'Historicizing' a Living Figure, Compositionally Speaking

Evan Vucci's photograph of Donald Trump, taken on July 13, 2024, during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, captures a dramatic moment immediately after an assassination attempt. The image shows Trump with blood on his face, raising his fist to the crowd as he is surrounded by Secret Service agents and set against the backdrop of the American flag and a clear blue sky. It captures Trump in a moment of vulnerability yet marked by a resilient gesture. This photograph has quickly become iconic.

©Evan Vucci/AP

Vucci, an Associated Press photographer known for his work covering various significant events, recognized the importance of the moment instantly, maneuvering to capture a clear shot amidst the chaos. The photograph’s composition, with its use of natural light and strategic focus, frames Trump and the flag dominating the scene, creating a powerful visual narrative.

Comparing Vucci's photograph to Eugène Delacroix's "Liberty Leading the People" reveals intriguing parallels and contrasts. Delacroix's masterpiece, painted in 1830 and today located at the Louvre, Paris, commemorates the July Revolution in France. The central figure, Liberty, personified as a woman holding the French tricolor flag, leads a diverse group of revolutionaries over a barricade.

"Liberty Leading the People" by Eugène Delacroix, 1830, 260×325cm (102.4 x 128.0 in) | Image: Public domain

The painting is celebrated for its dynamic composition, using a pyramidal structure to guide the viewer's eye from the base to Liberty's raised arm and the flag. The dramatic lighting and the chaos depicted around Liberty evoke a sense of urgency and heroism. Liberty, with her exposed breast and Phrygian cap, symbolizes freedom and the revolutionary spirit, embodying the ideals of the French Revolution.

When examining the visual rhetoric of both works, we see how historical painting and photojournalism employ similar techniques: central figures and powerful national symbols—the American flag in Vucci's photo and the French tricolor in Delacroix's painting. In Vucci's photograph, Trump's raised fist against the backdrop of the flag signifies resilience in the face of immediate danger, while Delacroix’s Liberty, leading her people forward, symbolizes the broader struggle for freedom and justice. The emotional impact of both works is heightened by their compositions: Vucci’s use of the rule of thirds to position Trump’s fist and face, and Delacroix’s pyramidal arrangement that draws viewers into the fervor of revolution.

Let's look at another historical painting that comes to mind. Théodore Géricault’s "Raft of the Medusa" (1818-1819) also at the Louvre, we see another powerful depiction of human struggle and resilience. This massive painting portrays the aftermath of the wreck of the French naval frigate Méduse, where survivors endured extreme conditions on a raft. The central figures in Géricault’s composition are the desperate survivors, with one figure raising his arm in a signal for rescue.

"The Raft of the Medusa" by Théodore Géricault, 1818–19, 490×716cm (16 ft 1 in × 23 ft 6 in) | Image: Public domain

The painting’s pyramidal structure, with bodies arranged to thrust the viewer's eye towards the raised arm, and the dramatic use of light and shadow, create a sense of movement and chaos. The emotional intensity is palpable, as Géricault captures the desperation, suffering, and fleeting hope of the survivors.

Compositional analysis by Aengus Dewar (aengusart.co.uk)

By recalling two of the most significant paintings in the Western world's visual memory, Vucci's composition imbues the photograph of Trump with a narrative of survival against the odds. All three compositions use central figures to anchor the viewer’s attention, surrounded by elements that enhance the dramatic and emotional impact of the scenes. The raised arms in these visual depictions encapsulating human struggle for survival, defiance, and resilience.

While Vucci’s photograph captures a real-life political moment with immediacy and raw emotion, Delacroix’s and Géricault’s paintings are dramatic reimaginations of historical events that use idealized and symbolic representations to convey their messages. Delacroix’s "Liberty Leading the People" and Géricault’s "Raft of the Medusa" are both steeped in allegory and critique, reflecting broader societal issues and ideals, whereas Vucci’s photograph provides a contemporary and direct portrayal of American politics in the year 2024.

At the intersection of 'history painting' and photojournalism, Evan Vucci's photograph of Donald Trump serves to 'historicize' a living figure, intended or in effect. This 'historicization' frames Trump within a context that transcends the immediate event, positioning him within the broader narrative of American history and its political iconography. The visual elements—the raised fist, the blood, the flag—contribute to the iconic status of this image (and the depicted fiture). This photograph will likely be remembered and referenced in future discussions about Trump's legacy, much like how images of other leaders in pivotal moments have come to define their place in history. The act of historicizing through imagery has long been an important tool in political brand-making. Vucci's work not only cements Trump's brand in the present day political and cultural arenas but will also influence how future generations will perceive and interpret his impact on American politics and culture.

In the visual language of these grand-format 'history paintings,' the figure placed at the pinacle of the compositional triangle becomes synonymous with a concept that defines the era: Delacroix’s female figure the personification of one of the French Republic's foundational values (Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité), and Géricault’s black figure waving at the horizon the symbol of unwavering hope and humanity. Over time, the Western visual culture has gotten used to associating this kind of iconography with revolutionary causes against tyranny. Today, seeing Trump placed at the center of such a composition may be disorienting for those who have thought of Trump the very symbol of tyrannical leader: is Trump a movement against tyranny or tyranny himself?

What era-defining 'concept' will time give to the central figure in Vucci's photograph? It may be soon enough or a while before we know.