FINAL EXAM: MUSEUM PAPER

Rembrandt van Rijn, “Abraham’s Sacrifice,” etching and drypoint, Dutch 1655, Baroque Era

M.C. Escher, “Reptiles,” lithograph on paper, Dutch 1943, Modern Period

Art has been around for centuries and dates back to the beginnings of man. Artists come from a variety of backgrounds, races, and ethnicities. Two artists that reign from the Netherlands are Dutch artists Rembrandt van Rijn and M.C. Escher. Although from different centuries in time, both artists found comfort in a naturalistic style. In 1655, during the Dutch Golden Age of the Baroque Era, Rembrandt created “Abraham’s Sacrifice,” an etching and drypoint on paper. In 1943, during the surrealism movement of the Modern Period, Escher created a lithograph called “Reptiles.” The two artists used variations of the same and different subject matter, design elements and principles, and mediums and techniques to develop their unique styles and their masterpieces.

Both works contain subject matter. Subject matter is the objects or events that the work depicts (Getlein, 36). In “Abraham’s Sacrifice,” Rembrandt’s themes are story and history. Artists use stories and histories because they provide the artist with subject matter (62). In Rembrandt’s drawing, he uses emphasis; a principle that draws the viewer’s attention more to one piece of the work than to others (134), to portray the subject matter by creating a contrast in value with his hatching and cross hatching techniques, these will be examined in greater detail in paragraphs to come. The title of the piece, “Abraham’s Sacrifice,” along with the subject suggests that this is a piece of history and illustrates a unique event in the life of Abraham. Escher, however, does not use history and story as a theme in his work. In “Reptiles,” Escher’s themes are invention and fantasy. They come from the minds of the artists. In Escher’s piece, one can tell that the theme is invention and fantasy by the subject. Lizards crawling out of a drawing and the merging back into it can only be created through one’s imagination and fantasy. The artists use themes to portray the subject matter within their pieces. Although the themes are different, each piece is unique and intriguing in its own light.

Both artists employ the visual elements of design as well as the principles of design, both similarly and differently, to create appealing masterpieces. The design element line is present in both works. A line is a path traced by a moving point (82). Rembrandt utilizes implied lines to portray direction of light entering the picture and contour lines can be seen to outline the figures of Abraham, his son Isaac and the angel. Contour lines are the boundaries we perceive of three-dimensional forms (83). In contrast, Escher uses implied lines, figures or objects spaced closely enough that our minds connect them (86), to exhibit motion. A figure is the shape we detach and focus on (89). The lizards themselves act as a “dotted line” that creates a circle as they morph from imagination to reality and back again. Also portrayed in both works is the design element of light. Escher uses a technique called chiaroscuro. It is a technique that employs shades of lights and darks, known as value (92), to record contrasts of light and shadow in the natural world (92). Escher uses this to create shadow and light direction in his work. However, Rembrandt uses hatching and cross hatching to portray the same effect. Hatching is the use of closely spaced parallel lines (93) and cross-hatching is a technique that uses additional lines laid on top of the first set to achieve darker values (93). Through these techniques, Rembrandt is able to produce shadow and light direction similar to that of Escher. The design elements of shape and pattern are present in Escher’s work. Shape is defined as a two-dimensional form that occupies and area with identifiable boundaries (87). In “Reptiles” Escher makes use of implied shape. Notice the shape that the lizards seem to create as the travel in and out of the pattern. Pattern is any decorative, repetitive motif or design (105). The tessellation that the lizards seem to crawl out of is an example of pattern. Both artists employ the design elements of line and light in their masterpieces. Escher also uses pattern and shape. Although both works used the same elements, they produced completely different works that are both visually intriguing and interesting.

Both “Reptiles” and “Abraham’s Sacrifice” use principles of design to generate fascinating works of art. In “Reptiles” Escher uses the design principle of balance. Balance is the equal distribution of visual weight, the apparent heaviness of lightness of the forms arranged in a composition (125). In Escher’s drawing, the plant, the bottle, the open book, and the bucket serve as an implied shape that gives the composition balance. If one of these cornerstones is removed, notice the work becomes unstable. Both artists utilize the design principle of scale, although differently. Scale refers to size in relation to a standard or “normal” size (136). In Escher’s drawing, the lizards in the tessellation are the same size as those that crawl out. In contrast, Rembrandt uses hierarchical scale, the use of scale to indicate relative importance (138). Notice that the angel is drawn above Abraham, who is then above his son Isaac. This causes the viewer to assume that the angel is of a higher importance than Abraham or Isaac. In “Abraham’s Sacrifice” Rembrandt employs the principle of emphasis. Emphasis means that our attention is drawn more certain parts of the composition than to others (134). He emphasizes the focal point in the piece by creating a contrast in value between the scene and the foreground. By using these principles of design, the artists produce works that appeal to art viewers.

