Art 110 (chs 1.8, 1.9, 1.10)

Chapter 1.8

Emphasis and Focal Point

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Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson

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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields

Chapter 1.8 Emphasis and Focal Point

Introduction

Emphasis is the principle by which an artist draws attention to particular content in a work of art or design

A focal point is a specific place of visual emphasis

An artist can emphasize focal points through the use of line, implied line, value, color—any of the elements of art

Emphasis and focal point usually accentuate concepts, themes, or ideas the artist wants to express

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Emphasis and Subordination

When an artist emphasizes different elements in a work of art, he or she creates visual relationships and connections between them

The opposite of emphasis is subordination Subordination draws our attention away from certain areas

of a work

Double-chambered vessel with mouse

• The mouse attracts our attention because it is so detailed

• The spout of the vessel also stands out, not only because of its color but also because of its geometric simplicity

• Third and fourth areas of emphasis are found in the decorations on the two chambers of the vessel

• These areas connect because they share common shapes, coloration, and texture that draw our attention away from the undecorated—subordinated—areas of the vessel

1.141 Double-chambered vessel with mouse, Recuay, Peru, 4th–8th century. Ceramic, 6” high. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

1.142 Jules Olitski, Tin Lizzie Green, 1964. Acrylic and oil/wax crayon on canvas, 10’10” x 6’10”. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Massachusetts

Jules Olitski, Tin Lizzie Green

• Because abstract works can never directly evoke our memories of things or people, they frequently rely on compositional principles, such as emphasis

• Olitski frames our attention on the color field in the center of the work with three colored dots on the right, red horizontal strokes on the top and bottom, and a tan-colored stroke on the left

• These color shapes support the real focus of this work, which is the blue-green color in the center

1.143 Mark Tobey, Blue Interior, 1959. Tempera on card, 44 x 28”

Mark Tobey, Blue Interior

• When a work does not have areas of emphasis, that changes the way we respond to it

• Tobey was interested in creating a meditative response to the landscape of the Pacific Northwest, where he grew up

• Because Tobey does not use areas of emphasis, we are free to roam visually in his painting

• We can immerse ourselves in the work, as if it were an ocean

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Focal Point

A focal point is the specific part of an area of emphasis to which the artist draws our eye

Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Landscape with the Fall of Icarus

• The story of Icarus is one from Greek mythology – His wax wings melt as he

flies too close to the sun

• Bruegel diverts our attention so that we barely notice Icarus plunging to his doom

• Instead the artist’s main area of emphasis is the plower in the foreground, possibly illustrating the proverb “No plow stands still because a man dies.”

1.144 slide 1: Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Landscape with the Fall of Icarus, c. 1555–8. Oil on canvas, mounted on wood, 29 x 44⅛”. Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Brussels, Belgium

1.145 Artemisia Gentileschi, Judith Decapitating Holofernes, c. 1620. Oil on canvas, 6’6⅜” x 5’3¾“. Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy

1.145 slide 2: Directional lines in Artemisia Gentileschi's Judith Decapitating Holofernes

Gentileschi, Judith Decapitating Holofernes Emphasis Used to Create Drama

• Through Gentileschi’s use of directional line and contrasting values we are drawn irresistibly to the point where the climax of the story is unfolding

• Judith’s arms and those of her maidservant (visually connected to the sword itself) stretch toward the dark values of their victim’s head

• The light values of the five bare arms create strong directional lines that lead to the focal point where blood spurts from the violent attack on Holofernes’ neck

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Emphasis and Focal Point in Action

Artists can use direction, dramatic contrasts, and placement relationships to organize the elements in a work and draw our attention to areas of emphasis and focal points

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Emphasis and Focal Point in Action:Line

Line is an effective way to focus a viewer’s attention in an artwork

1.146 slide 1: The Emperor Babur Overseeing his Gardeners, India, Mughal period, c. 1590. Tempera and gouache on paper, 8¾ x 5⅝”. Victoria and Albert Museum, London, England

1.146 slide 2: Detail of The Emperor Babur Overseeing his Gardeners, showing directional lines

The Emperor Babur Overseeing his Gardeners

• The gardener/artist Babur is pointing to a feature that channels water in four directions

