Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Ekphrases - Edit

"The Harvest" by Vincent van Gogh. Oil on canvas, 50.5 x 103 cm. (1890)

This work is created by a Dutch artist. It is a vast landscape composition

painted in Auver-sur-Oise in late nineteenth century in 1890, the second

decade of the post-impressionism period. The medium is oil on canvas with

a theme of art in nature based on the content of this famous symbolic

piece.Many believe that this work was the last painting in a group of 13

narrowhorizontal canvases. This style characterized by an intense, dynamic

asymmetrical composition balancing massing elements on scale consisting of

a vast landscape, a turbulent sky, and crows. his work and others by the

artist has wide appeal and importance in the development of modern art.

It measures 50.5 X 103 cm. and is a representational naturalistic work

created with an innovative palette representing the main title subject

matter which employs bright contrast with dynamic brushstrokes

in monochromatic yellow hues to depict a ripened wheat crop. One

content form is a pattern of straight and contour lines in monochromatic

blue hues mixed with bold black dynamic brushstrokes depicting a dark

dark urbulent sky. There are two circular circular clouds positioned

within, a small one on the left side of the piece and a medium-sized one

on the right painted in short circular brushstrokes of light blue-green

contour line. The grass is on scale in various dynamic brushstrokes of

straight lines in monochromatic green hues. Also, the ground around the

grass is painted in straight lines of brown hues positioned in front and on

the bottom sides of the piece and further, emphasized by a brown colored

worn path in contour lines curved to resemble a pair of tire tracks leading

up the center of the work, and disappearing into the center of the

horizon. The path is the center focal point and it divides the main

subject matter vertically, into two triangular-shaped wedges of the

ripe golden-colored crop. There is a flock of crows flying over the

golden-colored crop and out of sight, off the canvas. Often

interpreted as a dark premonition of the artist's death, this work

expresses "sadness and extreme l oneliness" as well as "the health and

restorative forces... in the countryside." This artistic style is known

as instrumental in "setting the world in the direction or many of the

expressionist tendencies in twentieth-century art." This work of art

portrays great anguish while intriguingly beautiful. I sincerely

hope you have fun with my ekphrases!



WORKS CITED

1. Amsterdam - Van Gogh Museum Amsterdam. Image URL: http://www3.vangoghmuseum.nl/vgm/index.jsp?page=3343&collection=1282&lang=en accessed from: URL: www.amsterdam.info/museums/van_gogh_museum/ (April 23, 2007).

2. Getlein, Mark. "Living with Art," Eighth Edition. McGraw-Hill - 2007. (April 2007).

Peace,


Gwendolyn

Thanks and Credit for solving my paragraph spacing problem - Bonnie Calhoun: Blogger Help Group. 23 Mar 12:08 am.

1 comment:

LilGWheelie49 said...

Dear Professor Brew,

Although nobody chose my Ekphrases, I waited until after 8:00 PM to post my described work.

I enjoyed the learning experience in ART101. It has made my world (homebound and wheelchair-bound)more exciting and pleasurable. My husband bought a starter oil paint set with cloth canvas for me. It's an activity that I would have never thought of trying had I not attended your online art course and found out that "art is everywhere." I see the elements, principles, themes, styles, etc. because of your unique, intelligent teaching style. Hopefully, I will not forget the visual art information I gained from your guidance. But, you can be certain that my appreciation for Art in the world and in my daily life has been greatly enriched as a result.

Thank you,
Gwendolyn

PS: I don't know why the paragraphs look single-spaced after publishing because in the original and preview, it is double-spaced.