Albrecht Dürer’s drawing “Praying Hands”, portrays the image of two hands in prayer, and the cuffs of the subject’s sleeves which they hands emerge from. The purpose of the image was originally as a study for a much larger engraved altarpiece (National Gallery of Art 2013 p. 21), however this has been since destroyed in a fire (Brinkley 2016). The mediums used by Dürer within the drawing consist of both black and white, pen and Ink which can be observed to illustrate the shadows and highlights of the subject; in an almost photo-realistic fashion. The skin texture of the hands can also be considered as an outcome of realism, as Dürer’s use of thinly weighted contour lines; despite their simplistic nature, convey a highly detailed appearance …show more content…
Illustrated with graphite pencil, the overall piece conveys a perceivably soft and partially messy finish, however this is simply due to the piece’s assumed purpose as a preparatory sketch for a painting. The most refined element of the piece is the subject’s face, in which Degas has used parallel lines of differing tonal value to show the three-dimensional quality of the subject’s facial structure. To softly define the subject’s facial features against this tonal value, Degas used comparatively more intricate and purposeful lines to define the subject’s complacent gaze. Juxtaposing this detail, loose freehand lines are used to illustrate the texture of the garment worn by the woman featured. The way the material falls and creases is also conveyed by the shifting direction of, and varying distance between lines within the subject’s dress. Scribbling is another technique used in this piece, as can be seen within what can be assumed to be an accessory in the subject’s hair. Degas has used quite an angular scribble to represent the accessory, which softly contrasts against the swooping lines which depict the woman’s up-do hairstyle. Overall, the piece is well fit for its anticipated purpose as a preliminary sketch, nonetheless its monotone appearance and inconsistent quality may suggest that it is unsuccessful aesthetically as a finished …show more content…
Despite both pieces having been created as preparatory drawings, Degas’ and Dürer’s works have contrasting appearances which are consequential of the different techniques which the artists used to create them. Within Dürer’s “Praying Hands”, intricate contour and cross-hatch lines have been used; this allows subject to appear comparatively more vibrant and easier to recognise than Degas’ piece. This perceived vibrancy of Dürer’s drawing, can be attributed to it’s realistic and three-dimensional finish; which was established through the use of both black and white ink and the contour and cross-hatch lines previously stated. Such mediums and techniques, enabled Dürer to accurately highlight and replicate the natural shadows and details of the subject, which supplemented the realistic quality of the drawing. Contrastingly, due to specific techniques used within Degas’ drawing, there are elements of the subject which may be more difficult for the viewer to interpret. Such techniques accountable for this include loose scribble; within the subject’s dress, and angular scribble; within the subject’s hair, both techniques which vaguely define what they represent. Nonetheless, Degas’ “Portrait de Mademoiselle Hélène Hertel” can be appreciated for these ambiguous scribbled lines, as they can also be seen as gestural and spontaneous, and
Contextual Theory: This painting depicts a portrait of life during the late 1800’s. The women’s clothing and hair style represent that era. Gorgeous landscape and a leisurely moment are captured by the artist in this work of
Her use of primary colors and complementary colors are illustrated in the background, at the top of the fabric and in the outer view of the house and in the front yard. There is shading being shown in the two geometric windows. The entire work presents lines and implied lines as a focal point or as a means to describe a scenery. The texture of the garment is silky and very smooth like bed sheets. Post and lintel are crafted on the rectangular door frame and in the small window inside the door frame. Fine art is depicting in the background of the house; the painting is going in its own direction but still have a meaning behind it. The grass, tulips, and the weeds in the foreground appear naturalistic and lifelike which give the painting a multiple use of variety. The composition of the house is centered and upright. Marisela Esteves uses asymmetrical balance in the pathway and on the walkway to the flower garden. On the left side of the house there is a lot of variety elements and implied lines been demonstrating. Also, there is a lot of space in the background which grabs my attention because the line portrays a billboard in my mind that is covered by the vibrant, bright colors. The material that Marisela Esteves use was probably a knife or paint brush to mix, dye, and print on the fabric
Albrecht Durer completed the “Master Engravings” in the years 1513 and 1514. With these three engravings (Knight, Death, and Devil, St. Jerome in His Study, and Melencolia I) he reached the high point of his artistic expression and concentration. each print represents a different philosophical perspective on the “worlds” respectively of action, spirit, and intellect. Although Durer himself evidently did not think of the three as a set, He sometimes sold or gave St. Jerome and Melencolia I as a pair.
In this work, the colors and shapes come together to form the depiction of a woman in a chair gazing out at the landscape beyond a window. This subject matter relates to Picasso’s infamous relationship with women and may serve as a depiction of one of the many women he was linked with. The painting depicts the woman with a dual omniscient and introspective vision. Picasso develops this dichotomy through the depiction of a wayward eye gazing out the window and a larger ubiquitous eye glaring directly at the viewers. In constructing such a contrast, the painter is able to convey the personality...
... study for the overall concept they appear rather as abstract patterns. The shadows of the figures were very carefully modeled. The light- dark contrasts of the shadows make them seem actually real. The spatial quality is only established through the relations between the sizes of the objects. The painting is not based on a geometrical, box like space. The perspective centre is on the right, despite the fact that the composition is laid in rows parallel to the picture frame. At the same time a paradoxical foreshortening from right to left is evident. The girl fishing with the orange dress and her mother are on the same level, that is, actually at equal distance. In its spatial contruction, the painting is also a successful construction, the groups of people sitting in the shade, and who should really be seen from above, are all shown directly from the side. The ideal eye level would actually be on different horizontal lines; first at head height of the standing figures, then of those seated. Seurats methods of combing observations which he collected over two years, corresponds, in its self invented techniques, to a modern lifelike painting rather than an academic history painting.