• The strong diagonal of the channel draws our attention to the water as it runs toward us

• The central cross-shaped confluence of the waters becomes the focal point of the composition

• In this work, water is the focal point conceptually as well as visually

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Emphasis and Focal Point in Action:Contrast

Artists look to create effects of contrast by positioning elements next to one another that are very different

For example, areas of different value, color, or size

1.147 Francisco de Zurbarán, The Funeral of St. Bonaventure, 1629. Oil on canvas, 8' 2” x 7' 4”. Musée du Louvre, Paris, France

Francisco de Zurbarán, The Funeral of St. Bonaventure

• Most of the lightest values in the painting are reserved for the clothing adorning the dead body of St. Bonaventure

• These create a central focal point that stands out in contrast to the surrounding dark values

• The whiteness of his clothing symbolizes Bonaventure's spotless reputation

• Enough light value is distributed to the other figures to allow our eyes to be drawn away from the saint’s body, making the composition more interesting

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Emphasis and Focal Point in Action:Placement

The placement of elements within a composition controls rhythm and creates multiple focal points

1.148 Ando Hiroshige, “Riverside Bamboo Market, Kyobashi,” from One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, 1857. 15 x 10⅜”. James A. Michener Collection, Honolulu Academy of Arts, Hawaii

Ando Hiroshige, “Riverside Bamboo Market, Kyobashi”

• The positions of the moon, the bridge, and the figure in a boat form three separate focal points

• Each shape commands our attention and draws more of our focus to the right side of the work

• The varying distances between the placements of the three focal points also create rhythm that adds visual interest

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Conclusion

All the elements and principles of art can serve to create emphasis

Both actual and implied lines shape our examination of a work of art by directing the movement of our gaze

Contrasts between different values, colors, or textures can sometimes be so dramatic and distinct that we cannot help but feel drawn to that area of a work

Click the image above to launch the video

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PowerPoints developed by CreativeMyndz Multimedia Studios


This concludes the PowerPoint slide set for Chapter 1.8

Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts By Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields


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1.141 Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Nathan Cummings, 1966, 66.30.2. Photo Metropolitan Museum of Art/Art Resource/Scala, Florence

1.142 Photo © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Courtesy Jules Olitski Warehouse LLC. © Estate of Jules Olitski, DACS, London/VAGA, New York 2011

1.143 © Estate of Mark Tobey, ARS, NY/DACS, London 2011. Courtesy Sotheby’s

1.144 Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Brussels

1.145 Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence

1.146 Victoria & Albert Museum, London

1.147 Musée du Louvre, Paris

1.148 James A. Michener Collection, Honolulu Academy of Arts

Picture Credits for Chapter 1.8

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Study Questions chapter 1.8

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1.This is a specific place of visual emphasis in a work of art.

a. Focal pointb. Varietyc. Subversiond. Vanishing pointe. None of these answers

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2. When an artist wants to draw attention away from a particular part of the work, he or she uses__________.

Topic: n/aa. subordinationb. focal pointc. emphasisd. distortione. balance

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3. The abstract work Tin Lizzie Green by Jules Olitzki draws attention to this part of the work.

a. topb. bottomc. centerd. lefte. right

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4. Blue Interior by Mark Tobey focuses the viewer’s attention squarely on this area of emphasis:

a. there is no area of emphasisb. the blue marks.c. the light marks.d. the center.e. the bottom edge.Feedback/Reference: Page 137

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5. In Bruegel’s Landscape with the Fall of Icarus, the viewer is directed away from Icarus plunging into the sea through the use of __________ .

a. subordinationb. focal pointc. emphasisd. balancee. proportionFeedback/Reference: Page 138

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6. In Artemisia Gentileschi’s work Judith Decapitating Holofernes, the viewer is directed to the __________ that is indicated by directional lines.

a. area of emphasisb. subordinated pointc. vanishing pointd. the top of the worke. focal pointFeedback/Reference: Page 139

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7. This kind of line tends to be more visually active so it can draw the viewer’s attention.

a. Verticalb. Diagonalc. Horizontald. Solide. None of theseFeedback/Reference: Page 140

