The Old Guitarist Analysis

Color choice is also an important skill that artists use to convey meaning. Artists often use color in their work to create a mood of different emotions, or spark associations in the mind of the viewer. It can also be used to emphasize or de-emphasize certain elements of a piece, or it can be used symbolically within a system or code. Henri Matisse, a French painter in the late 19th to mid 20th century, led an artistic movement known as Fauvism, where artists including Matisse, used broad strokes of color in their portraits. These colors were not the natural colors of the subjects, but instead a wide range of colors used to provoke emotion from the viewer (Met Museum). One of Matisse’s most notable Fauvist works was Woman with a Hat (Image

It is difficult to tell the guitarist’s emotions from his relatively neutral facial expression, but the viewer can tell that the meaning of this painting relates to a mood of sadness because the painting is in mellow, moody, dark blue tones that bring associations of sadness. The Old Guitarist comes from something called Picasso’s “Blue Period”, which occurred from 1903-1904. During this time, Picasso used mainly blue tones in his paintings, only occasionally complemented by small amounts of warm tones (Pablo Picasso 's Blue Period - 1901 to 1904) He depicted beggars and street urchins, because during those years, Picasso was impoverished, and saddened by the suicide of a close friend (Pablo Picasso 's Blue Period - 1901 to 1904). With his skillful use of color, Picasso was able to translate his emotions into works of art that are easy to interpret as having a solemn meaning. Artists also make color choices to bring out symbolism in their work. In still life paintings such as Pieter Claesz’s Breakfast Piece with Stoneware Jug, Wine Glass, Herring, and Bread (Image 14), from 1642, color is used in this

Craftsmanship is the quality of design and work shown in something made by hand, also known as artistry. One cannot judge a piece of artwork by its meaning if one cannot recognize the message. This is especially true in the art of literature. If a writer writes something that is supposed to have a message, but their writing is so full of grammatical, syntax and spelling errors, then no one is able to decipher what the true message is. The same is true in artwork. Good craftsmanship is often required to convey a message in artwork. If their are messy splotches of paint on the canvas this can distract the viewer from the meaning of the piece. Often it is difficult for artists to translate an image in their minds into a work of art. If an artist is trying to make a painting where the subject is supposed to be a sad person, and the artist paints the face and instead it looks like an angry face, then the painting has taken on a different meaning than the painter originally intended. It takes skill for the artist to create their intended message in their work. Even prolific artists like Michelangelo Buonarroti have made mistakes in their art that distract from the intended meaning. On the wall of the Sistine Chapel, painted in the early 16th century, there is a depiction of Adam and Eve (Image 15). Or at least it’s supposed to be Adam and Eve, but Eve has the muscular build of