Corresponding to Interior with Two People, Degas’ family portrait, The Belleli Family, of his aunt Laura and her family is a painting about “the contradictions riddling the general idea of the high bourgeois family in the middle of the nineteenth century.” 6,7 The painting is considered a representation of “The ...
The face of the portrait is detailed, and more naturally painted than the rest of the composition. However, the left iris exceeds her eye and extends past the normal outline. The viewer can see every single brush stroke resulting in a unique approach to the capturing human emotion. The streaky texture combines with the smoothness flow of the artist’s hand creating contrast between the hair and the face. The woman’s hair is painted with thick and chunky globs of paint. The viewer can physically see the paint rising from the canvas and flowing into the movement of the waves of hair. Throughout the hair as well as the rest of the portrait Neel abandons basic painting studies and doesn’t clean her brush before applying the next color. Because of the deliberate choice to entangle the colors on the brush it creates a new muddy palate skewed throughout the canvas. Moving from the thick waves of hair, Neel abandons the thick painting style of the physical portrait and moves to a looser more abstract technique to paint the background. Despite the lack of linear perspective, Neel uses a dry brush technique for the colorful streaks in the background creating a messy illusion of a wall and a sense of space. The painting is not clean, precise, or complete; there are intentional empty spaces, allowing the canvas to pear through wide places in the portrait. Again, Neel abandons
It appears to me that pictures have been over-valued; held up by a blind admiration as ideal things, and almost as standards by which nature is to be judged rather than the reverse; and this false estimate has been sanctioned by the extravagant epithets that have been applied to painters, and "the divine," "the inspired," and so forth. Yet in reality, what are the most sublime productions of the pencil but selections of some of the forms of nature, and copies of a few of her evanescent effects, and this is the result, not of inspiration, but of long and patient study, under the instruction of much good sense…
The painting, in its simplest form, consists of a naked woman lying elegantly upon stately and rich cloths, while a young, also nude boy, is holding a mirror which contains her reflection. Upon first glance of this work, I was quickly able to make out the identity of the two subjects. ...
... though employing a familiar subject (the female form), shows the transformation from busy mosaics with gold embellishments to a brighter palate of colors and the use of stronger, bolder lines. The piece exemplifies his versatility as an artist.
It is extremely difficult to discern whether it is a painting or a photograph, which demonstrates the Spirit of the Renaissance by showing scientific naturalism. In this time period, scientific naturalism was the importance and value of observing nature down to the minute details, and in art showing the subject exactly as it appears in nature. An essential part of this realism is color, which is also an aspect of Dürer’s Wing of a
For example, Masaccio used the medium fresco. It dries quickly and requires the artist to work fast with color broadly applied. This medium enables Masaccio to create generalized forms over the precise details of oil and tempura painting. However, Campin used the oil medium. This gave him the ability to create jewel-like illusions of reality. Campin and others of this era were motivated to paint the external world and all the different facets that create it. On the other hand, Masaccio wanted to create a painting that is more realistic and wanted the people to be able to relate to the art. Also, both artists use light and shadow to highlight and emphasize different parts of the paintings. For instance, Campin lit the room with sunlight and put a focus on Mary’s dress. This lighting causes the dress to turn into a shape of a star. This can symbolize the presence of the star of Bethlehem. Many other religious symbols are found in the painting. The eyes are not drawn to a particular object. This is not the case in Masaccio’s painting. He does not particularly shine light on one object. Even though the eyes are drawn to Jesus, we get a sense of balance between all the objects. This portrays faith and it’s mysteries as well as the perfection symbolism that comes with God. Masaccio creates a three dimensional like form even though it is on a two-dimensional surface. The painting shows
This essay is about how formal qualities enhance the idea of transition in Nina Zur’s artworks. Nina Zur is a Russian artist specializing in figurative and naturalistic works with a high degree of detail It is focusing on four artworks of the same artist that were produced in the same time period and style. Interestingly there works are very different from the usual style of the artist and they all share the same idea of transition. It is present in all of the works, but ways of communication in those
The contrasts between depth and surface, figure and landscape, promiscuity and modesty, beauty and vulgarity all present themselves in de Kooning’s Woman and Bicycle. Although the figure is a seemingly normal woman out for an afternoon with her bike, she becomes so much more through the artist’s use of color, contrast, and composition. The exotic nature of woman presents itself in her direct stare and slick buxom breasts in spite of a nearly indiscernible figure. It is understood that, on the whole, de Kooning did not paint with a purpose in mind, but rather as an opportunity to create an experience, however, that does not go to say that there isn’t some meaning that can come of this work. Even Willem de Kooning once said that art is not everything that is in it, but what you can take out of it (Hess p.144).
This piece contains darker shades of blue to create a dark, shadowy effect over the ballerinas. Even so, there are bright highlights on the dancers to enhance the sharpness and contrast of their figures. Colors like orange and peach are also highlight colors for the background behind the dancers. The main subjects of the artwork are wearing bright blue and white outfits to contrast with the more subdued greens and oranges of the background. Behind the dancers, Degas puts layers upon layers of pastel to create a realistic depth of color like that which one might experience in real life. The effect of this is quite stunning and adds a richness and intenseness to this piece.