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8. Placement of elements in a composition controls this and creates multiple focal points.

a. Sizeb. Proportionc. Rhythmd. Linee. Focal pointFeedback/Reference: Page 140

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9. Hiroshige used this process to create the work "Riverside Bamboo Market, Kyobashi.”

a. Sculptureb. Ceramicsc. Tapestryd. Printmakinge. GlassFeedback/Reference: Page 141

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10. Which of these elements of art and principles of design can be used to create emphasis?

a. All of the other answersb. Shapec. Colord. Contraste. Rhythm

Chapter 1.9

Pattern and Rhythm

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Chapter 1.9 Pattern and Rhythm

Introduction

Artists use pattern and rhythm to bring order to space and to create a dynamic experience of time

When events recur, this creates a pattern

Patterns are created by the recurrence of an art element

In a work of art, the repetition of such patterns gives a sense of unity

Rhythm arises through the repetition of pattern

The rhythm of a series of linked elements guides the movement of our eyes across and through a design

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Pattern

The use of repetition in a work of art usually results in the creation of a pattern

Artists often create unity in works of art by repeatedly using a similar shape, value, or color, for example

An artist can use repetition of a pattern to impose order on a work

Sometimes artists use alternating patterns to make awork more lively

The area covered by pattern is called the field

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1.149 Horizontal alternating pattern

Suzanne Valadon, The Blue Room

• Includes three contrasting patterns– The blue bed covering, in

the lower portion of the painting

– The green-and-white striped pattern in the woman’s pajama bottoms

– Above the figure is a mottled pattern

• The differences in these patterns energize the work

1.150 Suzanne Valadon, The Blue Room, 1923. Oil on canvas, 35½ × 45⅝”. Musée National d’Art Moderne,Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, France

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Motif

A design repeated as a unit in a pattern is called a motif

Motifs can represent ideas, images, and themes that can be brought together through the use of pattern

An artist can create a strong unified design by repeating a motif

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Gateway to Art:



Huqqa base

Elements, such as the flowers and leaves of the plants, recur at intervals

1.151 Huqqa base, India, Deccan, last quarter of 17th century. Bidri ware (zinc alloy inlaid with brass), 6⅞ x 6½ in. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

1.152 slide 1: Pashmina carpet with millefleur pattern, northern India, Kashmir or Lahore, second half of 17th century. Ashmolean Museum, Oxford

1.152 slide 2: Detail of pashmina carpet with millefleur pattern

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Pashmina carpet with millefleur pattern

Flower-like motifs are arranged in a pattern in the center


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Chuck Close, Self Portrait

• Uses motif to unify his paintings• Uses a repeated pattern of

organic concentric rings set into a diamond shape as the basic building blocks for his large compositions

• There is a difference between a close-up view of the painting and the overall effect when we stand back from this enormous canvas

• The motif that Close uses is the result of a technical process

• A grid that subdivides the entire image organizes the placement of each cell

1.153a Chuck Close, Self Portrait, 1997. Oil on canvas, 8’6” × 7’. MOMA, New York

1.153b Chuck Close,Self Portrait, detail

1.153c Chuck Close, Self Portrait, detail

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Randomness

The introduction of chance symbolizes anti-order

Artists who introduce randomness to a work try toavoid predictable repetition

Works made in this way purposely contradict widelyused traditional methods

Hans Arp, Trousse d’un Da

• Dada reveled in absurdity, irrationality, the flamboyantly bizarre, and the shocking

• Arp worked on creating “chance” arrangements

• Arp claimed that the arrangement of the shapes happened by random placement

1.154 Hans Arp, Trousse d’un Da,1920–21. Assemblage of driftwood nailed onto wood with painting remains, 15 x 10½ x 1¾”. Musée National d’Art Moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, France

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Rhythm

Rhythm gives structure to the experience of looking, just as it guides our eyes from one point to another in a work of art

There is rhythm when there are at least two points of reference in an artwork

The intervals between elements provide points of reference for more complex rhythms

Pieter Bruegel, Hunters in the Snow

• We see not only large rhythmic progressions that take our eye all around the canvas, but also refined micro-rhythms in the repetition of such details as the trees, houses, birds, and colors

