ARTS 1513 Exam 2 study guide

How do high and low vantage points affect a viewer's perception of a subject?

A high vantage point (or bird's-eye view) "zooms out," reducing the scale of subject and making the viewer feel a sense of control over the scene. By comparison, a low vantage point (or worm's-eye view) "zooms in," emphasizing the scale of the subject and making the viewer feel small by comparison.

Positive Shape (Figure)

A shape defined by its surrounding negative space

How and why does Meret Oppenheim's Object rely on "subversive texture"?

A subversive texture contradicts our previous tactile experience. Example is the fur covered tea cup bc we would expect the tea cup to be smooth and cold, but then we would imagine drinking from this and having fur tickle our mouth instead. Artists and designers use the contradictions and contrasts of subversive texture to invite viewers to reconsider their preconceptions about the world around them. The tactile memory would conflict with the actual experience of sipping tea from a shiny teacup.

Complementary Color

Across from one another on color wheel; very different wavelengths.

Analogous Color

Adjacent to one another on color wheel; similar wavelengths.

What role does impasto play in Wayne Thiebaud's cake paintings?

Although the actual surfaces of paintings are frequently smooth and even, the impasto technique can add a three-dimensional texture to the work. The painter Wayne Thiebaud uses this to great effect, adding a textural realism to his representations of desserts. Mimicking the appearance of spread and piped icing, paint projects off the surface of the canvas in dense brushstrokes of varying thickness. The paintings can set off a chain reaction of the senses: while visually perceiving the tactile quality of the painted desserts (and thinking about real desserts in the process), the viewer may experience a charged memory rooted in taste or a desire to eat some sweets.

Variety

Artists may rely on a visual diversity and contrast of details, ideas, or techniques to add variety to their work

How does Artemisia Gentileschi make the biblical heroine Judith's act of killing her enemy Holofernes the focal point of her painting?

Artists often take advantage of the strength of a single focal point to force us to give our attention to the crux or pivot of the work. Although a composition can have several focal points, the Italian Baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-c. 1656) uses just one in her Judith Decapitating Holofernes (1.8.9). 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. Bright light emphasizes Judith's arms and those of her maidservant (visually connected to the sword itself) as they 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. This double emphasis (contrast of values and directional line) freezes our stare upon the fatal blow, even as it obscures it in darkness.

Emphasis

Artists use various strategies for drawing attention to an area or areas within a work of art. Sometimes, the emphasis is broad, focusing on all areas equally

Hue

Basic color (names we give them)

What happens when complementary colors are placed side by side? What happens when analogous colors are placed side by side?

But when two complementary colors are painted side by side, these "opposite" colors create visual anomalies: they intensify one another. This happens because complementary colors have markedly different wavelengths, creating an illusion (in the photoreceptors of the eye) of vibrating movement where their edges meet (1.4.10). When the eye tries to compensate for the different wavelengths of two complementary colors, we tend to see each Painters use analogous color to create color unity and harmonies that steer viewers toward a particular attitude or emotion. By keeping the color within a similar range, artists avoid jarring, contrasting combinations of colors and moods.

How do we perceive color?

Color: the optical effect caused when reflected white light of the spectrum is divided into separate wavelengths Pg 101 of text

Geometric Shape / Form

Composed of regular lines and curves

Linear Perspective

Creates an illusion of spatial depth through a manipulation of a line

One-Point Linear Perspective

Creates an illusion of spatial depth through the convergence of orthogonals at a single vanishing point placed on a horizon line

Two-Point Linear Perspective

Creates an illusion of spatial depth through the convergence of orthogonals at two vanishing points placed on a shared horizon line

Crosshatching

Crossed parallel lines

Who are the Fauves and why did they prefer high-chroma colors?

Derain was a member of an artistic movement known as the Fauves (French for "wild beasts"). The Fauves delighted in using the new and brighter- colored pigments made available by advances in industrial manufacturing. They used colors in their purest and strongest states as an act of defiance against the Academy, a state-sponsored school of art that set rigid rules for acceptable standards for art and artists at the turn of the twentieth century. Although today, it might seem as though the Fauves' subjects and colors are tame by comparison with those of contemporary artists, in their day they were perceived as revolutionary and fierce, challenging the Academy and Western artistic conventions generally and earning the artists their nickname. Derain's painting is energized by high chroma and color complements that intensify adjacent colors when seen close together.

