Look at some paintings of figures in interiors from different periods and choose two or three pictures that particularly appeal to you. (You’ve already looked at some seventeenth-century Dutch examples in Part Two.) At least one of these should be from the twentieth or twenty-first century. Consider what you think the artists’ intentions are and look at the technical and creative solutions that they’ve brought to the subject.
Paul Cézanne – Boy With Skull (January 19, 1839 – October 22, 1906)
I chose this painting because of the draping fabric in the background and tight, selective view. The man in this painting is looking off into the distance, as though he could be in deep thought. The line work is quite prominent and gives a boldness to the painting, allowing the viewer to clearly see what everything is. A skull is often seen as a symbol of death so I am directed into thinking this man is in mourning or thinking about death. I think symbolism in art is a beautiful way to give the painting more meaning. Overall this painting is a great example of adding symbolism and comining it with
Tsuguharu Foujita – Self-Portrait in the Studio 1926
This self portrait by Tsuguhara Goujiya, I feel was created as though he was searching for his muse, trying to paint what he surrounds himself with. A humbling painting of a man in a very natural and calm state, accompanied by a cat. He has work and drawing tools around him, while sitting upon a yellow cushion which matches his cigarette box and pencil. The rest of the painting is painted with muted colours – browns, greys and a small amount of red. I feel as though this painting allows us to explore his environment and gives the viewer a glimpse into his life.
David Hockney – The group VII, 20-27 May 2014
The Group VII, 20-27 May is a painting of people viewing artwork in a gallery, the colours are bright and bold. Every person is unique, they are spaced out in a large room. This is apparent by the line of the tiled floor. I feel like this is an exploratory piece by David Hockney. It is a view into his world of art shows. The pieces on the wall are visibly his work and I was able to find them in his gallery of works, specifically 82 Portraits and 1 Still Life . I love the boldness of this piece and how it gives us multiple people to look at without crowding the image. Each person is completely unique, size differences, hair styles and colours and direction. Then we’re also drawn to the background as there are works on the wall. I could stare at this painting for hours, looking at all the details.
All these painting appeal to me because of the detail involved in each painting. I love having a view into an artists life, seeing there work depicted in another painting, but also I am able to see myself in the background or standing in the same room. It’s the more relatable works I enjoy the most. I will explore that further as I want to see how I can create something people can relate too. This area of research has been explorative in myself as not only a viewer but as an artist myself. This process has really taught me what I enjoy which is viewing the piece and truly feeling, getting emotive about a piece.
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