• The party of hunters on the left side first draws our attention into the work

• Our gaze then travels from the left foreground to the middle ground on the right

• We then look at the background of the work

• As a result of following this rhythmic progression, our eye has circled round the whole picture

1.155 slide 1: Pieter Bruegel, Hunters in the Snow, 1565. Oil on panel, 46 x 63¾ in. Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria

1.155 slide 2: Detail of Pieter Bruegel, Hunters in the Snow

1.155 slide 3: Detail of Pieter Bruegel, Hunters in the Snow

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Simple Repetitive Rhythm

A repeating “pulse” of similar elements sets up a visual rhythm that a viewer can anticipate

Such regularity communicates reassurance

The design of buildings is often intended to reassure us about the stability and durability of the structure

For this reason, architectural designs often incorporate simple repetition

Great Mosque of Córdoba• Each of the repeating

elements—columns, arches, and voussoirs—creates its own simple rhythm

• The accumulation of these simple repetitions also enhances the function of the space and becomes a part of the activity of worship, like prayer beads, reciting the Shahada (profession of faith), or the five-times-a-day call to prayer

1.156 Great Mosque of Córdoba, prayer hall of Abd al-Rahman I, 784–6, Córdoba, Spain

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Progressive Rhythm

Repetition that regularly increases or decreases in frequency creates a progressive rhythm as the eyemoves faster or slower across the surface of the work

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Alternating Rhythm

Artists can intertwine multiple rhythms until theybecome quite complex

Alternation of rhythms can add unpredictabilityand visual excitement

Bai-ra-Irrai

• The imagery above the entry of this bai begins, at the bottom, with the regular rhythms of horizontal lines of fish, but the images above become increasingly irregular as they change to other kinds of shapes

1.158 slide 1: Bai-ra-Irrai, originally built c. 1700 and periodically restored, Airai village, Airai State, Republic of Palau

1.158 slide 2: Detail of Bai-ra-Irrai

Goya, The Third of May, 1808Visual Rhythm in the Composition

• It can be divided up into two distinct rhythmic groups

• Although the number of figures in each group is the same, they are distributed very differently

– The group of French soldiers on the right stands in a pattern so regulated it is almost mechanical

– On the left side, the rhythms are irregular and unpredictable

• The alternating rhythm in this painting leads our eye from the figure in white, through a group of figures, downward to the victims on the ground

• It helps define our ideas about humanity and inhumanity

1.159 Francisco Goya, The Third of May, 1808, 1814. Oil on canvas, 8’4⅜” x 11’3⅞”. Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid

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Rhythmic Design Structure

How artists divide visual space into different sections to achieve different kinds of effect

Rosa Bonheur, Plowing in the Nivernais: The Dressing of the

Vines• A horizontal structure leads our

eye in sequence from one group of shapes to the next

• Bonheur expertly organizes the composition, emphasizing the cumulative effect of the rhythm of the groupings as they move from left to right

• By changing the width of the gaps between the animals, Bonheur suggests their irregular movement as they plod forward

• Each group also has a different relative size and occupies a different amount of space, creating a visual rhythm

1.160a Rosa Bonheur, Plowing in the Nivernais: The Dressing of the Vines, 1849. Oil on canvas, 4’4¾” x 8’6⅜”.Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France

1.160b Rhythmic structural diagram of 1.160a

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Conclusion

In works of art, good composition articulates patterns and rhythms in a way that grabs our attention

Because the visual rhythm of pattern is predictable, it tends to unify a work of art

Some artists try to contradict pattern by imposing randomness and chance to free a work from what they see as suffocating orderliness

Irregular rhythm can make a work seem unpredictable or make us feel uneasy

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1.149 Ralph Larmann

1.150 Musée National d’Art Moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris

1.151 Metropolitan Museum of Art, Louis E. and Theresa S. Seley Purchase Fund for Islamic Art, and Rogers Fund, 1984. Photo Metropolitan Museum of Art/Art Resource/Scala, Florence