Caricature

Exaggerates scale and proportion for comic or critical effect

Picture Plane

Flat, two-dimensional surface of the painting.

Background

Furthest away from the viewer

How and why does Ron Mueck manipulate scale in his sculptures?

He produces hyperrealistic sculptures in the tradition of Duane Hanson (covered in Lesson 1). However, whereas Hanson's figures are lifesize, Mueck's sculptures are either over or under lifesize. Enhanced scale can help give a subject an air of superiority or power, but the opposite is usually true with Mueck's over-lifesize sculptures. Often times, they depict people naked and in poses that express anxiety or weakness. Rather than dominating the viewer, as we might expect based on their size, they seem vulnerable and exposed in the vast public space of the museum. Because of their small scale, Ron Mueck's under-lifesize sculptures require the viewer to get up close to observe their details. As viewers move into the space of the sculptures, they assume the role of an eavesdropper or intruder to the "private lives" of the depicted people, often shown in intimate moments.

Tenebrism

High contrast of light and dark creating a "spotlight" effect that emphasizes certain areas while leaving others in darkness.

Lifesize / human scale

If a depicted subject is true to its real size, we classify it as lifesize or on a human scale. Depicted subjects can also be under lifesize, or over lifesize.

Large-scale/monumental

If it is larger than us, we classify it as being a large-scale or monumental work.

Small-scale

If it is smaller than us, we classify it as being a small-scale work

Horizon Line

Imaginary line to where things recede.

Orthogonals

Imaginary perpendicular perspective lines that meet at the vanishing point.

How does Dieric Bouts make Mary the focal point of the Coronation of the Virgin?

In Dieric Bouts's Coronation of the Virgin, the Virgin Mary is made the focal point through a variety of means. She is at the center of a symmetrical composition and placed closest to the viewer in the foreground. Her deep blue robes contrast with the red robes of Jesus and God, and the white halo and dove above her also draw the eye to the center. All the surrounding figures—God, Jesus, and the six angels—orient their bodies towards her, and most look at her as well. And finally, various directional lines guide the eye towards her: the outstretched hands of Jesus and God, her own hands pointed in prayer, and the placement of the figures in a "V" formation with Mary at the head.

Compositional unity

In a unified composition, the artist has organized things to create a feeling of wholeness and provide a harmony of parts

How and why was the Taj Mahal designed with a symmetrical balance?

In art, symmetrical balance is created when harmony unites all the elements, just as Shah Jahan and Mumtaz felt united in their relationship based on requited love. A stable visual form is achieved when opposite sides of a design mirror each other exactly, creating this perfect balance. In most cases symmetry suggests pleasing tranquility, order, and numerical perfection to the viewer, so its use in the proportions and design of the Taj Mahal carries associations of beauty and stability. The Taj Mahal uses both bilateral and radial symmetry in the design of the central tomb building (1.6.16) and the surrounding complex in which it stands. The entire complex includes the central mausoleum and four minarets, a meeting house, a mosque, two pavilions, a gatehouse, two plaza areas, and a grand garden (1.6.17), all of which can be bisected to reveal identical components on the opposite side. There are even some additional areas adjacent and across the Yamuna River that also share the same characteristics. The entire plan, if bisected parallel to its longest axis, would find an exact replication in its opposite side. The carefully apportioned symmetrical balance in this plan expresses a sense of perfection. AS FROM POWER POINT SLIDES----Built as a burial complex for a wife of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (who was later buried there as well), the Taj Mahal exhibits a perfect symmetry in nearly all aspects. The white marble mausoleum (the structure with the tombs) has a fully symmetrical ground plan and its exterior has four identical sides, each with a symmetrical design. Four towers called minarets are positioned at the corners of the tomb, and one red sandstone building is placed on either side of the central structure. The garden in front of the mausoleum is also symmetrical in plan, with water channels dividing the garden into four squares, each containing four smaller garden plots. While the site's perfect balance can be linked to a harmony and unity associated with the emperor's love for his wife, it also resonates with ideas about the divine, as would be appropriate in a burial complex. The water channels dividing the garden into equal units call to mind the Islamic conception of heavenly Paradise as a lush garden with four rivers. More generally, the perfection of the site's total design can serve of a reminder of the perfection of Allah (God).

How and why does Pieter Brueghel divert attention away from the water and to the foreground of The Fall of Icarus?

