Activity #10 - Mediums and Techniques

The medium that applies to the Japanese Footbridge, 1899 by Claude Monet is oil on canvas. Oil paint consist of pigment mixed with oil, usually linseed oil (pg. 172). In observing the effects of the medium, I noticed that the artist used an oil technique called broken color (pg. 176), individual strokes of different colors. The use of oil, along with this technique allowed the artist to use thinner paint that created well defined long and short hidden brush strokes of cool colors that created the trees and bushes to frame the upper portion of the artwork. This added an element of texture to the painting that becomes part of the painting and used throughout. However, it appears that a thicker more loaded brush was used to create an atmospheric perspective appearance to the trees directly behind the footbridge. The foreground of the painting appears to consist of thin strokes to create the reflection of greenery in the water and thicker layers of circular paint strokes to create the lilies on the pond, a technique called impasto (pg. 175). The use of oil in this painting allowed the artist to use techniques and create texture throughout the painting, which gave the overall composition an expressive and active quality.

The medium used in Still Life with Sweets and Pottery, 1627 by Juan van der Hamen y Leon is also oil on canvas. Although both artists used oil on canvas, unlike Monet, Leon used an oil technique called glazes (pg. 175), a thin translucent veil of color applied over a thick layer of under painting. Glazes produces a smooth flawless finish of glowing color. For example, the color palette used in this still life could have produce a very boring and unexciting painting with it’s use of earth tone colors contrasted by red, against a dark background with implied lighting come in from the left on shapes of neutral tones. However, with the use of the glazes technique, the colors come to life and display a more uniformed appearance. The colors are rich and exciting. The red is more vibrant and the earth tones and neutral tones seem to have a smooth lustrous finish that adds character to the pottery. It also appears that the geometeric shapes were composed by using impasto (pg. 175), thick layers of paint, however smoothed by the glazes technique that created a more blended look. The medium enhance the artwork so well until it almost looks like a photo.