
An image can be used as a still frame that portrays an entire story. An image or a painting contains elements in which develop the works’ theme as a whole. A few of these elements include color, style and design. By depicting and analyzing these elements, an audience can decipher a work’s deeper meaning. By looking at contrast, proportion and pathos, we can see that the painting of Jesus Feeds the 5000 is portraying the overall theme of hope.

One unique painting that uses several visual elements to help convey its’ message to its’ audience is a painting of Jesus Feeds the 5000. This visual text depicts a parable in the bible. To summarize the story, Jesus asked his disciples to feed 5000 people that were hungry and begging for food. The disciples had no hope and were desperate for a miracle, telling Jesus that it was impossible to feed this many people with what little they had. Jesus then approached a small boy who had only five small loaves and two fish. Jesus then used this meal to provide enough food for all of the five thousand people. There was still an immense amount of food leftover, and everyone who saw this act declared it a miracle.

The painting Jesus Feeds the 5000 represents the bible story very well. At a first glance, the audience sees Jesus making hand gestures to a man, which we can assume is one of his disciples. Jesus is also standing next to the young boy that originally provides the five small loaves of bread and the two fish. Behind them, we can see a green valley with thousands of people. The focus of the picture is on Jesus, the young boy and the disciple. These three people are very defined and clear, and the background becomes more blurry the further away that the audience looks.

The elements of this painting not only portray the story to the audience but also the overall general theme and message. One element that helps the audience to decipher the theme of this painting is the contrast. The most recognizable use of contrast in this image is the contrast in the size and clarity between Jesus, the boy and the disciple compared to the rest of the people in the painting. Jesus, the young boy and the disciple all are much larger than the rest of the people in this scene. They are also clear, sharp and well defined from the background. The remaining “five thousand” people are smaller as well as blurrier. As distance increases, they begin to blend into the background and eventually become small circles. This helps to keep the focus of the audience on Jesus, the young boy and the disciple. Another thing being contrasted in this painting is color. Jesus and the young boy are both wearing lighter colors, which tend to have a more positive connotation. Many of the others, including the disciple, are wearing darker colors that tend to be more associated with negative emotions. These darker colors could even represent a lack of hope. We can see this lack of hope and worry on the disciples face. However, you can see the peace and willingness to help on Jesus’ face as he gestures towards the food.

Another element that is used in this painting to help develop the theme of hope is proportion. As mentioned before, Jesus, the young boy and the disciple are all larger than the rest of the people in the image and stand out from the background. They are represented as larger because the artist wants the audience to focus on them. They are also proportionately larger because the main message and story of the painting stems from these three characters. On the other hand, the mountains in the background are proportionately small to these main three characters. As mountains symbolize struggle and uphill battle, the artist could have created the image this way to show that hardships and struggles in life can be overcome with a little bit of hope and faith.

Pathos is also used in this visual text to help the artist illustrate the theme of hope. The style of this painting could be categorized as realism. The subjects of the painting are realistic and the perspective by the audience helps to perceive the space and depth of the painting. Jesus, the young boy and the disciple are all wearing realistic clothing and are displaying realistic problems that happen in everyday life. The subjects in this painting are not trying to be perceived as perfect or glorified, not even Jesus. The style of this painting also helps the audience to feel the emotions that the subjects of the painting may be feeling. The literary device of pathos is being used. We can see pain in struggle in the disciple’s eyes as he tries to understand how to feed so many people with so little supply. The audience can read his facial expressions and notice that he is probably struggling himself as well. This helps the audience to feel these emotions of pain and struggle. On the other hand, Jesus has a relaxed, calm facial expression. This helps the audience to feel some of this certainty, even though other subjects in the painting seem lost and confused.

The elements of contrast, proportion, and pathos are all used in this painting to help develop and illustrate the painting’s overall theme of hope to the audience. The artist uses these elements to help to tell a story, but more importantly to show the audience the larger message of hope. The subjects of the painting are large and stand out from the background to help create focus. They are also clearer and more defined. The mountains in the background symbolize struggle and hardship, but they are also small. The author is trying to show how having hope and faith will make the “mountains” in one’s life to seem small. The artist also uses pathos to help the audience to feel the certain emotions that the subjects and characters in the painting are feeling. These elements are significant in helping the audience to understand the theme of hope in this visual text.