In his painting The Fall of Icarus, Marc Chagall (1887-1985) draws attention to and illustrates a critical moment from a haunting story from Greek mythology (1.8.5). Icarus and his father Daedalus had been imprisoned on the island of Crete by its ruler, Minos. In order to escape, Daedalus fashioned two sets of wings from feathers and wax. As father and son flew away from their prison, Icarus became overly exuberant. Although his father had warned him not to, Icarus, recklessly enjoying his new wings, flew too high and close to the sun. The wax in his wings melted, and he fell to his death in the sea below. In Chagall's version, Icarus is the focal point, distinctly set apart from the light sky not only by his position at the top and center of the work, but also by the use of bold red, yellow, and blue primary colors to depict the flailing figure. Using the contrast between the brightly colored wings and the dull, pale-gray sky isolates and draws attention directly to the poor boy, whose futile fluttering is captured in Chagall's energetic brushstrokes. Even though there are many figures in this work, the main emphasis is clearly on the tumbling one in the sky.

Middle Ground

In the middle of the view of paintings like a window.

How and why does Agnes Martin emphasize all parts of Starlight equally?

In the work Starlight, Martin's Taoist ideas about the importance of harmony in the universe are reflected in the emphasis on the work as a whole, held together by the essential simplicity of the grid, the structure of which, with its faint but regular and insistent lines, permeates the entire painting. The resulting effect allows us to immerse ourselves in the work, as if it were a place for reflective meditation.

How does Katsushika Hokusai establish compositional unity in Under the Wave off Kanagawa?

In this woodblock print, for example, Katsushika Hokusai relies on a layering effect, unifying the lower half of the image from right to left and front to back. Three similarly shaped boats are staggered between successive zones of crossing waves, each defined by gently curved contour lines. Additional unity is provided by other areas of repetition, such as the hooked whitecaps of the waves and the pairing of white and blue. Even the positive shape of the wave formation is repeated—but upside down and reversed—in the negative space of the blank page. The print is part of a series depicting Mount Fuji, seen here in the central background. While it is largely obscured by the waves and a boat, the mountain is nevertheless united with the main imagery through its resemblance to the peaked wave in the lower left foreground.

How does Michelangelo use lines to create the illusion of solidity and depth in Head of a Satyr?

Increasing frequency of hatch lines implies darker value, overlapping lines or cross-hatching, intensifies the darkness of the value. Dross-hatching gives the face of the satyr solidity and depth. The surrounding hatches on the face create a highlight, making the cheek appear to be jutting forward. The Italian artist Michelangelo (1475-1564) uses cross-hatching in his pen and ink drawing Head of a Satyr (1.3.8). Cross-hatching gives the face of the satyr solidity and depth. By building up layers of brown ink, Michelangelo overcomes the restrictions created by the thin line of the pen. For example, if we look carefully at the cheekbone of the satyr it appears to be jutting out toward us. This effect is created by hatching and cross-hatching. The bright white highlight uses no lines; the surrounding hatch lines define the transition from bright light to a darker value. As we move our gaze downward and to the right of the highlight, we notice that a second layer of overlapping hatching lines intersects the diagonals bordering the highlight. Then, as we continue to scan downward and to the right, we see more layers of hatching lines crossing over the previous ones. As the hatching lines cross over and over, the value appears to get darker. Michelangelo communicates three-dimensional depth by using narrow and two-dimensional lines.

Chroma / Saturation

Intensity of the hue.

What types of art commonly use isometric perspective and why?

Isometric perspective uses diagonal parallels to communicate depth, while linear perspective relies on a system where lines appear to converge at points in space. All these forms of perspective tap into some of the ways we see the world and think about space. It was particularly suitable for painting on scrolls, which can be examined only in sections. Since Chinese landscape painters were never really interested in portraying space from a single viewing point—they preferred to convey multiple viewpoints simultaneously—isometric perspective was their chosen technique to convey the illusion of space in the structural lines of architecture and other rectilinear objects.

When, where, and how was linear perspective first recorded as a system of spatial representation?