1.152 Ashmolean Museum, Oxford

1.153a, 1.153b, 1.153c Museum of Modern Art, New York, Gift of Agnes Gund, Jo Carole and Ronald S. Lauder, Donald L. Bryant, Jr., Leon Black, Michael and Judy Ovitz, Anna Marie and Robert F. Shapiro, Leila and Melville Straus, Doris and Donald Fisher, and purchase, Acc. no. 215.2000. Photo Ellen Page Wilson, courtesy The Pace Gallery © Chuck Close, The Pace Gallery

1.154 © DACS 2011

1.155 Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

1.156 iStockphoto.com

1.157 Please note that this image is not available for digital use but can be found on page 148 of the textbook.

1.158 © WaterFrame/Alamy

1.159 Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid

1.160a Musée d’Orsay, Paris

1.160b Ralph Larmann


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STUDY QUESTIONS CH 1.9

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1.This principle of design arises from repetition of a pattern.

a. Balanceb. Focal pointc. Unityd. None of these answerse. RhythmFeedback/Reference: Page 142

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2. Sometimes artists use this kind of changing pattern to make a work more lively.

a. Alternating patternb. Focal patternc. Interval patternd. Repetitive patterne. Balanced patternFeedback/Reference: Page 142

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3. In Islamic art it is not uncommon to see complex interlaced __________, which are designs repeated as units in a pattern.

a. arabesquesb. mihrabsc. motifsd. qiblase. none of theseFeedback/Reference: Page 143

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4. The artist Chuck Close used a repeated pattern of organic concentric rings set into a diamond pattern to create his large __________ .

a. sculpturesb. ceramicsc. paintingsd. glasswaree. printsFeedback/Reference: Page 144

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5. Chuck Close’s Self Portrait of 1997 is made up of small units that are unrecognizable, or __________ .

a. abstractb. representationalc. stylizedd. realistice. expressionisticFeedback/Reference: Page 144

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6. Using automatic reactions to apply art materials in such a way as consciously to deny order can lead to __________ in art.

a. structureb. balancec. unityd. randomnesse. proportionFeedback/Reference: Page 146

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7. The German-French sculptor Hans Arp worked on creating "__________ " arrangements to communicate the ideas of the Dada movement.

a. chanceb. controlledc. rigidd. solide. none of theseFeedback/Reference: Page 146

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8. When there are at least two points of reference in an artwork, __________ is present.

a. sizeb. rhythmc. proportiond. linee. focal pointFeedback/Reference: Page 146

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9. In this sixteenth-century work, the Dutch artist Pieter Bruegel uses rhythm to direct the viewer’s attention through the work.

a. Trousse d’un Dab. The Third of May 1808c. The Blue Roomd. Hunters in the Snowe. Artichoke HalvedFeedback/Reference: Pages 147–48

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10. This is a way in which artists divide visual space into different kinds of sections to achieve different rhythmic effects.

a. Randomnessb. Unityc. Contrastd. Linear perspective rhythme. Rhythmic design structure

Chapter 1.10

Content and Analysis

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Chapter 1.10 Content and Analysis

Introduction

The artist uses a visual language to communicate ideas, beliefs, emotions, and opinions

Content: Subject

Analysis: Finding meaning

Imitation and individual style Learning from the masters

Developing a unique style

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Content

Content refers to the meaning and the subject of a work of art

Identifying the subject of an artwork: Representational (one can identify the subject)

Non-objective (unrecognizable subject matter)

Abstraction

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Equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius

Representational Recognizable as a man on a horse Artist tries to create realistic movement and

expressions

1.161 Equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius, c. 175 CE. Bronze, 11’6” high. Musei Capitolini, Rome, Italy

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José de Rivera, Infinity

Non-objective Unrecognizable subject matter Subjective: individual viewer creates his or her own

interpretation

1.162 José de Rivera, Infinity, 1967. Stainless steel sculpture in front of National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.

