Visual analysis of an artwork Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Visual analysis of an artwork - Essay Example The appreciations of Art as a significant and integral part of the society lead to the development of Visual Arts and Film Studies as a discipline of study by the scholars. In that respect, this paper seeks to give a vivid description of the Georges Seurat's "A Sunday on La Grande gatte" which offers a nice scene. This marvelous piece of art is found in Museum of Modern Art, New York, New York, the United States of America and reflects the wonderful nature of Art . Seurat's balance is carefully positioned and proportioned so that the entire work is interesting to look at. The river to the left is full of yachts and rowing boats, while this balance is matched by the closely placed large figures to the right (Seurat and Hajo 36).In the center of the work is a flurry of activity, which makes the painting's center as appealing to look at as the left and the right. Despite the activity in the piece, however, the artist's placing of his figures lends a degree of formality and static to his piece.His decision to only depict people facing sideways or straight on makes the entire scene seem very rigid and like toy soldiers, which was a criticism leveled against the artist at the time. Seurat utilizes this blending technique through his use of shadows. In traditional painting, shadows are primarily represented by the color black. Following the principles of pointillism, Seurat is able to define his shadows by the color that they come into contact with. The skirts of the women provide the best examples for this. The clothing of the women in the center of the piece seems to be casting a blue shadow on the ground (Seurat and Hajo 37). Seurat's shadows here are not being defined by traditional means but are instead a combination of the colors in its proximity. Here the mix of green provides a blue shadow, which does not follow the conventions of shadow casting. Such a different approach in the creation of shadows is repeated in the dress of the woman on the right. Where the mix of light and green casts a yellow halo for the trees the same effect is mimicked here. The woman's dress creates a slight yellow line before the onset of the shadow and this yellow hue can be seen particularly towards the back of her skirt. Furthermore, the shadow of her dress is a slight shade of blue as Seurat's green grass dots intermingle with the dress' blue and purple dots (Seurat and Hajo 39). Seurat's use of light is one of the unique points of the piece. The work is vibrantly portrayed and the magnificence of the sun bathes the scene's inhabitants in a celestial mid-afternoon glow. Where the technique of pointillism shows its unique aspect is where the light from the left comes into contact with people and objects in the piece. The blend of such colors is pointillism's primary concern and as its founder Seurat's work epitomizes the technique. The tree line at the top of the painting is one example of such a blended effect. The luminous bright white day to the upper left section of the piece steadily becomes less and less white until it blends seamlessly with the vibrant greens of the trees leaves. Seurat's technique means that such tiny dots of white are placed next to dots of green until the relevant effect is actualized (Seurat and Hajo 46).The mix of white and green creates a halo like yellow in parts before it turns fully into green. Seurat's techniq