Linear perspective is a mathematical system that uses lines to create the illusion of depth in a two-dimensional artwork. (The "lines" can be actual lines, for example of buildings, or implied lines of figures or shapes.) The linear perspective systems used by artists are based on observation of space in the world we see around us: the two sides of a straight railway line or road appear to converge as they recede into the distance, even though in reality they are parallel. Origins and History Like many ideas in human history, linear perspective was developed with knowledge acquired over centuries. Mozi, a Chinese philosopher working in the fifth century BCE; Alhazen, an Arab mathematician from around the year 1000; and Leon Battista Alberti (1404-1472), an Italian Renaissance architect, each contributed ideas that helped artists to understand light and its properties more fully. Knowledge of light's properties led other Renaissance artists to use a projection device called a camera obscura (Latin for "dark room") to explore the possibilities of naturalistic illusion and the re-creation of reality. The device consisted of a small dark box, which by means of a little pinhole would conduct sunlight through the hole and allow a real, full-color, upside-down image of the objects outside the device to be projected with light onto a surface. The artist could then draw the projected image, or trace it directly onto paper or canvas. Images created using this device revealed recurring ways in which lines could be arranged that influenced the artist Filippo Brunelleschi (1377-1446) to create a practical way of expressing the theories of depth using linear perspective. Because Brunelleschi, as an architect, was interested in the realistic representation of buildings, he began to work with ideas about perspective and the idea that light enters the eye. He combined this with use of the camera obscura to prove that reality could be re-created in art using a system of lines. It had been demonstrated that an image projected onto a surface in a camera obscura could be traced to produce a convincing illusion of depth, but this did not explain exactly how the illusion of depth was created. Brunelleschi took this discovery one step further by formulating rules of linear perspective to allow an artist to depict realistically something observed without the aid of a camera obscura. To prove his point, Brunelleschi painted an image of the Florence Baptistery (1.3.17a), applying his rules, on a polished piece of silver. He then drilled a small hole in the silver plate so that a viewer could look through the back of it and, holding a mirror up in front of it, could see the painted image of the Baptistery reflected in the mirror (1.3.17b).The viewer could then compare the degree of realism of the painting with the real Baptistery itself to confirm that Brunelleschi's rules worked. Although many artists had effectively approximated linear perspective, Brunelleschi was the first to define it formally as a practical system. Brunelleschi's Proof: A viewer would look through a hole in the back of his painting of the Baptistery while holding a mirror in front to reflect it. When the mirror was removed, and the viewer could see the building, it revealed how accurately the architecture could be rendered using the system.

Organic Shape / Form

Made up of unpredictable, irregular lines that evoke the natural world.

Chiaroscuro

Manipulation of value to suggest a sense of three-dimensionality in a two-dimensional work of art.

Line

Most fundamental element used by artists, organize the visual world. Connects two points, can define boundaries between planes, define shapes, direct our eyes, convey sense of movement and energy. Tool for describing in two-dimensions a three dimensional object by indicating depth and noting surface changes. A mark, or implied mark, between two end points.

Implied Line

Not continuous, suggest or give impression of a line.

Hatching

Parallel lines used to imply depth

Vanishing Point

Point used as part of the system of perspective, which enables the creation of illusion of the 3D world on a 2D plane.

Proportion

Proportion refers to the comparative size of parts in relation to one another. This can be applied to the different parts of an art object, as in the selection of vases below, which demonstrates how changes in the width and height of various parts can alter the objects' overall proportions.

Value

Refers to the lightness and darkness of a surface, with the light source determining the placement and intensity of light and shadow. In two-dimensional art, a value range can provide an illusion of three-dimensionality.

Foreshortening

Represented form is positioned perpendicular to the picture plane or at an angle, resulting in a visual compression that implies depth.

How does Robert Rauschenberg establish variety in Monogram?

Robert Rauschenberg's Monogram, for example, is made from a variety of materials—including paint, wood, and found objects—each with a different appearance and texture. As is true of others works by Rauschenberg, Mongoram challenges the idea of art being classifiable under a single medium. He preferred to call such works "Combines," a reference to the way they brought together aspects of painting and sculpture into a single work. In Mongoram, additional variety is found in the way he mixes organic forms with irregular lines (the stuffed goat with its shaggy coat and curved horns) and geometric forms with regular lines (the round tire and square panel that serves as a base). All these aspects come together to create a unique, visually rich work of art.

Principles

Rules similar to grammar in art. The ways the elements of art are constructed in a work of art -- contrast, balance, unity, variety, rhythm, emphasis, pattern, scale, proportion, and focal point.