Allan Houser, Reverie

• Representational– Can identify two faces– Size of faces and

positioning of forms suggest motherand child

• Abstraction– To emphasize, distort or

simplify forms– The degree to which an

artwork is less representationaland moves toward non-objective

1.163 Allan Houser, Reverie, 1981. Bronze, 25 x 23 x 13”, edition of 10. Allan Houser Archives

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Modes of Analysis

Iconographic

Biographical

Feminist

Contextual

Psychological

Formal (or visual)

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Iconographic Analysis

Interprets signs and symbols within an artwork

Historical and religious references

Audrey Flack, Marilyn Monroe

• Representational:– Marilyn Monroe– Still life objects

• Symbols of vanitas (reminders of mortality):

– Time: Calendar, watch, hourglass– Vanity: Cosmetics, mirror, jewelry,

perfume– Death and decay: Candle, fruit,

flowers– Wealth and fame: Marilyn, necklace

• Individual meaning:– Our mortality– Photograph of artist and her brother

1.164 Audrey Flack, Marilyn Monroe, 1977. Oil over acrylic on canvas, 8 x 8’. Collection of the University of Arizona Museum of Art, Tucson


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Biographical Analysis

Relates artist’s life and experiences to artwork

Considers gender, race, nationality, and class

Eva Hesse, Hang-Up

• Representational– Empty frame– Materials are wood, cloth,

steel tube, and cord

• Biographical analysis– Title may relate to issue

(hang-up) artist has not resolved:

• Born a Jew in Nazi Germany

• Mother’s suicide• Divorced

– The artist herself did not claim these associations

1.165 Eva Hesse, Hang-Up, 1966. Acrylic, cloth, wood, cord, and steel, 72 x 84 x 78”. Art Institute of Chicago

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Feminist Analysis

Role of women as: Artists

Subjects

Viewers

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Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Grande Odalisque

Feminist analysis Objectified subject (nude woman in a harem) Male audience/viewer Pose is sensual and submissive

1.166 Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Grande Odalisque, 1814. Oil on canvas, 35⅞ x 63¾”. Musée du Louvre, Paris, France

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Contextual Analysis

Interprets artwork based on time and place in which it was made

Considers historical, religious, political, economic, and social factors

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Leni Riefenstahl,still from Triumph of the Will

Contextual analysis Film made for Hitler of his speech in Nuremberg in

1934 Film as propaganda for Nazi regime

1.167 Leni Riefenstahl, still from Triumph of the Will, 1934

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Psychological Analysis

Considers the mental state of the artist when the artwork was being made and uses this to help interpret the work

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Edward Hopper, Nighthawks

Psychological analysis Made during America’s entry into World War II Emotion conveyed through figures and setting

1.168 Edward Hopper, Nighthawks, 1942. Oil on canvas, 33⅛ x 60”. Art Institute of Chicago

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Formal Analysis

Considers the elements and principles used by the artist

Elements of art: line, shape, form, mass, volume, color, texture, space, time and motion, and value

Principles of art: contrast, balance, unity, variety, rhythm, emphasis, pattern, proportion, and scale

Diego de Silva y Velázquez, Las Meninas

• Combining modes of analysis– Formal analysis—Multiple

focal points discovered:• Princess Margarita• King and Queen• Velázquez painting• Nieto in doorway

– Contextual analysis• Identification of members of

the court in scene– Biographical analysis

• Artist’s desire to be knighted• Artist’s relationship with King

Philip IV– Iconographical analysis

• Cross on Velázquez

1.169 Diego de Silva yVelázquez, Las Meninas,c. 1656. Oil on canvas,10’5¼” x 9’¾”. Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid, Spain

1.170 Detail of Diego de Silva y Velázquez, Las Meninas

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What Is the Meaning of Las Meninas?

Velázquez used Las Meninas to show his importance as a painter and his intimacy with the royal family


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Imitation and Individual Style

Artists often train themselves by studying and copying earlier masterpieces

By referring to earlier masterpieces in new artworks, artists associate themselves with other artists who preceded them

By studying other artworks, artists may learn how to differentiate themselves

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Picasso, Las Meninas

Picasso painted 45 paintings using a poster of the original Las Meninas (by Velázquez) as a model

Picasso competing with earlier Spanish master

1.171 Picasso, Las Meninas, first in a series, 1957. Oil on canvas, 6’4⅜” × 8’6⅜”. Museo Picasso, Barcelona, Spain

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Comparison

Compare the original Las Meninas by Velázquez with the reinterpretation by Picasso

