Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Of Popes and Presidents

The first set papal portraits make the popes look important yet gentle. They seem to contain all and knowing wisdom in their old age. Their power is implied through their posture and the deep, rich colors used in the portraits.

The one that captures my attention the most is the one of Pope Innocent X. His face is strict but has a hint of gentleness. He looks attentively out of the portrait at on lookers His posture is upright and he sits in the papal chair, knowing it is his rightful place.



The second set of portraits done by Francis Bacon give a completely different feel to the papacy. These portraits make the Popes seem very ghoulish. Their faces are green and blue and barely distinguishable. The portrait is very chaotic and hard to tell what is what in the paintings. Bacon makes the Popes seems evil and deceiving; almost the opposite of what the previous paintings were portraying.



The paintings of Franklin Roosevelt make him seem powerful and objective. He looks straight ahead with his chin up. He looks alert and bright, not rundown at all even though he dealt with so much in his time as President. He was a very proud man and an amazing President. Even in old age he looked good. His portraits look the same for the mot part except for having completely white hair when he was older. None of his portraits show him standing if below the waist or they just show his upper half. This was because he had polio yet didn’t want the country to know. When he was forced to use a wheelchair he made them film and photograph him above his waist. He didn’t want his country to feel sorry for him especially when more important things, like the Great Depression and WWII, where devastating the USA.



After reading about him, I found that for the most part I was correct. Roosevelt was quite suited to be President even though many around him doubted that fact. He led our country out of the Great Depression, one of the blackest times in our country with welfare programs and ideas that changed the role of the government forever. He also led our country through WWII another very dark time for not only our country but also the entire world. He was an amazing public speaker and very charismatic which allowed him to lead confidently and comfort his country in times of need. Roosevelt to me was the greatest American President to date. He embodied everything I think of when I think of the President of United States. He knew what his country needed even if they didn’t.

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