Hierarchical scale

Scale can also refer to the size of a depicted figure or object in relation to other depicted figures and/or objects within the scene. In this capacity, scale can be used to suggest the importance of a subject or establish a hierarchy of importance amongst various subjects. In this relief sculpture, the pharaoh Seti is depicted more than twice the size of his enemies and is even larger than the god Amen-ra, visualizing the supreme power of the Egyptian ruler.

Scale

Scale can refer to the comparative size of the artwork in relation to the viewer.

Monochromatic

Single hue in varying values.

How does the experience of viewing a small-scale work differ from viewing a large-scale work? How does the viewer "interact" with the work in different ways?

Small-scale pieces force viewers to come in close to experience the artwork. A small-scale work implies intimacy, like whispering in someone's ear or admiring a ring on his or her finger. Large-scale works can be experienced by groups of viewers, and usually communicate big ideas directed at a large audience.

Volume

Space filled by or enclosed by a three-dimensional figure or object

Contour Line

Suggests a volume in a space by defining edges of an object, and providing clues about the character of the object's surface.

Why did artists like Georges Seurat rely on optical color? What is the benefit over mixing paint on the palette?

The French painter Georges Seurat (1859- 1891) used the optical qualities of color to create a new style of painting, called pointillism because it relied on small dots (or points) of color. In The Circus Seurat paints a scene of lively entertainment, imbued with bright color and texture through the use of small dots (1.4.23a and b). Because these dots are so close together, the colors we see are different from the actual colors of the dots. This optical mixing makes the colors more intense because they have retained their individual intensity, whereas if they were mixed on the palette they would appear more subdued.

How and why is proportion manipulated in the brass sculpture of the Oni of Ife?

The Oni, or Monarch, of the Ife Dynasty of the Yoruba people is shown standing in full regalia (ceremonial clothing and adornments). The Oni is the most powerful and important figure in this culture, yet his proportions here are neither realistic nor idealized. The head—about a quarter of the entire figure—is large; the Yoruba believe that the head is the seat of a divine power from whence a life source emanates to control personality and destiny. This figure, like Ife kings, represents a direct descendant of Oduduwa, the heroic leader whose children became the great leaders of the Yoruba. The facial features are idealized, suggesting that a personal heritage shapes one's destiny as a great leader.

How and why does Honoré Daumier manipulate scale and proportion in Gargantua?

The artist Honoré Daumier aimed to critique the French king Louis-Philippe, who had promised to restore balance to the nation, but ultimately enacted policies that benefited the elite at the expense of the working class. To visualize this reality, Daumier shows destitute citizens giving up coins to feed the king, who then excretes papers granting privileges to his inner circle. Depicted as a massive, monstrous glutton feeding off the poor, the king is made all the more grotesque through his distorted proportions. His giant belly and jowls are contrasted with legs so spindly one wonders if he'll ever be able to get up off his "throne," a chair-style toilet of the period. Government censors deemed the image offensive and order the destruction of the printing matrix and all existing copies. (Only a few survived.) Following a trial, Daumier served six months in prison for wielding a "seditious crayon."

Local Color

The color of represented objects corresponds with the objects' typical color in the real world.

Arbitrary Color

The color of represented objects does not correspond with the objects' typical color in the real world; often used to influence mood or emotion.

How does Asher Brown Durand modify color and detail to create the illusion of spatial depth in Kindred Spirits?

The foreground is in sharp focus, while the middle and background become gradually more blurred, more yellow and dull, and appear hazy, as if further away. American Asher Brown Durand (1796-1886) used comparable effects in his painting Kindred Spirits (1.3.13). The trees in the foreground are detailed and bright green, but as the trees recede into the landscape behind the two figures, they become a lighter gray and increasingly out of focus. Lines and shapes also become less distinct as the illusion of distance increases. By using atmospheric perspective, Durand conveys an impression of the vastness of the American landscape.

How might we interpret Joseph Wright of Derby's use of tenebrism in A Philosopher Giving a Lecture?

The light can be seen as a reference to the guiding light of science, the illumination of the mind, or even the Enlightenment itself. Tenebrism was often used to suggest a divine presence in Christian art of the 17th century, as seen in the examples on the preceding slide. In the 18th century, however, the British artist Joseph Wright of Derby employed tenebrism in secular scenes, such as this depiction of a scientist giving a public lecture on an orrery, a new instrument that demonstrates the movement of the planets around the sun. Wright produced the painting during the European Enlightenment, which promoted reason and scientific learning for the betterment of society. Therefore, several symbolic interpretations might be applied to the centralized light source radiating onto a group of men, women, and children. The light can be seen as a reference to the guiding light of science, the illumination of the mind, or even the Enlightenment itself.

