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.