Mykola Pymonenko's painting is entitled, 'Victime of Fanatisme' (1899). One of the questions posed by this painting is, does it represent a real incident? We are told that the artist was inspired by a newspaper article recording how the Ukrainian Jewish community threatened and abused a Jewish girl for wanting to marry a non-Jew. Whilst girls were actively dissuaded from such relationships, there seems to be a lack of evidence to show that anybody was actually killed in the way that a number of stories have implied. Perhaps equally contentious is the fact that the painting is the only depiction of Jewish life in Ukraine's National Art Museum.
GoatJr has made extensive modifications to the scene, including the removal of the original victim, to be replaced by the cross and gallows in two alternative versions (curiously, the original painting proved so popular that Pymonenko made two further copies of it). The underage characters are no longer visible, and as so often in the work of this manipulator, lighting effects contribute to the atmospheric quality. The scene is now a nocturne, illuminated by a full moon and the flames leaping from the windows of the house, and the cloud banks are bisected by a diagonal stream of black smoke.
With Barb's caption, we understand the scenes in terms of revolutionaries exacting their revenge upon their oppressors. The same pile of clothes lies at the foot of the gallows and the cross, contributing to the impression of summary 'justice', and the second victim waits in the cart. The crux scene features Alice, hanging in the same pose in which she recently appeared in GoatJr's recent, Roman themed, 'Walk of the Condemned'. Whether or not we interpret the scenes as a commentary on current events in the Ukraine is a choice for the viewer. This would not be the first time that art has depicted a Jewish mob demanding a death by crucifixion.
GoatJr has produced his reinterpretations with close attention to detail. The various painted and photographic elements have been blended successfully, and the result is convincing in terms of scale, lighting and saturation. The depiction of executions and burning property make these, arguably, more powerful images than Pymonenko's painting, but like the painting, the manipulations seem to pose more questions than answers. Nice work, GoatJr!