How do one-point and two-point linear perspective differ?

The one-point perspective system worked for Masaccio because his composition relied on the viewer standing directly in front of the vanishing point. But if the vanishing point is not directly (or near directly) in front of a viewer, or if the objects in the work are not all parallel, one-point perspective does not create a believable illusion of depth. The Italian artist Raphael (1483-1520) dealt with this problem in his famous painting The School of Athens (1.3.21a and 1.3.21b). Any object that exists in our cone of vision—the area we can see without moving our head or eyes—can usually be depicted using vanishing points on the horizon line (1.3.22). But if we are looking at an object from a position Vanishing point ° other than ground level, then we will need points away from the horizon line and other variations on perspective. Objects and spaces that have right angles make it easy to work out where vanishing points should be: we can use one-point perspective. Unfortunately, many objects are made up of multiple angles that need even more vanishing points. As more of these are incorporated into a design, the artist can more readily reflect the complexities of the real world.

How and why is scale manipulated in the relief of Seti from the Temple of Amun?

The pharaoh Seti is depicted more than twice the size of his enemies and is even larger than the god Amen-ra, visualizing the supreme power of the Egyptian ruler.

How does Fan Kuan create the illusion of spatial depth in Travelers among Mountains and Streams?

The stream and rocks and trees in the foreground appear to be separate from the cliffs in the background. The foreground slightly overlaps the back cliffs, making it seem like the cliffs are far away. The illusion of depth in two dimensions is often influenced by the arrangement of value and texture. Artists intersperse value and visual texture to create a sense of rhythm. Look at Travelers among Mountains and Streams (1.3.10), by Chinese painter Fan Kuan (c. 990-1020). From the bottom up, we first confront a large boulder, followed by a light opening (a road with travelers), and then some trees and foliage clinging to a rocky landscape. After this section there is another light area, after which the values gradually darken as our view climbs the face of a mountain. Finally, the sky is lighter, although somewhat darkened, completing the alternating rhythm from bottom to top. Each area of light and dark occupies different amounts of space, making the design more interesting. We can also note the change in visual texture from bottom to top. The texture appears to be extremely rough and detailed near the bottom, with craggy rocks dominating the foreground, and the ripples on the stream close behind. From this point it progressively becomes less precise as the travelers (just discernible near the lower right corner) and twisted trees create a transition point into the mists at the foot of the towering mountain. PG 88 OF TEXT

Optical Color

The visual perception of a color based on the mental combination of two or more adjacent colors.

How is the technique of figure-ground reversal used in Noma Bar's Gun Crime?

The woodcut, where removed material prints white and preserved material prints black, is conducive to exploring figure- ground reversal, which is the very essence of Escher's technique here. Ppt 5

How does Rene Magritte's Treachery of Images address the illusionistic nature of painting?

The words "This is not a pipe" are underneath the image of a pipe on the paper. It is the illusion of a pipe, not a real one. You could not use the pipe on the painting to smoke as you would a real pipe. In The Treachery of Images, Belgian Surrealist artist René Magritte (1898-1967) uses value and perspective to imply depth (1.3.1). The pipe is painted in varying values (light and dark tones), which creates the appearance of shadows that suggest depth. The top of the pipe bowl is composed of two concentric ellipses, which is how circles appear in perspective. We know what a real pipe looks like in real space, and Magritte understands our habits of visual perception. He paints a picture of a pipe that "feels" solid, but then playfully invites us to re- examine our habits of mind. In this painting, Magritte tells us that painting is a visual trick. By writing "Ceci n'est pas une pipe" ("This is not a pipe"), Magritte wants us to recognize that what appears to be a pipe is not really a pipe: it is an illusion, nothing more than paint on a flat surface.

Foreground

The zone closest to the viewer

How does Beda Stjernschantz create the illusion of spatial depth in Pastoral (Primavera)?

There are two people who are larger in the foreground, followed by two people in the middle ground who are smaller than the people in the foreground. The background has a line of trees that are smaller still than the people in the middle and fore grounds, which creates the illusion that the treeline is far away. The Finnish artist Beda Stjernschantz (1865-1910) uses all of these devices—relative size, overlapping, and strategic positioning of shapes in the picture plane—to create an illusion of depth in her work Pastoral (Primavera) PG 87 OF TEXT

How does the texture of the Buddha statue help convey something about the Buddha's character?

