Greek Sage Ribera

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A brief formal analysis of A Greek Sage by Jusepe de Ribera (ca. 1630) reveals the structure of a man and his work presented in oil on a large canvas. Ribera’s A Greek Sage is presented in a gold frame, which offsets the use of the dominant browns and blacks that surround the older man focusing on a drawn plan on parchment paper with thin, linear lines above a book placed sideways on the gentleman’s workstation table. The piece can be found in The University of Arizona’s Art Museum. Furthermore, this essay will analyze the formal elements and principles of composition found throughout Ribera’s A Greek Sage. Throughout his painting, Ribera primarily uses dark tones. The colors are analogous, considering black, brown, and tan work together …show more content…

The implied line is the connection between the gentleman’s stare and the piece of paper in his hand. Following, the real lines Ribera uses are the lines that make up the piece for what it is, especially when focusing on the designs on the parchment paper. Drawn on the parchment paper are connected rectangular boxes that seem to sit about two inches from the bottom of the paper. Just as well, the name written on the paper, “Jusepe de Ribera,” are actual lines portrayed in the painting. Contour lines are used to define the outer edges of the book placed on the table to identify the pages of the book, and the book itself. Also, portrayed throughout the artwork are simple, subtle, and natural to the figure of the subject and his …show more content…

Visually, the textures are real, which help the audience grasp the full idea of the objects. Natural textures pronounce the importance of the object being placed in the painting. For example, the wooden texture of the table allows the audience to make such a connection, that is in fact a table sitting in front of the man. Also, the texture of the pages of the book allow the person to see the thickness of the book. Plus, the variation in color of the parchment paper implies the texture of the paper to be smooth, but with subtle bumpy areas from being rolled up and

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