Athos Menaboni, 'Champion Oakeire Honey's Colleen'

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Athos Menaboni was born on October 20, 1895 in Livorno, Italy. He moved to Atlanta in 1927 where he was commissioned to work on projects with architects. In 1970 Menaboni created his painting, Champion Oakeire Honey’s Colleen, using oil paint on masonite. Emily Bourne Grigsby donated this piece to the Zukerman Museum of Art. The painting depicts an Irish Setter standing on a grassy field by a lake with clouds covering the sky. The painting is organized with the Irish Setter standing on the grass in the foreground, the lake in the middle ground, and the clouds and trees in the background. The focal point of the painting is the Irish Setter. The grass is light in color and swaying to the right like a breeze. The trees and sky reflect on the lake …show more content…

Menaboni used the undercoat method to give his work layers and add detail. Menaboni uses contrast to show that the dog is the focal point. The dog is a rich copper-red color, while everything around it is neutral. The contrast in colors makes the dog stand out from the viewer. Furthermore, it takes up most of the central space, highlighting its importance. Menaboni painted the dog with its tail extended, helping it take more space. He uses the sheen on the dog coat to draw in the viewer's eyes. The sheen guides the viewer’s eyes across the dog. If you look very closely, Menaboni uses white to outline the dog, putting more emphasis on it by separating it from the background. The title, Champion Oakeire Honey’s Colleen, provides important context for the painting. This tells us that the dog is a pedigree and prize-winning hunting dog. Oakeire is an Irish Setter kennel name used by breeders who have competed in the American Kennel Club. Champion is the title the dog earns after winning 15 points, allowing them to put Ch. in front of their name. Irish setters are gundogs bred to help hunters by pointing out birds. The scenery in the painting is a common environment to see hunting dogs

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