CS Fine Arts Center Critical Analysis: "The Devil"

Nic Miller                                             

Humanities 3990

Critical Analysis of Artwork

Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center

"The Devil"

"The Devil", 1947, Bunnel, Oil on panel

The Colorado Springs Fine Arts is an endless hub of emotional, artistic, possibilities of experience.  On my personal journey, walking and seeing at the fine arts center, I discovered common themes and strong and common view points in which I could relate to the surrounding artwork.  "Why is this", I asked myself. Berger described my question best in "Ways of Seeing".  "The purpose of publicity is to make the spectator marginally dissatisfied with his present way of life.  Not with the way of life of society, but with his own within it." Common themes leave an emotional roadmap for an individual to follow, which, coincide with the group.  Publicity and all the images we are subjected to in our environment mold and shape us into two different groups.  You are either apart of the majority, or you are in the minority.

In the oil painting "the devil", Berger plays on two major interpretations that seem to be a common role in all artwork.  Two common interweaving view points that act as polar opposites to provide the frame work for structure and commonality in society.  In "the devil", you are either apart of the group.  The group can have varying stances of interpretation.  For example, included in the group is men and women who both can have different interpretations. 

For a women, this painting may bring anger, resentment or self doubt towards how the woman is perceived as the devil in this painting.  A man, may be unfazed emotionally, he may agree with how the woman is perceived or he may join the women in disgust.  Why is a woman portrayed as the devil?  Why not a man?  Good questions to ask.  While the second view point is one outside traditional thought.  It is a viewpoint that is only created in a tiny percentage of people and may be a one of a kind interpretation, like, this could be viewed as a woman's empowerment.  Portraying a woman as the devil can actually emphasize a woman's power and mean something good or be a compliment.  

As you read this, you might be easily swayed away from my last statement and stick to a more traditional interpretation. Berger explains my idea when he states, "Publicity is the life of this culture."  "Capitalism survives by forcing the majority, whom it exploits, to define their own interests as narrowly as possible."

Viewing and interpreting artwork leaves endless possibilities on varying personal perspectives.  Viewing and interpreting artwork as a group leaves a small number of interpretations.  Hence, the majority and the minority.  The whole idea of my analysis is to make the reader ask themselves if they have developed an individuals interpretation or if when they see an image or a painting, are they just apart of the majority and interpreting the common themes as a narrow minded individual who is in societies hand cuffs.  Is an interpretation really individual, or has a pre conceived ideology been implanted in us through our environment which leads to a pre destined conclusion of what the image conveys.    

Publicity and all the images we are subjected to in our environment mold and shape us into two different groups.  You are either apart of the majority, or you are in the minority.


Berger, John. Ways of Seeing. London: British Broadcasting, 1972