Francis William Edmonds painted facing the enemy art in 1845. This painting is an ideal representation of artwork done in oil and canvas, portraying more lifelike skills. Facing the enemy art showcases the painting skills possessed by Francis William Edmonds through the use of light bridge into hyperrealism, shadow, and color variation. The painting's overall dimensions measure 19 x 16 inches or 48.3 x 40.6 centimeters (“Facing the enemy-Works-Chrysler Museum of art,”). On the other hand, the painting's overall frame measures 24 x 21 ¼ inches or 61 x 54 centimeters.
This artwork depicts a carpenter in his shop, seated precariously tilted back on a side chair (“Facing the enemy-Works-Chrysler Museum of art,”). The carpenter is contemplating a decanter of spirits on the windowsill before him. The bottle containing spirit is placed alongside an advertisement related to the adjacent wall's temperance meeting. At the carpenter's left-back, there is a log of wood, an axe, and already split pieces of wood down on the floor. There is a window with a beautiful view of the horizon in front of the carpenter. Notably, the narrative depicted by the painting seems predictable. The carpenter has to choose between the meeting and the bottle since he is warily staring at the red liquid, “facing the enemy,” as outlined in the title. Edmond uses his skills to freeze man's position, leaning back in his chair and balancing the weight of his body on its two rear legs.
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Arguably, the carpenter's weight, like his fate, is balanced precariously between the alcohol bottle and the shop's interior. As placed on the sill of an open window, the bottle of alcohol can be termed as doubly tempting. Light falls in through the bottle, making it appear very cheerful and brilliant. It can also be argued that the rich, velvet colored liquid in the bottle is not merely an object but a medium through which light falls. Edmond used his art skills to paint this picture to illustrate that the carpenter's gaze may not be descending upon the bottle but passing through it. Arguably, as the carpenter wrestles with his decision to imbibe or forswear the rum, he seems to keep toggling between antithetical conceptions of the rum as an object and a medium. As such, the rum stands out as something to look at and to look through due to its positioning. Nonetheless, according to Edmond's work and the title of the painting, it can be said that the rum, "the enemy," is something to look past.
The possibility that the cold, hard-edged world of the workplace pales compared to the view out of the window through the rose-colored lens of the rum bottle is observable. The painting was done during the heat of the mid-nineteenth century sobriety movement. The movement was purposefully drafted to encourage soberness and limit alcohol consumption, "the enemy." Edmond's use of balance, light, color, and symbolism in his painting perfectly illustrates the need to look past the "enemy." The bright light observed on the other side of the window, past the alcohol bottle, is a clear indication that sobriety is better than alcoholism and drug usage. The shadow and dark color inside the carpenter's room indicate that before attaining sobriety, there are limited chances of enjoying the world's beauty. Edmond’s ability to illustrate and depict complex psychological concepts in a way readable by viewers is exemplary.
Reference
Facing the enemy – Works – Chrysler Museum of art . (n.d.). Collection Highlights – Chrysler Museum of Art. https://chrysler.emuseum.com/objects/27630/facing-the-enemy?ctx=3dec655e-9307-4382-8132-dddf0a02685a&idx=13