The moods of the works clash. Mood can be defined as a conscious state of mind or predominant emotion in art or literature (Merriam-Webster Online). The elements and principles of design that the artists use allow them to express their emotion on the medium. Escher’s 1943 lithograph presents a teasing mood; one that is in some aspect humorous but at the same time sad because the lizards rise up only to return to the same motionless state in the tessellation. In contrast, Rembrandt’s 1655 etching and drypoint radiates with a dramatic mood. This can be seen on the faces of the characters illustrated in the work. Through the creation of the pieces the artists have sent glimpses of their emotions through time with moods that can still be related to centuries and years later.

As important, if not more important than the subject, elements, and design principles used are the mediums and techniques the artists employ. The medium and technique in Escher’s work, lithograph on paper, is a planographic process which means that the printing surface is flat, not raised or depressed (200). Instead it relies on the principle that oil and water do not mix (200). To make a lithograph, artists draw the images on the stone usually with a lithographic crayon or a greasy ink then the stone is treated with an acid solution to fix the drawing to the stone then the non-greasy areas are dampened with water (200). Once that is completed, the stone is inked and the ink sticks to the greasy image areas and is repelled by the water-soaked background areas (200). By identifying the process by which a lithograph is created, the difficulty in creating the range of values, relative lightness or darkness (96), found in the work is apparent. For artists, lithography is the most direct and effortless of the print media (200). However, to achieve the shading effect with a grease pencil or other material, in the detail that is present in this lithograph must have been tedious. Nonetheless, the work represents both imagination and raw talent. In contrast to Escher’s technique of lithography, Rembrandt creates a print on paper, “Abraham’s Sacrifice,” which is a work that utilizes etching and drypoint. Drypoint is a similar technique to engraving except that instead of cutting away the material from the plate, drypoint uses a needle to scratch the plate creating a raised burr, or thin ridge of metal that holds the ink (196). Etching is done with acids, which “eat” lines and depressions into a metal plate where the ground, an acid resistant material made from beeswax, asphalt and other materials, has been etched away by a needle (197). The ink is not the most important aspect; rather, the image created by the etching and drypoint techniques remains the most important. The etching technique seems to have created the contour lines, lines drawn to record boundaries (83) of the middle ground where the scene takes place. By making lower value areas of the work with etching, the acid solution would “eat” these areas into depressions that would create the light appearance. In the work, the drypoint technique seems to be used to create the hatching and crosshatching, closely spaced and parallel lines or a set of closely spaced parallel lines laid on top of one another (93), used to provide the illusion of shadow and implied light. The easiest element to use with drypoint and etching is obviously line which Rembrandt uses very effectively to create this historical scene from a religious background. Even so, Rembrandt and Escher illustrate masterful techniques in the creation of “Abraham’s Sacrifice” and “Reptiles.”

All artworks come from a period and culture. The period of an artwork is defined by the time in history when the work was made. Culture refers to the behavior and belief characteristics of a particular social or ethnic group. These two things greatly influence the style of an artist. Style is a characteristic or multiple characteristics that are identified as constant or recurring in the work of an artist, movement or period (587). Representational art depicts forms in the natural world (587). Naturalistic is descriptive of an approach that portrays the visible works as objective observation and accurate imitations of appearances while being construed as a broader approach, permitting a degree of idealization and embracing a stylistic range across cultures (585). “Abraham’s Sacrifice” was made in 1655 which places it in the Baroque Era (1600s-1700s) (421). Unlike the Renaissance period which stressed calm and reason, Baroque art contains vivid emotion, energy, and movement as well as vibrant colors that differ drastically between colors and value (421). Rembrandt’s naturalistic style along with the techniques and elements of design he used, such as etching and line, allowed him to achieve the fine detail present in his depiction of an epic biblical story and express the emotion typical of the Baroque Era. In contrast, “Reptiles” falls into the Modern Period. The Modern Period is characterized by rapid change and ranges from early 19th century to the middle of the 20th century (1800-1945). Like Rembrandt’s piece, “Reptiles” comes from the Dutch culture. During the 20th century, Dutch painting was strongly influenced by expressionism, characterized by the distortion of visual appearances in order to express psychological or emotional states (583). Escher’s style, like Rembrandt’s, is naturalistic. Also present in many of Escher’s works is trompe l’oeil. This is French for “fool the eye” and is present in representational art that mimics optical experience so closely that it may be mistaken for reality (30). In “Reptiles” we see this trickery where the lizards wretch themselves from the drawing and then return. It can be said that his style was strongly influenced by the movement during the time; surrealism, which grew out of Dada and appreciated the logic of dreams, the mystery of the unconscious, and the lure of the bizarre, the irrational, the incongruous, and the marvelous (529). Typical of this movement and Escher’s works are impossible perspectives, fantastic metamorphoses and general eye-trickery. This work, as well as others from Escher and members of this surrealism movement, are interesting and allow for the liberation of the mind and extract the imaginative powers of the unconscious and add to his unique naturalistic surrealist style.

