The Rocky Mountains Lander's Peak

Albert Bierstadt 1863 painting, The Rocky Mountains, Lander’s Peak, is an oil on canvas painting. Bierstadt was a German born American painter originally commissioned to map the area. (Getlein, 2008, p. 113). Later his painting was developed.

Majestic mountains muted in the background, have linear and organic lines pointing to the sky. While muted, these forms contain value, and a sense of texture. This carries to the blue organic lines of the sky. The soft white camouflaging the starkness of the mountains give me a perception of God’s involvement in nature as it rises to the calming of the blue. Blue is a peaceful color of heaven.

The artist’s use of color pulls the eye to the forefront of the painting. The forefront contains use of varying shades of green showing the linear tree line. Additionally this area has value in the tree line. Green implies the harmony of nature enduring within the starkness of the backdrop. It has a healing, or peaceful feeling. The earthly green shows the endurance of nature and the fresh air of the peaceful scene. The American Indian and animals in the foreground are living in peaceful harmony with nature. The overall design of the painting has a symmetrical balance to it.

The focal point of the whole painting quickly brings your eyes to the cool waterfall slightly off center.

There artists use of space to show the depth, shows the waterfall a short distance from the Indian encampment. Value adds a texture to the water cascading down the falls.

Overall, the painting implies humans living in harmony with nature. They are peacefully enjoying life with God’s beauty in the background. The overall use of empty spaces softens the look throughout so your eyes slowly run over the whole

picture.
In 1435, Rogier van der Weyden created St. Luke Drawing the Virgin. It is an oil and tempera on a panel of the Virgin Mary, the infant Jesus, and St. Luke (Getlein, 2008, p. 413). Mary is nursing Jesus while St. Luke is drawing them.
The overall balance of the picture is symmetrical that uses space to carry out the depth in the background. The background shows a male and female enjoying the view of a river in the distance. The depth of space used, carries the eye to the distant horizon of the blue sky. Blue is calming and peaceful. The lines of the pillars carry the eye up, yet the line of the river carries it out to the distance.
The overall emphasis is on the figures in the foreground. They guide the eye to Mary and the infant Jesus on the left. The light emphasizes Mary’s forehead and the baby blanket and Jesus. It symbolizes purity. St. Luke is sitting, or kneeling, at the right. His robes are dark red with value added to it. The red implies an energy or power. Mary’s robes imply calming or royalty in the deep blue. The blue has value added throughout. I see texture throughout, in the robes, and in the panel behind Mary.
The panel behind Mary shapes in Mary and Jesus’ purity from that of the rest of the painting. This panel is in deep red and gold texture. It implies royalty. It has a linear shape to it. The red in the panels also helps to balance out the symmetry of the overall picture.
The Virgin and Child exchange tender glances implying emotional warmth while St. Luke looks on in reverence and love (Getlein, 2008, p. 413). My perception is that this religious painting shows the center of love and purity existing as being the center of life itself. The harmony of the scene allows us a glimpse into love, respect, and fertility of life when one has Christ within.
The Sistine Chapel has Michelangelo’s 1511 work, the Creation of Adam. It is a fresco. The picture shows God breathing life into Adam (Getlein, 2008, p. 406). Overall is has an asymmetrical balance. Soft muted blues and greens surrounding Adam appear outweighed by Gods contrasting bright whites, encircled by golden figures that are within a deeply red robe. The muted colors on the left with Adam show sadness, mellowness, and a lifeless figure gazing at God. The emphasis is on the two outstretched hands, where the fingers have not yet touched. You expect that once they touch, life will be breathed into Adam, bringing him the vitality of life as well. The painting has linear and organic shapes. Linear shapes are in the direction of the bodies as well as the focal point of the arms and hands. Lines are in the value shading. The negative shape behind the hands is of a white color showing the purity behind the scene.
The right side of the painting encircles the royalty of God. These deep red robes imply energy of life. There is a direct movement of it towards man. The red robes are in the shape of a brain implying wisdom and life. God has a contrasting robe of white showing purity. His hair and beard are silver and white, implying wisdom. Encircled by golden organic figures of angels, God’s arm is around one while his finger touches another. Where angels touch him, their golden color turns into white. This color shows how reaching out to touch God can transform you. Out of the surrounding area around God and his angels, a lone green robe reaches out to the right. It is soft in color, implying fertility. Adam was born of God in the image of God.
The lower left hand corner, beneath Adam, you see a darkened green hand showing the other realm of death. This hand is embracing what appears to be a bucket. Perhaps it is embracing the materialistic things of life, where Adam has embraced God. Adam, in the likeness of God, has risen up to given life and encouragement.