Activity #2 - Re-write

Claude Monet created, The Japanese Footbridge, in 1899, oil on canvas.

Monet employs value, atmospheric perspective, the visual cue of position, analogous harmonies, as well as all of the raw material and elements that’s required to create good art work. Monet use values (pg. 92) of the color blue, on the footbridge above the pond. Values are shades of a color from light to dark. The lighter values lead me to believe that the sun is hitting the railing in these areas. He then applies the atmospheric perspective technique (pg.113) to the bushes/trees in the background, this shows objects getting softer and blurrier as they recede into space. This is followed by the use of the visual cue of position (pg. 107), looking down to see objects closest to us and up for objects further away. He positioned the lily pads on the water in such a way that my eyes where forced to follow the flow from the bottom to the top. He also used analogous harmonies (pg. 97), colors adjacent to one another on the color wheel. The blue rail, the blue- green, green-yellow, and yellow of the bushes/trees makes a beautiful contrast with browns of the water.

Still Life with Sweets and Pottery, 1627 by Juan van der Hamen y León, oil on canvas.

Both, Monet and Leon, used shape to compose their art. Monet used organic shape (pg. 88) in contrast to Leon’s use of geometric shape. Leon employs geometric shape, positive and negative shape, and figure. He used geometric shape (pg 87-88), to construct the round pottery dishes and pastries on what appears to be blocks of squares. Geometric shapes are two-dimensional form such as squares, triangle, circles, pyramid and sphere. Than he used positive and negative shape (pg. 89); the shape we perceive as figures is positive and the shape of the ground is negative. The dark brown shape in the background, adds a excellent contrast between the positive shapes of the foreground and gives a visual understanding of what direction the light is coming from. The shapes are also made to look three-dimensional by the use of value and shading. Next, he used figure (pg. 89), shape we detach and focus on. The color and texture of the red pottery vase in the center stands as a focal point; this attracts the viewer attention. Next he used, model (pg. 92), the use of light and shadow to give a three-dimensional appearance to the shapes, which brings the still life alive.