Great artists such as Rembrandt van Rijn and M.C. Escher put vast amounts of time and effort into their creations. Everything affects the overall composition from the subject matter selected to be displayed to the design elements, design principles, mediums, techniques, and styles used to bring the composition to its end. Period, culture, and movements also contribute to the overall genetics of the masterpieces. When artists consider all of these essentials and arrange them in a way such as these artists have, masterpieces are created. Rembrandt’s “Abraham Sacrifice” and Escher’s “Reptiles” represent masterful compositions that utilize all the fundamentals necessary to have timeless and appealing pieces. In choosing these two artworks, I have learned a lot about art that I would not have known otherwise. I can now begin to examine others and analyze them from a knowledgeable light.

Sources:

Getlein, Mark. Living with Art, 8th Edition. McGraw-Hill. 2008

Merriam Webster Online Dictionary. 2007-2008 Merriam Webster Incorporated. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mood

Activity #12: Write About It: Style and Movement

In 1655, Rembrandt van Rijn created “Abraham’s Sacrifice,” a print on paper utilizing etching and drypoint during the Baroque Era (1600s-1700s). During this era, Rembrandt utilized a naturalistic approach to his representational art style. Style is a characteristic or multiple characteristics that are identified as constant or recurring in the work of an artist, movement or period (587). Representational art depicts forms in the natural world (587). Naturalistic is descriptive of an approach that portrays the visible works as objective observation and accurate imitations of appearances while being construed as a broader approach, permitting a degree of idealization and embracing a stylistic range across cultures (585). The techniques and elements of design used, such as etching and line, allow Rembrandt to achieve the fine detail present in this depiction of an epic biblical story and express the emotion typical of the Baroque Era. Movements in art are associated with periods and are generally shorter periods of time. The French, American, and Industrial Revolutions sparked the beginnings of movements and gave way to rapid successions of new and unique styles around the 1800s (505). With this, Rembrandt’s works were not specific to any movement; rather, they were apart of an entire period that is know as Baroque.



In 1943, M.C. Escher created a lithograph on paper known as “Reptiles” during what is known today as the Modern Period. The Modern Period is characterized by rapid change and ranges from early 19th century to the middle of the 20th century (1800-1945). The rapid changes in style are known as movements, shorter spans of time within periods. Style is a characteristic or multiple characteristics that are identified as constant or recurring in the work of an artist, movement or period (587). Escher’s style, like Rembrandt’s, is representational of naturalism. Naturalism is a broad approach representational art, permitting a degree of idealization and embracing a stylistic range across cultures (585). Also present in many of Escher’s works is trompe l’oeil. This is French for “fool the eye” and is present in representational art that mimics optical experience so closely that it may be mistaken for reality (30). In “Reptiles” we see this trickery where the lizards wretch themselves from the drawing and then return. It can be said that his style was strongly influenced by the movement during the time. Escher was apart of a movement known as surrealism. Surrealism grew out of Dada and appreciated the logic of dreams, the mystery of the unconscious, and the lure of the bizarre, the irrational, the incongruous, and the marvelous (529). Typical of this movement and Escher’s works are impossible perspectives, fantastic metamorphoses and general eye-trickery. This work, as well as others from Escher and members of this surrealism movement, are interesting and allow for the liberation of the mind and extract the imaginative powers of the unconscious.

