May 17

May 17 "A Stroll Through Jordan’s National Gallery of Fine Arts" by Veronica Tis

While it is hard to miss the beautiful street art sprawled throughout Amman, the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts possesses a magnificent collection of art from various regions of the world that leaves the viewer wrapped in thought about the greater meaning of the piece. Located in Jebel Lweibdeh, a sculpture garden separates the Gallery’s two buildings, both containing several floors of artwork, and one containing a cozy café, perfect for studying, on the top floor. I decided to visit the Gallery with a friend because it had been quite some time since I had visited an art gallery, and I was fascinated to see how the collection within this particular gallery might differ and/or relate to the collection within other galleries that I have visited in the past. As I stood before each piece, I enjoyed inferring what the author was thinking and feeling while creating their masterpiece. Just as my favorite pieces differed from my friend’s favorite pieces, we also held unique interpretations for each piece. Yet, this is what I believe is the true beauty of art— while titles can help guide us towards the essence of the artist’s masterpiece, ultimately, one can offer infinite explanations for a piece.

My favorite works of art from my visit to the Gallery in October, 2021, are pictured below, as well as a brief explanation as to why they are my favorite, and/or how I interpreted the piece.

A gold-framed painting titled "Corridor". A decorated rectangular doorway leading off into a dark hall is positioned in the center of a white paper. — This painting, titled “Corridor”, captured my attention because of the geometric symmetry. The artist has given the corridor depth, so that the viewer’s eye is drawn to the very back of the created object as if it was 3 Dimensional. Photo credit: Tis, 2021.

This is a set of three paintings. Two depict ruins in the ancient city of Jerash, and one, to the right of the others, shows a tree-obscured view of the Dome of the Rock Mosque in Jerusalem. — The pieces within this collection depict the cities of Jerash and Jerusalem, two culturally and historically significant and heavily visited cities in Jordan and Israel, respectively. The ruins in both paintings of Jerash contrast greatly with the architecture the artist uses to represent Jerusalem. Despite this, both communicate a sense of antiquity and serene beauty. Photo credit: Tis, 2021.

This piece of art shows large Arabic calligraphy in bold black lines on a royal blue background. — I enjoyed this piece simply because of the artist’s choice of color. The deep black and blue complement each other, yet also present a powerful contrast that captures the attention of the viewer. Photo credit: Tis, 2021.

A rendition of the Pieta where a woman holds her dead son, the scene is surrounded by images of modern war such as tanks and airplanes. — This photo is named after its central illustration, the Pieta. Famous in Christian Art, the Pieta portrays the Virgin Mary as she holds Jesus in her arms after his death on the cross. This representation evokes feelings of sorrow, compassion, and pity. Surrounding the Pieta are several illustrations of war. Considering that the painting is from Sudan, one can imagine how just as a grieving Mary embraces her dead son, the Sudanese nation mourns for its people who are enveloped in violent conflict. Photo credit: Tis, 2021.

This ceramic piece, called "Completion" is a rounded half sphere, and the rounded side is seen in this photo. The outer edges are blue and fade to a yellow-green in the center. A deep grooved squiggle runs from top to bottom in the sphere's center. — I found the medium the artist employs for this piece very interesting. The ceramic, which is placed on wood, is cut in such a way that, as a puzzle piece, the two halves come together to form an aesthetically pleasing “complete” figure, hence the name of the artwork: “Completion”. I also appreciate the color gradient that slowly transitions from an aqua blue to yellow. Photo credit: Tis, 2021.

A book stands open on a flat surface. The visible page shows a circular shooting target. In front of the book stand 6 large bullets, which are actually colored pens. — I spent a significant amount of time analyzing this piece, titled “Error”. The bullets that are in actuality colorful pens, represent the imperfection of art. As a marksman aims his bullets at the target, the artist aims his pencil at the canvas, yet, just as a bullet is not always accurate, the pencil is also not entirely accurate, thus, resulting in error. The title of piece also makes one think further about the implications of and true meaning behind the term “error”. Photo credit: Tis, 2021.

My visit to Jordan’s National Gallery of Fine Arts was extremely rewarding and it is definitely a gem of Amman that displays through countless pieces that there is no limit to human creativity.

Veronica Tis is a senior at George Washington University and is studying on the Area and Arabic Studies program in Amman, Jordan this fall.