Analysis Of Shepherdess With Sheep And Child

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The painting under analysis is Alfred Bryan Wall’s Shepherdess with Sheep and Child from the permanent collection of the Westmoreland Museum of American Art at the temporary location, Westmoreland @rt 30. The painting depicts a pastoral scene of a woman, presumably the shepherdess holding a small child, while surrounded by sheep, with a small cottage visible in the background as well as a small forest. The medium being used is oil on canvas , with what appears to be a more rounded application of paint in layers. This technique is realistic in creating an image that demonstrates the shape of the sheep in particular and the fluffy quality of their wool. This is because of the contour lines or the outlines of shapes that are used. The more rounded quality and layering of these lines makes them somewhat indistinct, but this adds to the element of the sheep looking quite realistic as if one could almost fluff or touch the wool. The positive and negative spaces are most noticeable in the clothing of the shepherdess and child, as the darkness of their clothing contrasts starkly with the o...

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