Activity #11: Write About It!! Period and Culture

In 1655, Dutch artist Rembrandt van Rijn created “Abraham’s Sacrifice,” an etching and drypoint on paper. All artworks come from a period and culture. The period of an artwork is defined by the time in history when the work was made. Culture refers to the behavior and belief characteristics of a particular social or ethnic group. “Abraham’s Sacrifice” was made in 1655 which places it in the Baroque Era (1600s-1700s) (Getlein, 421). Unlike the Renaissance period which stressed calm and reason, Baroque art contains vivid emotion, energy, and movement as well as vibrant colors that differ drastically between colors and value (421). As Rembrandt is Dutch, the piece to, comes from the Dutch culture.

In 1943, M.C. Escher created an interesting lithograph on paper known as “Reptiles.” The period of an artwork is defined by the time in history when the work was made while culture refers to the behavior and belief characteristics of a particular social or ethnic group. “Reptiles” falls into the Modern Period. The Modern Period is characterized by rapid change and ranges from early 19th century to the middle of the 20th century (1800-1945). Like Rembrandt’s “Abraham’s Sacrifice,” “Reptiles” comes from the Dutch culture. During the 20th century, Dutch painting was strongly influenced by expressionism, characterized by the distortion of visual appearances in order to express psychological or emotional states (583). As you can see in the work, the lizards seem break away form their captivity only to return to it which could reflect an emotion that Escher was feeling at the time of its creation.

Critical Thinking Essay

Jacob Lawrence
Cabinet Makers, 1946
American
Gouache with pencil under-drawing on paper.

Nam June PaikVideo Flag, (1985-1996)
American70 video monitors, 4 laser disc players, computer, timers, electrical devices, wood and metal housing on rubber wheels

If a meteorite were to come racing toward earth and just happen to threaten the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Renee and I would choose to save Jacob Lawrence’s “Cabinet Makers” and Nam June Paik’s “Video Flag.” First, I will discuss my reasoning for rescuing “Cabinet Makers” and then Renee will discuss her ideas towards the “Video Flag.”

There are many reasons why I would save this piece. First, it is simply appealing to the eye. The colors used are red, blue, and orange with black and white. The use of only 5 colors gives the piece unity and variety. The reason it is appeasing is because of the contrast in the complementary colors blue and orange, as well as the contrast between the black and white. Besides the colors though, the strongest reason for my choosing this piece doesn’t come from the piece itself; but from the history of the artist and his representation of America as viewers would want to see it. Lawrence came from the poverty of Harlem. Though his life was not advantaged, he managed to become one of the greatest artists from the Harlem Renaissance and in American history. His works portrayed his struggle and his subject matter came from his personal experiences, the black experience, and from the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s and always contained narrative (Getlein, 174). His life exemplifies that America is the “land of opportunity” where anyone can become what they want to be and I think that that is important to American history and culture.

I chose Nam June Paik’s “Video Flag” to save. I chose this piece because of the visual and historical impact it would have on the future. This modern piece consists of the latest advances in technology and art. It utilizes laser disks, automatic switchers, thirteen-inch monitors, and other devices. It has 70 television monitors that make it important and individual. Each T.V. displays an integral part of American society. The screens display split-second news stills, rotating statues of Liberty, endless runs of the binary language of ones and zeros, and a face that morphs through every U.S. president (Hirshhorn). This piece is creative and explains the current state of American Society. The American flag is recognizable throughout the world. To use this image and to creatively add other aspects of American culture on the screens is unlike any previous artwork I have seen. I found its impact to be moving and informative. I believe if I saved this piece, many years down the road, people would recognize what America was. The Flag represents the pride and independence of American people, the new stills will represent the mass media’s influence on our nation, and the use of the flashing binary system will explain the historical creation of computers and digital technology, while the former presidents of the United States faces will represent the American government throughout history. It would be a shame to ever see this piece of work destroyed and that is why I would choose this piece to save above all others at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.

In conclusion, we both chose to save pieces that reign from American culture. We both find that preserving art from American history would best benefit those who survived and lived to see these wonderful pieces of art.