This bronze statue depicts the Buddha in his enlightened state, having found an inner peace through spiritual awareness and meditation. The Buddha's body is almost entirely smooth, with very little decoration to break up the continuity of the even surface. Coupled with the flowing contours lines and pleasant facial expression, the surface quality is suggestive of the Buddha's clear and serene state of mind. The bronze has also been polished, resulting in a reflective surface that would have caught the movement of candlelight in its original 15th-century context. The flickering light dancing across the body would have given the Buddha a radiant "specialness" appropriate to his status as a figure of devotion. ppt 5

Form

Three-dimensional shape

Canon of proportions

To ensure artistic representations of the human body meet the ideals of a given culture and/or time, artists sometimes adhere to a system determining the size of body parts in relation to one another, known as a canon of proportions. During the High Classical period of ancient Greece, for example, the ideal height for a standing male figure was the equivalent of seven heads. A century later, Greek sculptures relied on a modified canon that set the ideal at eight heads high, resulting in a leaner overall appearance.

Isometric Perspective

Use of non-converging parallel diagonals to suggest spatial depth. Chinese and Japanese hand scrolls use this perspective.

Atmospheric Perspective

Variation in color and clarity to suggest spatial depht.

What qualities or feelings are often conveyed by vertical lines? horizontal lines? diagonal lines?

Vertical lines tend to communicate strength and energy; horizontal lines can suggest calmness and passivity; diagonal lines are associated with action, motion, and change.

High Vantage Point

Viewer is positioned above main focus. "Bird's eye view," reduces scale of subject and makes the viewer feel a sense of control over the scene.

Low Vantage Point

Viewer is positioned below main focus. "Worm's eye view," emphasizes the scale of the subject and makes the viewer feel small by comparison.

Elements

Visual vocabulary of art. Line, form, shape, volume, mass, color, texture, space, time, motion, value (lightness, darkness).

Focal point

When attention is drawn to one area, that particular place is referred to as a focal point.

Asymmetrical balance

With asymmetrical balance, two sides of the work aren't identical, but a feeling of visual balance is nevertheless established

Symmetrical balance

With symmetrical balance, two sides of a work are identical in appearance, as is the case at the Taj Mahal

Contrast

a drastic difference between such elements as color or value when they are presented together

Mass

a volume that has, or gives the illusion of having, weight, density, and bulk.

Negative Space (Ground)

an empty space given its shape by its surround,

Communicative Line

communicate feeling via lines and guide attention

Core Shadow

dark shadow to show angles

Highlight

lighter light to show object is closer to view

Cast Shadow

lighter shadow to show more depth

Gestural Line

line showing movement

What is the subject matter of Goya's Third of May? How does he use directional line and contrast to draw attention to and build sympathy for the victims?

mplied. Painters often use implied line to guide a viewer's eye as it scans the canvas. In Francisco Goya's The Third of May, 1808, the artist portrays the execution of Spaniards who had resisted the occupation of their country by the French army of Emperor Napoleon (1.1.13). Goya uses contrast to draw our attention to a particular line (A)—created in the place where the dark background sky meets and contrasts with the lighted hillside—that separates the two areas of value. Our attention is drawn downward and to the right toward an area where there is more visual activity. Goya holds our attention by using other directional lines; (B), for example, follows the line implied by the feet of the soldiers. Then a shadowed area (C) at the bottom of the page directs our eye to the left, where other lines, such as (D) and (E), draw our gaze up toward the area of high contrast (A). Goya is keen to keep our attention on the atrocities committed by the army of Napoleon. The strong horizontal of the rifles is so distinct that our eye is pulled toward the group of victims: we identify not with the line of executioners, but with the victims. PG 56 IN TEXT

Rhythm

repetition to structure work and guide eye

Directional Line

show direction

Pattern

systematic repetition of a design

Subordination

the opposite of emphasis; it draws our attention away from particular areas of a work

Figure-Ground Reversal

the reversal of the relationship between one shape (the figure) and its background (the ground), so that the figure becomes the background and the ground becomes the figure.

Texture

the surface quality of a work, for example fine/coarse, detailed/lacking in detail

Shape

two-dimensional area, the boundaries of which are defined by lines or suggested by changes in color value.

Implied Texture

two-dimensional work by an artist to create the effect of texture.