Thomas Struth, Museo del Prado 7

• Artist is studying the act of looking

• Discuss whether the students are viewers or are subjects of an artwork

• Consider the experience of looking at this photograph while it hung next to Las Meninas in the Prado

1.172 Thomas Struth, Museo del Prado 7, 2005. Chromogenic print, 5’⅞” × 7’2”

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Conclusion

Artworks can be representational or non-objective; the degree to which they are non-objective is based upon the level of abstraction

Best interpretations are based on synthesis of several modes of analysis

Artists often look to earlier artists for inspiration

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1.161 iStockphoto.com

1.162 © Andia/Alamy

1.163 Allan Houser archives © Cliinde LLC

1.164 Collection University of Arizona Museum of Art, Tucson, Museum purchase with funds provided by the Edward J. Gallagher, Jr Memorial Fund 1982.35.1. © the artist

1.165 The Art Institute of Chicago, Gift of Arthur Keating and Mr. and Mrs. Edward Morris by exchange, April 1988. © The Estate of Eva Hesse. Hauser & Wirth. Photo Susan Einstein, courtesy The Art Institute of Chicago

1.166 Musée du Louvre, Paris

1.167 Courtesy Archiv LRP

1.168 The Art Institute of Chicago, Friends of American Art Collection, 1942.51



1.171 © Succession Picasso/DACS, London 2011

1.172 © 2012 Thomas Struth


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STUDY QUESTIONS CH1.10

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1. A work of art is the product of interrelationships between various art elements and __________.

a. colorsb. structuresc. contextsd. shapese. principlesFeedback/Reference: Page 152

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2. If we can recognize the objects or people in a work of art, it is __________.

a. representationalb. objectivec. ephemerald. non-objectivee. abstractFeedback/Reference: Page 153

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3. Allan Houser’s work Reverie is representational because __________.

a. it is made of bronzeb. it is abstractedc. it is lifesized. it includes two shapes that we recognize as

facese. it is a sculpted formFeedback/Reference: Page 154

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4. Iconographic analysis interprets objects and figures in an artwork as __________.

a. dreams and thoughtsb. signs or symbolsc. things that really existd. geometric shapese. proven factsFeedback/Reference: Page 154

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5. Eva Hesse’s minimalist sculpture Hang-Up can be interpreted biographically as __________.

a. showing that the artist was obsessed with formb. a window that leads to nothingnessc. a window that tells you nothingd. a ridiculous way to make arte. a humorous party trickFeedback/Reference: Pages 154–55

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6. Psychological analysis of Nighthawks by the artist Edward Hopper tells us that the painter was __________.

a. happy-go-luckyb. interested in flat colorsc. a fashion model in his spare timed. expressing lonelinesse. developing a new style of brushworkFeedback/Reference: Pages 159

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7. A formal analysis of Las Meninas by Diego de Silva y Velázquez would concentrate on this aspect of the work:

a. its mood.b. the artist’s painting technique.c. the characters of the people shown in the

painting.d. when it was created.e. what was in the foreground and background.Feedback/Reference: Page 161

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8. Picasso studied and copied Las Meninas because __________.

a. it was by an Italian artistb. he was not interested in making original works

of his ownc. he was obsessed with the Spanish royal familyd. he wanted to develop his own individual stylee. his art college insisted he shouldFeedback/Reference: Pages 162

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9. Thomas Struth’s photograph Museo del Prado 7 is

a. a perfect copy of Las Meninas by Velázquez.b. a portrait of art appreciation.c. deliberately old-fashioned in style.d. based on the later works of Pablo Picasso.e. an attempt to distract us from looking at Las

Meninas.Feedback/Reference: Pages 162

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10. The tools of formal analysis help us to __________.

a. dismiss the use of balance and focal point in a work

b. understand how an artwork was madec. concentrate on the modern aspects of an

artworkd. dig deeper into the history of an artworke. understand what was happening to women at

the time the work was made

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Art 110 (chs 1.8, 1.9, 1.10)

Documents

Transcript of Art 110 (chs 1.8, 1.9, 1.10)