Essay for another Class: Art
Painting to be critiqued;
Double Portrait of an Artist in Time
In this painting, a young child is seated at a table. She is clothed in a billowy white dress and shiny black shoes. The child's skin is a creamy white color. Her hand is resting on a table and is clutching a pink flower that has not yet bloomed. The table is small, black, has a pale yellow cloth draped over it, and there is a clock on it (the clock reads 2:15 approximately). Under the table is a small white mat. Behind the child is a long purplish shadow that extends up to a painting hanging directly behind the child. The painting within the painting shows a woman in a dark shirt with a white collar, gazing in the direction of flowers which she holds in her hand; she appears to be seated at a table with an open dish.
The child is emphasized in this painting. Behind her, the long shadow creates a line of movement that leads to the painting behind the child, which is the second point of emphasis. The portrait is well balanced with the painter's use of mostly neutral tones except for the dark shadow and the brightness of the dress. This painting is asymmetrical. The child and the adult are unified by being on the same line of view. They are each holding a flower in their hands, as well. The child is young, while the woman is old. The child is wearing light-colored clothing, while the woman is wearing black. You can see a pattern repeated in the folds of the clothing the woman and child are wearing.
This painting has a lot of symbolism. The painting seems to represent the passing of time through two stages of life. The first stage is childhood, and the second is adulthood. The clock in the painting represents the passing of time. The flower in the child's hand that has not yet bloomed symbolizes the innocence and the life ahead of the child, while the flower that has bloomed and the shadows of the flowers on the table symbolize growing and the memories of the past that are always preset. We can also see the smile on the child's face. It shows how carefree she is, while the more serious expression on the woman's face shows the adult's worries, which she might be enduring.
We can see this painting is clearly a work of art because there is obvious intent by the artist, trying to get a message across. She does this by organizing the painting to the very last detail. The artist was also successful in conveying a message because when you look at the painting it "speaks to you." The elements are well organized and help to convey her message through lines such as the uncluttered background, which helps you focus on the spare but very important details. It makes you sense the aesthetic experience which only good painting can make you feel.
This painting says to me that to kids, life is like an illusion, that as we grow up we have to face. It reminds me of the story "The Glass Menagerie," by Tennessee Williams. Throughout this story the characters, in order to not face reality, are tempted toward illusions, illusions that cover up the harsh reality. The story is about a family living through the Great Depression. In the living room, the memory of the husband that left the family is present at all times. The mother (Amanda) sometimes forgets she married a less than ideal man. The photography shows [pic]the face of [her husband] a very handsome young man in a doughboy's First World War cap ... gallantly smiling, ineluctably smiling.[pic] This photography of the husband that dominates the living room reminds me of this painting I just wrote about.
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