Tragic Prelude Painting by John Steuart Curry By Sarah Li

Character Alarming look on face; represents his anger and hatred Black people huddled together at the bottom, shows how frail and weak they are in society White people are seen as strong warriors with weapons Tornado and Fire symbolizes massive destruction inflicted on both sides

Color Two sides have opposite colors: orange and light blue; shows controversies between both sides and the difference between both sides Red color, most likely blood, on both of John Brown’s hands, shows Brown will do anything, even kill, to achieve his goals Greyish color in the midst of all the black symbolizes equality and that there is no black or white, there is just gray; no wrong or right answer to an argument

Light More darkness revolving around left side of the main figure, symbolizes hatred towards slavery Lighter than most characters symbolizing glimmer of hope and his sense of strength Shining lightest showing innocence and peace after death

Angle Both sides are visible from this angle, showing both sides and both views Two motionless men can be seen lying on the ground; shows how insignificant they are now that they are dead; shows how thousands are killed in the war and yet not all of them are acknowledged See John Brown from a lower angle, which can also be known as the hero shot

Proportion Significantly larger than other characters, represents bravery and heroism Black characters are smaller than other figures; symbolizing racism and stereotypes just because they are black Both sides have equal amount of space on painting showing either side isn’t dominant and promotes equality

Placement John Brown is placed between both sides of people; shows that he represents leadership and stands up to his beliefs Both sides are placed on either side of main figure to show contrasting opinions Black people placed at white people’s feet which shows how the majority of white people discriminate against blacks All characters arranged in a triangle formation; in Christianity, triangle symbolizes God and since main figure carries Bible, he is strong believer of God

Setting Antislavery movement in the Kansas Territory before Civil War of Kansas Bloody massacre called “Bleeding Kansas” led by John Brown on May 24, 1856 Majority of painting is devoted to showing discrimination of blacks and the different views on slavery Curry’s purpose in painting this piece was to show John Brown’s significance towards anti-slavery movements and to promote equality for all people Since there is a tornado in the painting, the painting takes place in Kansas

Here is full page of my cclaps for this painting. Thanks for watching bye Character: John Brown has an alarming look on his face, which represents his anger and hatred towards ideas that he doesn’t accept. The black people at the bottom of the painting are huddled together and show signs of anxiety, which symbolizes how weak they are in society. On the other hand, the white people in the painting are all shown in the painting as strong warriors who have the privilege of carrying their own guns. There are also natural disasters such as a tornado and a prairie fire in the painting that shows the massive destruction inflicting on both sides of the fighters in this painting due to issues such as war, mental issues, and physical issues. Color: On opposite sides of the painting surrounding the tornado and fire, there are contrasting colors: orange and light blue, which represents the different controversies between both sides of the war. Upon closer look, John Brown’s hands are stained with red, or blood, showing that he will do anything to achieve his goals, even kill. There is also a greyish color at the bottom of the painting near the two dead men, and this color is in the midst of all the black. There is no black or white in society, only gray and there are no right or wrong answers. The painter is conveying that you must put yourself in the “skin” of others and view their own opinions. Light: There is more darkness revolving around the left side of John Brown. The people fighting on this side feel strong hatred towards slavery. John Brown is lighter than the rest of the individuals suggesting that he is the symbol of hope and strength. At the bottom right of the painting, the dead man is surrounded by the lightest area showing that he has reached peace and innocence after death. Angle: Both sides of the war are visible from this angle of the painting. The painter is purposefully showing both perspectives of the war so that the viewer will be able to see what each side is lacking. Two dead men can also be seen lying on the ground. The two men are insignificant after death since war works that way, no one has an identity in war because thousands are killed yet none are really recognized. The viewer can also see John Brown from a lower angle, which is known as a “hero shot”. The painter views Brown as a hero because of his significance in history towards anti-slavery. Proportion: The main figure, John Brown, is significantly larger than the other characters, which represents bravery and heroism. The majority of the others are average-sized in the painting but not as large as Brown. The black people in the painting are also smaller than the other figures. This symbolizes racism and segregation just because of the stereotypes against the blacks. Both sides of the war have an equal amount of space on the painting which shows either side isn’t dominant and it promotes equality. Placement: In the painting, John Brown is placed in the middle of all the warriors. This suggests that Brown is a symbol of leadership and he stands up for his beliefs. Both sides of the people are placed in either side of Brown which shows contrasting opinions about slavery. The black people are placed at the white peoples’ feet which shows that the majority of the whites discriminate against the blacks and believe that the blacks aren’t even on their level in society. The main characters in the painting are all arranged in a triangle formation. In Christianity, the triangle symbolizes God. When taking a closer look, John Brown is carrying a bible in his hand, showing that he is a stronger believer in God. Setting: Since there is a tornado in the left side of the painting, the setting takes place in Kansas. There was an antislavery movement in the Kansas territory right before the Civil War. The majority of the painting is devoted to showing discrimination of blacks and the different view on slavery. John Steuart Curry’s purpose in painting this piece of art was to show John Brown’s significance towards anti-slavery movements and to promote equality for all people.