Sources:
Getlein, Mark. Living with Art, 8th Edition. McGraw-Hill. 2008
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. http://www.hirshhorn.si.edu/collection/record.asp?Artist=Paik&OnView=1&ViewMode=&Record=1

Activity #10: Write About It!! Mediums and Techniques

In 1943 M.C. Escher created a lithograph known as “Reptiles.” The medium in his work, lithograph on paper, is a planographic process which means that the printing surface is flat, not raised or depressed (Getlein, 200). Instead it relies on the principle that oil and water do not mix (200). To make a lithograph, artists draw the images on the stone usually with a lithographic crayon or a greasy ink then the stone is treated with an acid solution to fix the drawing to the stone then the non-greasy areas are dampened with water (200). Once that is completed, the stone is inked and the ink sticks to the greasy image areas and is repelled by the water-soaked background areas (200). By identifying the process by which a lithograph is created, the difficulty in creating the range of values, relative lightness or darkness (96), found in the work is apparent. For artists, lithography is the most direct and effortless of the print media (200). However, to achieve the shading effect with a grease pencil or other material, in the detail that is present in this lithograph must have been tedious. Nonetheless, the work represents both imagination and raw talent.

In 1655 Rembrandt van Rijn created a print on paper called “Abraham’s Sacrifice,” which is a work that utilizes etching and drypoint. Drypoint is a similar technique to engraving except that instead of cutting away the material from the plate drypoint uses a needle to scratch the plate creating a raised burr, or thin ridge of metal that holds the ink (196). Etching is done with acids, which “eat” lines and depressions into a metal plate where the ground, an acid resistant material made from beeswax, asphalt and other materials, has been etched away by a needle (197). The ink is not the most important aspect; rather, the image created by the etching and the drypoint techniques remains the most important. The etching technique seems to have created the contour lines, lines drawn to record boundaries (83) of the middle ground where the scene takes place. By making lower value areas of the work with etching, the acid solution would “eat” these areas into depressions that would create the light appearance. In the work, the drypoint technique seems to be used to create the hatching and crosshatching, closely spaced and parallel lines or a set of closely spaced parallel lines laid on top of one another (93), used to provide the illusion of shadow and implied light. The easiest element to use with drypoint and etching is obviously line which Rembrandt uses very effectively to create this historical scene from a religious background. Even so, Rembrandt illustrates masterful technique in the creation of “Abraham’s Sacrifice.”

Activity #9: Write About it!! Camera Essay

To those who study art professionally, the camera represents a turning point in art history. From arts beginnings until the early 19th century, artists were kept busy with portraits of wealthy aristocracy and middle class and painting important events for commemoration. The creation of the camera in 1839 (Getlein, 211) freed painting and sculptures from practical tasks such as recording appearances and events and allowed for the exploration of abstract and nonrepresentational art (219). With this invention, the appearance of visual art morphed into what we enjoy today.

Along with the industrial revolution of the 19th century, modernism in art was one of the movements that resulted from the use of the camera. Modernism is a deliberate philosophical and practical estrangement or divergence from the past in the arts and literature taking form in any of various innovative movements and styles (Dictionary.com). One of these styles that emerged from the modernism movement was impressionism. Impressionism is a style of painting characterized by short brush strokes of bright colors in immediate juxtaposition to represent the effect of light on objects (Dictionary.com). In opposition to the normal painting of the time, impressionists’ portrayed daily life especially that of the middle class, along with painting landscapes outdoors (Getlein, 584). One of the first impressionists of the time was Claude Monet who was interested in the effects of color and light on objects. He created design harmonies of shape, color, and light that would revolutionize the art world and inspire future artists.

Late in the 19th century, after further exploration and a need to break away from impressionism, some artists began the post-impressionism movement with expressionism. Expressionism is a movement of the late 19th early 20th century which claimed the right to distort visual appearances in order to express psychological or emotional states (Getlein, 583). Vincent Van Gogh was an intricate member of the post-impressionism movement who focused on color as an expressive tool.

The camera is responsible for the exploration and conceptualization of the concepts of art that we see today. Because of the camera, artists were able to focus on the art form itself; rather, the effects of colors and light on an object and many of the other design elements we observe in modern art instead of simple portraits and events. No doubt the camera has changed the appearance of visual art in an immeasurable way.

Activity #8: Blog It!! Collage

For my collage I chose to go with the ransom letter theme using letters from everyday items found within a household that, if need, could actually serve to create a ransom letter. I designed the letter to read in a way that the letters created a sort of cell with bars that I would theoretically be trapped behind. I noticed that in one of the collage examples made the shape of a head and that's where I got the idea. As for design elements and principles; there is unity and variety, implied shapes and implied lines to name a few.

