, here close on the ground the dead lies.2. Motion into stopping of motion as in B.Paul's illustration on cover of journal Jugend (Fig. 9).

Fig. 9

Two cyclists rode to front of drawing, but the woman overturned and the motion is stopped.3. Order into confusion as in Leonardo da Vinci The Last Supper.4. Goodness into evil as in Rembrandt's Adam and Eve...B. Negative state into positive:1. Dark and cold into light and warm as in K.Dereskevicius picture Slopes.2. Pale colours into rich colours as in van Gogh's The Stairs in Auver.3. Despair into hope as in fresco of Gustav Klimt Die Medizin (Fig. 10).

Fig. 10

Strange dressed woman stands in front writhed bodies of sick people. This woman with right hand twined snake round and medicine embodies hope of poor people...C. Concrete state into not concrete:11. Concrete into abstract, cosmic as Giotto Mourning over Christ (Fig. 11).

Fig. 11

If in front we see strong and clearly drawn figures, in the distance something flat and understandable -- there are neither mountains nor sky, neither water, but only we can guess by the blue color that it is related with sky.2. Concrete or finite into infinite as in Hokusai's Gust of Wind (Fig. 12)

Fig. 12

Concrete scene of people with sheets of paper that are carried up by gust of wind while disappear in infinite space. 3. Concrete into indistinct as in pictures of all artists who used atmospheric perspective...D. Transformation of directions:1. Vertical lines overgrowing into horizontals as in van Gogh's The Stairs in Auver.2. Verticals and horizontals into diagonals often is met in classicism. In picture of P.Smuglevicius Virginius Killing His Daughter Virginia in the distance in buildings and in crowd of people verticals and horizontals change themselves into slating lines of figures of dramatic event...E. Only one phase of narrative level is shown: manipulation, competence, performance, or sanction. In most cases a moment of inversion is shown (Greek Heracle Killing Busiris, Romans' Sacrifice of Iphigenia, Romanesque's Jesus Christ Handing to Apostle Peter the Keys from Paradise)...ConclusionsTime in picture can be coded in such ways: successive representation of time when one time is in the distance / at the left hand side / above and other time is close / at the right hand side / below; simultaneous representation of time when author does not show any plot's moment, but long action squeezes into one scene. Also I established that problem of time is in close connection with problem of transformation of states and with the flow of eye movement of a spectator -- transformation from one state to another goes along direction of time slip and its way is peculiar for every art style. These means can be used in narrative level of semiotic analysis for establishment states' transformations.

..

..

..

..

Copyright © 2000, Jurate Macnoriute

..