Study Guide Chapter 1.8 (Emphasis and Focal Point)

1.8.9 Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1653). Judith Decapitating Holofernes.c. 1620. Oil on canvas. 6'6⅜" x 5'3¾". Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy Line Line is an effective way to focus at our attention in an artwork

Another version of the biblical story of Judith and one of many versions painted by Gentileschi. Focal point is Holofernes' head. Holofernes' head is placed on the lowest part of the composition relative to the people in the painting. His head and arms are framed by the red blanket, the maid's low saturated dress, and Judith's yellow dress. The arms of Holofernes, Judith, and the maids are also directional lines directing our attention to the focal point (see next slide). Areas of emphasis are the women, Holofernes, sword, and lines of red blood. The dark background is subordinated, there is nothing of interest to hold our attention. Besides the use of high contrast of colors, implied directional lines direct our eyes to Holofernes head. Directional lines in Judith Decapitating Holofernes Gentileschi, Judith Decapitating Holofernes Strong single focal point: where blood spurts from Holofernes' neck as Judith delivers the fatal blow Directional line and contrasting values emphasize the climax of the story

Contrast

Artists look to create effects of contrast by positioning elements that are very different next to one another For example, areas of varied value, color, or size

Emphasis and Focal Point in Action

Artists 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 Contrast

1.8.6Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1525-69). Landscape with the Fall of Icarus.c. 1555-8. Oil on canvas, mounted on wood. 29 x 44⅛". MuséesRoyauxdes Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Brussels, Belgium

Focal point is the man with red shirt plowing field. Eyes go here first because red is the most intense color in the painting and he is in the lower almost center of the painting. Other areas emphasized, pulling our eyes through the composition are the landscape in the background on the left, the horizon line where sky and water meet with a setting sun, and the ship in the middle ground on the right. After viewing the emphasized areas, we notice a man in the lower right along the shore. He is at a slight diagonal to the ship. Finally we notice two legs sticking out from the water belonging to Icarus. Icarus is subordinated. The water and ground (except the area with lines indicating the ground has been plowed) are also subordinated. These areas are noticed but only briefly. The man with the plow is the focal point. We can determine a meaning based on Bruegel's use of focal point and subordination. See textbook for a possible interpretation and the Greek myth of Icarus. Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1525/30-1569) was an artist from the Netherlands who became famous for his landscapes and humorous scenes of peasant life. His work comments on the beliefs and customs of his day. The painting Netherlandish Proverbs depicts recognizable types, such as farmers and townspeople (3.6.13a and 3.6.13b-d). The people are general and universal figures, rather than specific or idealized portraits. The examples shown here identify a selection of the more than one hundred proverbs that Bruegel illustrated in this painting. A few of the proverbs that are still familiar to us include the "world turned upside down"; the man who is "beating his head against a wall"; and "no use crying over spilt milk," which is depicted in the man trying to ladle the remains of the overturned bucket between the table and the cart Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Landscape with the Fall of Icarus Diverts our attention so that we barely notice Icarus plunging to his doom Emphasis is drawn to other areas, such as the plowman in the foreground

1.8.10 Ando Hiroshige (1797-1858). Riverside Bamboo Market, Kyobashi. from One Hundred Famous Views of Edo. 1857. 15 x 10⅜". Honolulu Academy of Arts, Hawaii Placement The placement of elements within a composition controls rhythm and creates multiple focal points

Orange and white stamps were stamped onto the print by people who admired the print. The three focal points, moon, post on bridge and man in the boat, create an implied vertical line. What draws our eyes away from this strong vertical? The curve of the bridge and the dark values on the trees pointing upward at the top of the hill. On the hill side above the bridge, there are actual vertical and diagonal lines directing our eyes upward and toward the moon. Below the bridge there are vertical lines with a few horizontal lines drawing our eyes across the hill into the distance. The placement of the bamboo floating on the water creates an implied directional line, directing our eyes into the distance. We notice a second bridge and man in a boat. Focal points: moon, bridge, and man in boat. Emphasis: moon, bridge, man in boat in the foreground, bamboo hill side, bamboo in water. Subordinated: water and sky. Placement The placement of elements within a composition controls rhythm and creates multiple focal points. In the print "Riverside Bamboo Market, Kyo-bashi," the Japanese artist Ando Hiroshige (1797-1858) has oriented three shapes; all of them are visually independent of each other (1.8.10). 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. Even though the bridge is the largest shape, and so naturally catches our attention, the light value and hard geometry of the moon divert our gaze, and the moon becomes a secondary focal point. We look at the figure under the bridge because of its careful placement under the moon, and because it has a definite outline that contrasts strongly with the flat color of the water. The varying distances between the placements of the three focal points also create rhythm, which adds visual interest. Hiroshige, a master of woodcut printing, uses placement to emphasize specific points in the work and enliven the composition. Ando Hiroshige, "Riverside Bamboo Market, Kyobashi" Three separate focal points: the moon, the bridge, and the figure in a boat The varying distances between these three shapes create rhythm that adds visual interest

emphasis

The area or areas that our attention is drawn to in an artwork Emphasis An entire work, a broad area within a work of art, multiple areas, and even specific points can be emphasized Broad Emphasis Emphasizes an entire work in its wholeness Emphasis encompasses a large area, but not quite the entire surface Can also occur when there are multiple elements within a work, but no one element dominates

focal point

•The center of interest in an artwork •Is where a small, clearly defined area is emphasized •Can have more than one focal point What is Focal Point? Focal point is a tool artists use to give specific emphasis to an important symbol, event, or distinguishing feature in a work It is the place in an area of emphasis that draws our eye The center of interest on a page or set of facing pages, created by using color, contrast and proportion.

Subordination

•The opposite of emphasis •Areas of the composition that have less visual interest •Subordinated areas aid in bringing attention to areas that are emphasized and/or focal points Subordination The use of emphasis to draw the viewer's attention away from a particular part of a composition Can also involve deliberately reducing the impact of certain details