Visual+Arts+-+Classical+Art+-+Anguish



===August Friedrich Schenck spent most of his career in France from 1857-1901. He specialized in painting landscapes and animals. He was a regular exhibitor at the Paris Salons for over thirty years - this was where //Anguish// was first shown in 1878. Anguish also has another name and that is //Agony.// The painting itself is 151.0 x 251.2 cm (roughly 8 x 5 feet). It was purchased by the NGV (National Gallery of Victoria) in 1880. Although August may have spent most of his life in France (1847-1901) he was actually Danish. In this painting he has given the sheep distinctive human characteristics such as sorrow, loss, grief and determination. This is so the observer will immediately identify its predicament and emotions. August is here examining a broader human condition in the form of an animal painting. He has also done another painting called //The Orphan// which is very similar to //Anguish// only it is in reverse, so instead of the lamb who has died it is the mother who has died.===

===This is one of my favorite paintings out of all the art galleries I have ever seen. It shows so much emotion! It reminds me of a funeral with the crows (family and friends all dressed in black) surrounding the sheep (grieving mother) and the lamb (the baby who will soon be buried). I just love how August has put in such detail and he has captured the emotion of this scene perfectly.===

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[] [] National Gallery of Victoria.