Abigail Ruych Flowers In A Glass Vase Analysis

1. Abigail Mehr

1606

Flowers in a Glass Vase,1704

Rachel Ruych (Dutch, 1664-1750)

Oil on canvas

1. Abigail Mehr

1606

Flowers in a Glass Vase by Rachel Ruych is a fantastic example of linear perspective and the realism an artist can achieve. When looking at the painting, one will quickly notice the surface on which the vase full of flowers sits. If one is to look to the right, they will notice the corners of the table creating diagonal lines that recede into the negative space, thus creating linear perspective. The colors of the flowers painted are in hues of orange, pink, and red, all of which are warm colors. These colors help to reinforce the idea that the flowers are real and literally popping from the canvas. Possibly what makes this painting seem so realistic and in depth is the well thought out use of light and shadow. Chiaroscuro is very noticeable in this painting due to highly saturated and bright flowers up against the dark black background.

It seems as if you could reach out and touch one of the flowers.

2. Abigail Mehr
1606

Girl Reading, 1938
Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973)
Oil on canvas
2. Abigail Mehr
1606

I feel a very strong emotional connection to Girl Reading by Pablo Picasso. I feel this connection due to a dark childhood involving my father’s drug addiction and verbal abuse. When I was younger, my father was addicted to cocaine, marijuana, and also had a very strong inclination to alcohol. When he would get high, I was hidden away in my room. I became an extremely good reader because for the longest part of my life, books seemed to be the only escape I had. The cool colors Picasso uses seem to create a very melancholy and dull atmosphere, much like my bedroom. The girl who is reading has her eyes averted downward, creating a line of sight to her book, and to her thickly drawn fingers. Picasso used very geometric shapes and actual line in this artwork. These terms make the girl seem very abstract. You can also see that her front and side view are both portrayed, and she looks very sad and bored. I can relate to this because even though being able to read helped my situation, books could not really substitute how badly I wanted to be out of my room, leaving me feeling as upset as the girl in the picture. I like that this painting is abstract because even though the scene feels very real and familiar to me, it’s a reserved part of my life that I’d like to imagine being more abstract and distant.

3. Abigail Mehr
1606

Watson and the Shark ,1777
John Singleton Copley (American, 1738-1815)
Oil on canvas
3. Abigail Mehr
1606

In Watson and the Shark by John Singleton Copley, a boy is flailing around in the water as nine men in a boat try to pull him back in. This is based off of a true story in which an approximately fourteen year old British boy was docked in Havana Cuba. He was there because he worked on the larger ships. As the story goes, he jumped into the ocean perhaps to bathe or go for a swim, when he was surrounded by sharks. The scene depicted is a crew of men trying to save him from being bit by one of the sharks. Eventually they were able to rescue him, but the misadventure cost him one of his legs. When looking at the painting, one of the first things noticed is the radial design. Many of the men aboard the boat have their eyes focused on Watson and a few are looking at the shark next to him. This helps to emphasize Watson as the focal point of the scene. The background of the portrayal is the hazy port and sky, which is an aerial perspective. This detail helps the viewer gain context as to where the shark attack was taking place, besides obviously being in an ocean. And if one looks closely enough, they will notice that the spear the man on the right of the boat is holding creates a pyramidal form when being traced from Watson back up to himself.

4. Abigail Mehr
1606

Saint Joseph and the Christ Child ,1767-69
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (Italian, 1696-1770)
Oil on canvas
4. Abigail Mehr
1606

In Saint Joseph and the Christ Child by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, the emphasis is put on the baby, Christ, in Saint Joseph’s arms because he is the central focal point of the painting.

Up in the corner of the painting is what appears to be an angel. This angel’s line of sight travels to the stick in the arms of Saint Joseph. The stick is a diagonal line suggesting that the viewer’s eyes move to the man. Then, his line of sight is focused on baby Christ in his arms. These lines of sight contribute to pyramidal form. Battista emphasizes Christ and Saint Joseph by using high key value to make them appear brighter and more obvious up against the blue background. Most of the painting consists of the primary colors blue and yellow. It is a darker shade of blue, which helps in contrast to the bright intensity of Christ. The pop of yellow in Saint Joseph’s clothing brings the viewer’s eyes to the center of the painting as well, emphasizing the two

figures.

5. Abigail Mehr
1606

Mummy 30 B.CE.-395 B.C.E.
Unknown Artist (Egyptian)
Applied arts
5. Abigail Mehr
1606

The mummy is an applied work because the preservation serves a purpose to the religion and culture of the Egyptian people. This mummification preserves the human body so that it will be able to pass on to the next life. Back in ancient Egypt, mummification was performed after a person died. Most of those mummified were pharaohs and other royalty. Although it was rare, some commoners were mummified as well. This was an important part of Egyptian culture because it was believed that the human body was home to the soul. In Egyptian religion, the human spirit would only survive if the body was preserved for the rest of eternity. The mummy has actual texture in the gold of his face, and the linens wrapped in a pattern around the rest of his body. He also has actual weight. If you were to put this mummy on a scale, it would have a real weight because it is three-dimensional. This practice is different from American culture because even though Americans host typically extravagant funerals, and perform religious ceremonies, preservation of the body is not a main focus. The dead are either cremated or buried in caskets, left to decay. Americans also typically believe that the soul goes directly to Heaven or Hell, with less emphasis on what part the human body plays after death.