midterm practice: grant wood vs. jan van eyck review

11
the Feldman’s Method Reviewing Grant Wood and Jan Van Eyck

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Feldman's Method Review: Grant Wood's Parson Weems Fable & Jan Van Eyck's Arnolfini Wedding.

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Page 1: Midterm Practice: Grant Wood vs. Jan Van Eyck Review

the Feldman’s MethodReviewing Grant Wood and Jan Van Eyck

Page 2: Midterm Practice: Grant Wood vs. Jan Van Eyck Review
Page 3: Midterm Practice: Grant Wood vs. Jan Van Eyck Review

Describe1. Grant Wood, ‘Parson Weems Fable’, 1936, Oil o Canvas

2. ‘Parson Weems Fable’ depicts the author himself pulling back a curtain to show a scene from his famous story of George Washington chopping down a cherry tree. In this scene, George Washington, with a body of a child, holds an ax while his father scolds him for cutting into a cherry tree. Two cherry pickers pick cherries off a neighboring tree in the background. What looks to be a plantation house surrounded by rolling hills filled with rounded trees make up the rest of the background.

3. Color - A limited color pallet of complimentary colors red and green make up a majority of the piece with the exception of George’s blue tights.

Space - 3 dimensional space is created by the figure of the author and curtain in the foreground;

Space cont’- George, his father, and the cherry tree in the mid-ground, and finally the cherry pickers and plantation make up the background.

Shape - The trees are simplified to uniform geometric shapes which is also mirrored in the buttons on Weems’ jacket and George Washington’s father’s coat as well as the details on the red curtain.The house is also made up on uniform rectangles as well.

Page 4: Midterm Practice: Grant Wood vs. Jan Van Eyck Review

Analyze

Repetition - The uniform shapes of circles and rectangles repeat throughout the painting; circles make up the cherry trees, the buttons on jackets, and the tassels on the curtains. Rectangles make up the form of the house and it’s windows.

Emphasis - The limited pallet of red and green coupled with singular use of blue draws the viewers eye straight to child George Washinton, the subject of the painting. The use of the curtain, pulled back so that we may see the scene as well as Weems’ pointed finger also add emphasis to George Washington.

Movement - Wood uses the gestures and forms of his subjects to move your eye through out the piece. First with the figure of Weems himself, pointing to George’s ax which leads us into the foreground. His father’s outreached arm directs our eye to the bowed cherry tree which points to the cherry tree pickers in the distance. Finally our eye follows the patterned greens up the rolling hill to the sky and out of the frame.

Page 5: Midterm Practice: Grant Wood vs. Jan Van Eyck Review

InterpretWood’s use of the curtain and figure of the author tell us that the intent of this painting is to tell a story or teach a lesson. The simplified figures and environment as well as the simplified color pallet let us know that this image is fictional despite it’s main character being an actual person from our history. The intent behind painting the face of George Washington, the “father of our country”, that we know so well also might perhaps invoke feelings of patriotism in American viewers, especially during the time it was painted in the mid-1930s.

The feeling is a playful one. The use of bright and complimentary colors signifies a light hearted subject matter while the oversized figure of Weems in the foreground adds a layer of seriousness to the piece as well, reminding viewers that a lesson (either in patriotism or environmentalism) is to be learned from it.

Page 6: Midterm Practice: Grant Wood vs. Jan Van Eyck Review
Page 7: Midterm Practice: Grant Wood vs. Jan Van Eyck Review

Describe1. Jan Van Eyck, Arnolfini Wedding, 1434, Oil on Oak Panel

2. ’Arnolfini Wedding’ depicts a man in dark ‘musketeer-like’ robes and a pregnant woman in a green gown and white headdress holding hands in a bed chamber. A small dog stands before their joint hands, and a circular mirror hangs on the wall behind their joint hands.

3. Color - A limited color pallet comprised of neutral tones, red, and green make up the painting. The bed covering and drapes red, the woman’s gown green, the man’s robes a purple grey, and the rest of the room made up of different values to brown.

Space - A 3 dimensional space is created with the placement of the dog in the foreground, the couple in the mid-ground, and the bed, wall, and chandelier in the background.

Form - The use of different values and shapes help give form to the figures in the painting. Their faces a round and plump and the woman is believably with child, her hand resting on her rounded stomach.

Page 8: Midterm Practice: Grant Wood vs. Jan Van Eyck Review

AnalyzeBalance - Radial balance is created through the placement of the figures and objects in the room which radiate outwards from the joint hands, drawing your eye about the piece.

Contrast - The use of the bright green of the woman’s extravagant gown paired with the vibrant red of the bedding brings contrast to the piece when paired with the dark fine robes of the man and the simple desk and window behind the man.

Movement - The use of color and form gestures guide your eye through out the piece starting from the joint hands and working your up up either arm to the objects surrounding them up the folds of their clothes and back.

Page 9: Midterm Practice: Grant Wood vs. Jan Van Eyck Review

InterpretTaking into consideration the time in which the painting was made, this was most likely a commission of the married couple as a wedding portrait as was often done by the wealthy during this time period. The extravagant clothes, bright colors, and placement of the figures hands also suggests that this couple is holy as well as noble. This painting would have most likely been used as a way to promote the couple’s wealth and station within society.

The feeling is a reserved one, the man blank faced along with his dark clothes and position of his hands echo the idea that he is a pious man and perhaps even relates himself as christ-like. The woman in turn, equally blank faced and gentile, is depicted much like the virgin Mary. The cements the idea that this marriage was more of duty and righteousness rather than love again serving the idea of the painting being one made of function and seriousness rather than anything else.

Page 10: Midterm Practice: Grant Wood vs. Jan Van Eyck Review

Judge Part IBoth artists use a limited color pallet and movement to direct the viewers eye throughout the piece. Both Wood and Van Eyck use the color red as a guide through the piece as well as the gestures and positions of their figures.

Both artworks differ greatly in the way they use emphasis and space. Wood’s space is unrealistic, more like an actual play (curtain giving way to a made up scene) in comparison to Van Eyck’s bed chamber which resembles much of what noblepersons rooms would look like at the time. Wood uses emphasis to direct the viewers eye to the subject of the painting while Van Eyck uses emphasis as a means to show off the wealth and holiness of the couple.

Page 11: Midterm Practice: Grant Wood vs. Jan Van Eyck Review

Judge Part IIBoth artworks differ greatly in terms of fuction. Wood’s image is a playful retelling of a famous piece of history, most likely in hopes of inspiringa patriotic feeling within his viewers during a time when fascism was on the rise in America. This is evident in his simplified forms, bold colors, and placement of his subjects. Meanwhile, Van Eyck’s painting functions as a symbol of wealth and propriety for the couple depicted as evident in the extravagance of the room, their clothes, and the posture in which they stand which is reminiscent of images of the Virgin Mother and Christ.

I think both artists are successful in how they use a limited color pallet and movement to direct the viewers eye about the piece. I also think both images serve their functions well though they are entirely different.