BMA
Overall, I genuinely enjoyed our visit to the Baltimore Museum of Art. In fact, I wished we had more time to spend there so that I could take a further walk around the museum and spend a longer amount of time with each painting that piqued my interest.
Out of the three paintings that I chose to analyze, the order of interest ranks as follows:
1. Purple Robe and Anemones, 1937; Henri Matisse
2. Moonlight on the Canal, 1856; Johan Barthold Jongkind
3. The Lie, 1897; Félix Vallotton
Purple Robe and Anemones, 1937
Henri Matisse
Matisse used a number of elements of composition in this painting. The focal point is the Anemone flowers. Their color and placement are eye-catching. The bouquet of flowers and the vase is also one divider in the rule of thirds; the woman is the other divider. Although there is no distinct pattern that my eyes follow as I look at this painting, the numerous lines create a path that my eyes follow. One important note is the stark contrast between the use of warm and cool colors. There is an obvious divide right down the center of the painting, however the line shape also makes the divide more apparent.
Purple Robe and Anemones is by far my favorite painting because I am incredibly intrigued by it. The more I looked at this work, the more details I noticed. Being the romantic I am, and after learning that Matisse used his assistant (depicted here) as his muse a number of times, I want to learn more about the relationship they had. What did he find so special about her? What did he like about her purple robe to literally title his painting "Purple Robe?" In regards to the cool/warm colors used, it made me think that perhaps she is a calming source to his energized life. I also found it interesting that his work seemed almost unfinished. Her hand, for example, is not perfect - but it works. I learned that in 1937, when this painting was completed, was around the same time that camera use skyrocketed. I wonder if the "unfinished" sense to his work was almost done as a rebellion to the precise images cameras produce.
Moonlight on the Canal, 1856
Johan Barthold Jongkind
The Lie, 1897
Félix Vallotton
Out of the three paintings that I chose to analyze, the order of interest ranks as follows:
1. Purple Robe and Anemones, 1937; Henri Matisse
2. Moonlight on the Canal, 1856; Johan Barthold Jongkind
3. The Lie, 1897; Félix Vallotton
Purple Robe and Anemones, 1937
Henri Matisse
Matisse used a number of elements of composition in this painting. The focal point is the Anemone flowers. Their color and placement are eye-catching. The bouquet of flowers and the vase is also one divider in the rule of thirds; the woman is the other divider. Although there is no distinct pattern that my eyes follow as I look at this painting, the numerous lines create a path that my eyes follow. One important note is the stark contrast between the use of warm and cool colors. There is an obvious divide right down the center of the painting, however the line shape also makes the divide more apparent.
Purple Robe and Anemones is by far my favorite painting because I am incredibly intrigued by it. The more I looked at this work, the more details I noticed. Being the romantic I am, and after learning that Matisse used his assistant (depicted here) as his muse a number of times, I want to learn more about the relationship they had. What did he find so special about her? What did he like about her purple robe to literally title his painting "Purple Robe?" In regards to the cool/warm colors used, it made me think that perhaps she is a calming source to his energized life. I also found it interesting that his work seemed almost unfinished. Her hand, for example, is not perfect - but it works. I learned that in 1937, when this painting was completed, was around the same time that camera use skyrocketed. I wonder if the "unfinished" sense to his work was almost done as a rebellion to the precise images cameras produce.
Moonlight on the Canal, 1856
Johan Barthold Jongkind
Moonlight on the Canal encompasses a few of different composition elements as well. The most prominent two are the focal points and the golden triangle. If there were two focal points, I would say they would be the moon and the larger windmill. However, if I only had to choose one main focal point it would be the moon. The brightness of it and the contrast against the dark colors catches the viewers' eyes. The golden triangle, which also happens to be the same path my eye follows, starts with the moon, moves down towards the ground/the light reflection on the canal, goes up diagonally to the windmill, and up back to the moon. Two other composition elements include - the rule of thirds, which divides the image at the moon and the tree to the right of the larger windmill. Finally, there are various L lines found throughout the painting- the tree stump to the ground and the windmill arms that create a L-shape.
I liked this painting because of the calmness of the colors and the mood that it evokes. Jongkind does a phenomenal job capturing the stillness and serenity of the early nighttime. The darker colors also offer a sense of ease and tranquility. Finally, the painting brought upon a feeling of nostalgia. It reminded me about a time I biked through a windmill park outside of Amsterdam. It reminded me about that past memory and stimulated thoughts about the past in general.
Félix Vallotton
In this painting, there are only three noticeable composition elements used. The first, and most obvious, is the focal point. My eye immediately went to the man and the woman's faces. Their faces is the start to the pattern my eye follows while looking at the painting. My eye travels from their faces, down the shape of the women's red dress, up the table cloth, and then across the back of the couch returning to their faces. Finally, Vallotton's work also follows the rule of thirds - the man and the woman one divide and the flower vase the other.
I chose this painting because I am interested in the story behind it. The title of it, "The Lie" hints at something, yet remains very ambiguous. Is the man being told "the lie" from the woman? Or is the woman attempting to kiss the man as he pulls away, making their relationship a lie? It is also interesting that they are the only two people in what appears to be a restaurant. Finally, the warm color tones and the reds do not put me at ease. I do not feel completely comfortable - I know that there is more going on than what meets the eye in this painting.
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