Activity #7: Write About It!! MIDTERM Exhibition

The 19th century brought forth many noteworthy paintings. Joseph Mallord William Turner’s 1827 work, “Mortlake Terrace,” Berthe Morisot’s 1869 work, “The Harbor at Lorient,” and Eugène Boudin’s two works “Coast of Brittany,” 1870, and “Entrance to the Harbor,” 1883, all beautifully portray ships in their oil on canvas. On the other hand, the two 1872 oil on canvas paintings by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot and Alfred Sisley, “The Forest of Coubron, Le Havre” and “Boulevard Héloïse, Argenteuil,” depict alternate modes of transportation. Though they differ simply by what they illustrate, the paintings all share a common purpose and theme: looking outward, simply observing and expressing the on goings of their time. To convey this theme the artists make use of similar design elements.

One design element that all of the artists use to portray their theme is line. Line is a path traced by a moving point (Getlein, 82). In the works by Turner, Morisot, and Boudin, strong horizontal lines are present. In contrast to these horizontal lines, the masts of ships and trees in the paintings present vertical lines that intersect the horizontal lines. The two pieces by Corot and Sisley, however, are dominated by vertical lines as can be seen in the presence of trees and houses that line the street in Sisley’s painting and the trees in Corot’s. Line is not the only element that all the artists make use of though.

Another element of design that is common to all the paintings is implied light. Implied light is a type of radiant energy present in the painting that gives a three dimensional aspect to figures in a work (90-91). In Turner’s work, we understand that the light is coming straight at us. We know this because of the shimmer reflected off the water and the shadows cast by the trees fall toward us. Like Turner, Corot’s “The Forest of Coubron” and Boudin’s “Entrance to the Harbor, Le Havre” depict implied light that comes at us from the horizon. The bright upper left corner of Corot’s work shows the light direction and the bright sphere on the horizon in Boudin’s piece confirms the implied light. Morisot’s “The Harbor at Lorient” and Sisley’s “Boulevard Héloïse, Argenteuil” both have implied light that comes from the right of the paintings. In Sisley’s work, the contrast in value on the sides of the buildings reflect shadows. Value is shades of light and dark or the relative lightness and darkness (92, 96). In Morisot’s work, contrast in value also portrays shadow as seen on the darkened face of the woman resting on the wall. In Boudin’s earlier work, “Coast of Brittany,” the implied light is much more difficult to recognize. The far coast in the painting is light while the coastline in the foreground is darkened. The overcast sky suggests that the light source is from above and the coastline in the foreground is under cloud cover, while the distance coast is exposed.

Finally, all the works present the element of space called linear perspective. Linear perspective is based in the systematic application of two observations; that form seem to diminish in size as they recede away from us, and parallel lines receding into the distance seem to converge, until they meet at a point on the horizon line where they disappear (108-109). Common to all the masterpieces is the diminishing pathways to some point in the distance. With this the artists are able to depict purpose, because it seems that the objects in the paintings have some destination to achieve.

Turner, Morisot, Boudin, Corot and Sisley all create similar, yet distinctly different pieces using many of the same elements. The underlying theme present in all is one concerned with the activities taking place not the objects themselves. Looking outward, the artists observed their surroundings and were able to capture and preserve the simplicity of life in the 19th century which made these works timeless.

Sources:
Getlein, Mark. Living With Art. 8th Edition. McGraw-Hill. 2008
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. http://www.nga.gov/

Activity #6: MIDTERM Exhibition

All the following artworks were taken from the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.


Joseph Mallord William Turner
British, 1775 - 1851
Mortlake Terrace, 1827
oil on canvas

Berthe Morisot
French, 1841 - 1895
The Harbor at Lorient, 1869
oil on canvas

Eugène Boudin
French, 1824 - 1898
Coast of Brittany, 1870
oil on canvas

Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot
French, 1796 - 1875
The Forest of Coubron, 1872
oil on canvas

Alfred Sisley
French, 1839 - 1899
Boulevard Héloïse, Argenteuil, 1872
oil on canvas

Eugène Boudin
French, 1824 - 1898
Entrance to the Harbor, Le Havre, 1883
oil on canvas

Activity #5: Write About It!! Theme

In Rembrandt van Rijn’s “Abraham’s Sacrifice,” an ink drawing on paper completed in 1655, and M.C. Escher’s “Reptiles,” a 1943 lithograph, the artists make use of themes.

In “Abraham’s Sacrifice,” Rembrandt’s themes are story and history. Artists use stories and histories because they provide the artist with subject matter (62). The subject matter is the objects or events that the work depicts (36). In Rembrandt’s drawing, he uses emphasis to portray the subject matter by creating a contrast in value with his hatching and cross hatching techniques. The title of the piece, “Abraham’s Sacrifice,” along with the subject suggests that this is a piece of history and illustrates a unique event in the life of Abraham. Escher, however, does not use history and story as themes in his work. He uses other themes.

