FREE ESSAY ON A VISUAL ANALYSIS OF "JONAH CAST UP"

A VISUAL ANALYSIS OF "JONAH CAST UP"

A collection of marble sculptures called the "Jonah Group" is now on display at the
Cleveland Art Museum. "Jonah Swallowed, Jonah Cast Up, Jonah Praying, Jonah Under the
Gourd Vine, and The Good Shepherd," are the separate titles for each of the different
statues depicting events in the Bible story. They are part of the John L. Severance Fund;
numbered 1965.237, .238, .239, .240, .241 respectively. The "Jonah Group" was created in
Asia minor, approximately 270 to 280 AD. These statues most likely decorated the water
fountain in a wealthy private home. This visual Analysis focuses on "Jonah Cast Up."
"Jonah Cast Up," this sculpture portrays the miraculous event of Jonah being spit out of
the Whale. It consists of a strangely shaped whale lying on its stomach. The whale arches
its back so that the curvy tail twists up over its head. Shooting out of the whale's
mouth is Jonah. He is halfway out head first with his arms outstretched straight above
his head. The figures rest on a rectangle base that is roughly 3 inches tall and
approximately a square foot in area. The whole sculpture is 15 inches tall, 16 inches
long, and 81/2 inches wide. The Jonah figure is missing a left hand which has broken off
over time. It is a statue showing action and movement by the way Jonah is being cast up
and out of the whale's mouth. 
The sculpture, as all of "The Jonah Group," is constructed of white marble from Roman
Imperial quarries in Ancient Phrygia. Having been unearthed from a large pithos in
central turkey, nearly fifty percent of the sculpture's surface remains covered with a
thin layer of light brown dirt or dust. The surface is so smoothly shaped that the stone
looks soft to the touch. Under an outdoor fountain, the wet statue would have a brilliant
white shine.
The figure of Jonah has a well proportioned, muscular, upper body sculpted resembling a
Greek God. He has a full beard and wavy flowing hair. In this sculpture, only his top
half is visible, and he is not wearing a tunic. His arms are outstretched above his head
palms open flat, as if thrusting his way up out of the beast. He seems completely
uninjured, and his face shows little anxiety considering his situation. His eyes are open
and appear to be gazing off to the horizon as if he is already planning where to begin
his new life of servitude to the Lord. 
The Whale is formed out of a variety of different animal parts. Most noticeably is the
shape of its head. It was given a pig head shape, pig snout, and pig ears. It has sharp,
vicious looking dog teeth, a dog mouth, and nose. A spiked mane runs down the back of its
neck beginning between its large, perked forward ears. The Whale was given dog legs and
paws. It also has feathery angel wings. The rear half of the body resembles a whale
except for being too slender and for having too many curves in its tail. The tail gives
it a scary, evil quality as it twists back and forth like a snake. On the end of the tail
is an true whale fluke. The Whale is positioned on its stomach with fins propping it up
on either side. Its eyes are blank and do not give any personality.
In the "Jonah Group," a Hellenistic style is noticed in Jonah's wavy hair, Zeus-like
beard, and Roman tunics. There is much early Christian symbolism in this piece. Jonah
swallowed and cast up possibly represents the death and resurrection of Christ. In the
Bible story Jonah is not a strong fearless man. Instead he foolishly attempts to flee
from God on a ship. But after he was trapped in the belly of a whale, he prayed there for
three days and nights, the artist gives him a stern and fearless disposition coming back
out. The Whale, as like most mythical animals in the Bible, is composed of a variety of
animal parts to add to its religious symbolism. Jonah was not swallowed on accident, but
instead God had a specific plan and test for Jonah and so the Whale seems to have been
specially created by Him.