Reading of a painting:
The great wave
Katsushika Hokusai
1829-1833
Description
- white tips of the water look like claws
-Two boats going against the waves
-The sky behind the waves is a yellow color
-small splashes of water throughout
Analysis:
The emotion potraid through Hokusai’s artwork, The Great Wave, is recognizing the beauty found in its simlicity. It looks like a simple image with just a wave, a mountain, some boats, and some white water, it is amazing. The artist, Katsushika Hokusai used the element of art, line. I mention this because of the dramatic claw like edges in the water. This was a very important part of the piece because the lines give it some sort of uniqness.
Interpretation
There could be very many meanings to The Great Wave. The meaning could be to show the size of the wave compared to Mount Fuji in the background. The meaning could be to show Katsushika Hokusai’s skill with the wood block printing. The meaning could be to show the exact style of art that was most popular for his time period. The meaning could be to show the danger of The Great Wave through the claws of the waters edges. Or the meaning of the painting could be something completely different to all of my assumptions. But I believe that the most likely meaning behind this painting was to bring the sight of beauty to people. The Great Wave was made to spread beauty.
Judgement
There is value in this piece because of the popularity of it. While Hokusai was very famous for his time, and still famous now, it makes The Great Wave worth more. Not only that, but the popularity of The Great Wave brings its worth up as well. Others should see this piece because it is a good example of a wood block print and it is a good example of the art of this culture and time period. If I owned this piece I would simply hang it on my wall because it is very pretty with its simplicity.
Self Portrait of M.C. Escher
Description:
-A man is holding a reflecting ball and the reflection of him is in it
-The colors are in black and white
-There is a lot of attention to the details in the objects and the placement of the objects, as well as how that placement interacts with the reflection on the ball.
-We can see in his hand the outside of the ball, and we can see that he is facing a wall because the back of it is empty.
-Since his hand is the biggest object in the picture, it looks like viewing that picture it would be the first thing you see, further leading you to look up to the ball and realizing what the whole piece actually is as a whole painting.
-Everything inside the ball is curved, to give the idea that the ball is a 3-dimensional object
Interpretation:
I feel like the meaning of this painting has something to do with the lines of perception and entrapment. This man is shown inside the ball, but from his perception it may not seem that way because he can look around at his surroundings. From our perspectives looking strait at the piece, he looks trapped in a small space because we cannot see anything outside of the ball. There is no way to possibly tell for sure, but he did seem very stern in the picture, like he was studying his own surroundings. He doesn't seem scared, just in a head space of thorough thought. This artist was a master of perception and optical illusions. The way he was able to curve the room and different constructs of objects and the hand reached out to greet the hand out of the ball was very smart.
Judgment:
I think this piece would look differently to people with different pasts. For example, if you show this to somebody who's gone through a tough time in there life where they were stuck, versus someone who just observes and appreciates the perspective shown in this piece, the two people could have completely different opinions. I represent this piece with loneliness and being bored. I think its very hard to find they happiness in his at all and the exact meaning of the painting. It's an amazing piece to study and look at, but that guy is a little intimidating, hes looking straight out into your eyes so i couldnt look at it for a long time.
Reading of a sick child
Analysis:
The artist used lines, color, shape, form and texture. The author used a lot of emphasis. I feel like the big pillow behind her is really noticeable. I also feel like there is a balance between light and dark. On one side of the painting is the mom with dark clothes a dark side. But near the girl is her red hair, green blanket and white pillow. I think this piece is shows a sad part of art history.
Interpretation:
This piece is about a sick child about to die. The title doesnt really fit. I wouldn't have known it was about a sick child if the caption wasn't there. The painting seems very sad. A grieving mother, holding onto her child. The painter used oil colors, and it really shows the emotion through the oil colors. I love how everything goes together.
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Judgement:
I think more people should see this painting. Many people could have different opinions and thoughts on how to interpret this painting. Maybe the girl is sick, or maybe she's on the verge of dying. If I had owned this picture I would probably glare at it for awhile. I would try to see every detail and look and wonder what happened to the girl. I think the mom bowing her head down is something to remember about this picture. It shows the sadness of her holding the sick child's hand.