In “Reptiles,” Escher’s themes are invention and fantasy. They come from the minds of the artists. In Escher’s piece, one can tell that the themes are invention and fantasy by the subject. Lizards crawling out of a drawing and the merging back into it can only be created through one’s imagination. It is clear that Escher conjured this work from a fantasy.

Both artists use themes to portray the subject matter within their pieces. Although the themes are different, each piece is unique and intriguing in its own light.

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Activity #4: Write About It! Design Principles

Both “Reptiles,” a lithograph by M.C. Escher in 1943, and “Abraham’s Sacrifice,” an ink drawing on paper completed in 1655 by Rembrandt van Rijn, use principles of design to generate fascinating works of art.

In “Reptiles” Escher uses the design principle of balance. Balance is the equal distribution of visual weight, the apparent heaviness of lightness of the forms arranged in a composition (125). In Escher’s drawing, the plant, the bottle, the open book, and the bucket serve as an implied shape that gives the composition balance. If one of these cornerstones is removed, notice the work becomes unstable. Not only does Escher use balance in his work, he also employs scale.

Both artists utilize the design principle of scale, although differently. Scale refers to size in relation to a standard or “normal” size (136). In Escher’s drawing, the lizards in the tessellation are the same size as those that crawl out. In contrast, Rembrandt uses hierarchical scale, the use of scale to indicate relative importance (138). Notice that the angel is drawn above Abraham, who is then above his son Isaac. This causes the viewer to assume that the angel is of a higher importance than Abraham or Isaac. Rembrandt also makes use of another design principle.

In “Abraham’s Sacrifice” Rembrandt employs the principle of emphasis. Emphasis means that our attention is drawn more certain parts of the composition than to others (134). He emphasizes the focal point, a small clearly defined area (134) in the piece by creating a contrast in value between Abraham, Issac and the Angel, and the foreground.

By using the design prnciples of balance, scale, and emphasis, both of the artists produce works that are appealing.

Activity #2: Write About It! Design Elements

In 1655 Rembrandt van Rijn created “Abraham’s Sacrifice,” an ink drawing on paper. Later, M.C. Escher created a lithograph in 1943 called “Reptiles.” Both artists employ the visual elements of design, both similarly and differently, to create appealing masterpieces.

Both artists make use lines. A line is a path traced by a moving point (Getlein, 82). Escher uses implied lines, figures or objects spaced closely enough that our minds connect them (86), to exhibit motion. A figure is the shape we detach and focus on (89). The lizards themselves act as a “dotted line” that creates a circle as they morph from imagination to reality and back again. In contrast, Rembrandt utilizes implied lines to portray direction of light entering the picture and contour lines can be seen in the outline the figures of Abraham, his son Isaac and the angel. Contour lines are the boundaries we perceive of three-dimensional forms (83).

Also portrayed in both works is the design element of light; though used for the same reason, different techniques are utilized. Escher uses a technique called chiaroscuro. It is a technique that employs shades of lights and darks, known as value (92), to record contrasts of light and shadow in the natural world (92). Escher uses this to create shadow and light direction in his work. However, Rembrandt uses hatching and cross hatching to portray the same effect. Hatching is the use of closely spaced parallel lines (93) and cross-hatching is a technique that uses additional lines laid on top of the first set to achieve darker values (93). Through these techniques, Rembrandt is also able to produce shadow, apparant beneath the angel's wing, and light direction.

The design elements of shape and pattern are present in Escher’s work. Shape is defined as a two-dimensional form that occupies and area with identifiable boundaries (87). In “Reptiles” Escher makes use of implied shape. Notice the shape that the lizards seem to create as the travel in and out of the pattern is that of a circle. Pattern is any decorative, repetitive motif or design (105). The tessellation that the lizards seem to crawl out of is an example of pattern.

Both artists employ the design elements of line and light in their masterpieces. Escher also uses pattern and shape. Although both works used the same elements, they produced completely different works that are both visually intriguing and interesting.


Note: All sources are from the Living With Art textbook.

Activity #1: On Line Museum Visit

M.C. Escher, Reptiles, 1943 Rosenwald Collection


Rembrandt van Rijn, Abraham's Sacrifice, 1655 Rosenwald Collection

Creative Post

This photographer used his latest digital effects along with influence from M.C. Escher, my new favorite artist. Very interesting. Fits right into the Surrealists style.

