The Analysis of "Pandora Opens the Box" by Walter Crane; 1845-1915
- Angel
- Mar 5, 2016
- 2 min read
To those of our readers that know their Greek mythology and to those that do not, you most likely know the story of Pandora and her box. Pandora was a gorgeous woman created by Hephaestus on Zeus, the king of the gods, order. The gods then gave Pandora to a human named Epimetheus to be his bride. Yet, Pandora came with a catch. She was never to open the box that the gods gave her. She tried very hard not to think about the box and what lied in it, yet her curiosity got the best of her. She opened the box and all the sorrows, diseases, and disasters that humankind face flew out. Yet, she was able to close it in time to keep hope in the box. She was able to save hope for mankind.
That is the story behind this beautiful work of art done by Walter Crane between 1845 to 1915. Crane gave this work of art the perfect name of "Pandora Opens the Box." It may not be the most original name, but it is quite fitting. He used the perfect combination of colors. The floor contrasts beautifully with the sky. I love the way he depicted Pandora opening the box. You do not clearly see what the diseases and disastors are, but you do see the clear anguish on the man's face. You can understand and feel the pain that he is feeling. It appears as if, in that very moment, he is experiencing all of the disastears and diseases that are coming out of the box. You do not see Pandora's face, but her beauty is undeniable. I believe that not showing her face could be a reference to the story. Pandora always wanted to see what was in the box, yet, when she finally did, horrible things happened. It could be interpretated that Crane did a play on that by hiding her face from us as a way to show us what it was like for Pandora. My final opinion of this piece is that it is beautiful and very well done. The colors are vibrant and the details are impecable. Just look at Pandora's box. The engravings on that box alone is magnificent.
This is the first article I have done that is analyzes a piece of art. I would love to do some more. If you have any specific ones that you want us to do, please submit or comment. Also, don't be afraid to let us know about your opinions on this piece. Did you like it? Did you hate it? Did you agree with my analysis or not? Why? I can't wait to hear from you!
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