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Learning to play a musical instrument takes a lot of work, dedication and perseverance. Looking at a parallel example from Western art, there is the story of the Oath of the Horatii (1784).
In this scenario, a father is swearing in his sons for a contest that will end a long-standing war – between ancient Rome and Alba. The father holds three swords and recites an oath while the sons raise their arms in a pledge of allegiance. Women and family weep in the background.
As a side note, it is worth mentioning that this French work was made just a few years before the storming of the Bastille and the French Revolution.
The painter of the work, Jacques-Louis David, structured the scene using a traditional classic theme and classical divisions, grouping objects into sets of twos and threes.
At the top level for example we see two groups of people – men and women. They are divided and grouped on the canvas by location and contrasting emotional states.
The rule of three
Looking at it in more detail, sets of three objects grouped together are found throughout (a fairly common grouping in Classical music too).
- Three sons
- Three swords
- Three women
- Three arches (in the background) that divide the painting into three panels
Having a little fun with the opening statement about dedication and adding a triple horn – which fits into the “rule of three” – the work takes on an entirely new meaning.
(Click on the image for a larger view.)