This drawing from Escher teased my brain. One hand drawing another? Just another great work from the surrealism movement.

I really like this work, again by Escher. It amazes me that he had the ability to replicate reflections that seem extremely real. It almost feels like I was looking into the sphere. Except that I don't look like that and my room doesn't resemble the one in the reflection. Still it is a thinker!

Just thought that this was interesting. Primary colors really stand out in contrast to each other.

Given that we just created our own collages, I thought that I would add images of hobbies of mine in the form of collages.

I like playing baseball. What I like about this collage is that it uses things that you would find in a ballpark as a theme. The peanuts used as leather threads was a good idea. I also like how the artist showed the fingers gripping the baseball.

Basketball!! My favorite sport of all. Speed, agility, quick thinking and reacting and pure athleticism. I just see a lot of random things in this collage. Nothing that really has to do with basketball. Perhaps the artist used these objects symbolically. I just like the sport.

Fishing is amazingly relaxing. There's nothing like the sound of running water and birds chirping and the feel of a fish striking your line. Again, the artist uses fishing objects as a theme. Different types of lures and baits are present along with nets and even a vest.

Like fishing, hunting is equally relaxing and has a great excitement associated with it. Quiet mornings and nature's sounds then, a loud boom and the adrenaline is pumping. Same theme, hunting objects. Shotgun, shells, animals, knives and a bow.

Football is a sport that I enjoy but don't get to play often. I do watch my Cowboys every Sunday during football season though. Same theme here. You see the helmet, the football chin strap, the goal post face mask and the shoulder pad logo.







I'm not sure that I believe that crop circles are made by UFO's or some really talented artist who likes working outside with crops instead of a canvas. But, artistically speaking, they have great balance and have clearly defined shapes and lines. Very intriguing.

Sometimes nature makes some pretty remarkable pieces of artwork. Looks like a human face to me. Or maybe the face of a lion or baboon! What do you see?

I thought that this was interesting. I noticed the shapes of the human body; legs, head, chest, and facial features. Then as I looked more I also saw that it could be seen as hills with trees and waterfalls. Really quite unique.

On our visit to the Art Gallery my wife and I were looking for one of her paintings and we came upon this one. Its a work by Sir Peter Paul Rubens. The theme of history and story was obvious after reading out text. It's a story that I was told many times when I was young. It is interesting to see it from this light.

What do you see when you look at this? Most see the word MIRROR. It is definitely there. What is so great about it? It is also a reflection of itself, perfect symmetrical balance. Draw a line down the middle of the dot in the middle and it is a perfect reflection.

I really thought that this was interesting. It is a work by M.C. Escher. If you look at it, it seems that the picture displays two different scenes. If you look from the top towards the bottom, it looks as if the stairs are going down. If you look from the bottom up, the stairs seem to be going upwards and be underneath an archway. It is neat to see the way he uses value and chiaroscuro to create this double image.

Chapter 5 discusses two main types of balance: symmetrical and asymmetrical. Symmetrical balance has an implied center of gravity that is the vertical axis where forms on either side of the axis correspond to one another in size, shape, and placement (125). Asymmetrical balance is similar though both sides don't match. The piece on the left is an example of symmetrical balance. Notice the image seems like an exact reflection across an imaginary axis. The piece on the right is an example of asymmetrical balance. Like the first, it seems like a reflection; however, the two sides are not matches. One has a larger tree and a larger mountain.

I like the atmospheric perspective used in these types of paintings. That's where the landscape seems to become hazy as it goes off into the distance. "Pictures are worth a thousand words" as the phrase goes. This painting sums up who I am. I enjoy everything outdoors. If I had to pick one word to describe how what I feel when I look at this... it would be envy.

ART 101 Introduction

Hello to all!!
My name is Joshua Young, call me Josh, and I am in my second year and I am an engineering major at the moment. That could change sometime soon. I'm juggling between that and forensic science. I hope to transfer to a 4-year institution someday. Like many, I am taking this class to fulfill a humanities credit. But I must say, after reading the syllabus and course outline and skimming through the book, the class looks to be very interesting. The last and first time I have ever been to an art museum was in December of 2006 in the National Gallery of Art when my wife and I first moved here. We are actually taking this course together. I can't really remember what piece I liked the most because it was so long ago, but I like paintings of scenery. My favorite visual artist is Thomas Kincade. I hope that everyone has a great semester.