2019-form and idea(art101)-essay formal analysis PDF

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2019-form and idea(art101)-essay formal analysis...

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FORMAL ANALYSIS The Mystic Marriage of St. Catherine, an Oil on Canvas painting by Fabrizio Santafede is a Mannerist style painting from 1560-c. to 1634. It depicts the legend of a lady known as St. Catherine who had visions of a marriage with Christ, with Virgin Mary in attendance. This particular art work has a unique story behind it that has been interpreted differently by several artists; therefore, there are a number of adaptations of it. The painting successfully unifies distinct figures in a composition: a woman dressed in pink dress, a little boy holding a flower, a kneeling teenage boy with a hand on his chest and his other hand holding a feather quill pen, and a male saint in the background to demonstrate a female’s nurturing character through formal elements and principles of art. In Santafede’s adaptation, we see a woman with white porcelain skin and rosy cheeks seated forward in a pink dress and her legs are covered in a dark green blanket and angled to the left, only her right foot peaks out underneath. She wears a thin brown belt around her waist. On her right, a little boy dressed in a white toga is leaning forward with his chest and left arm on her thigh. His right arm is raised in a 90 ° angle, adjacent to his head, as his pointer finger and thumb hold a pink flower. He is also looking up at her. On her left, is a teenage boy dressed in a blue shirt, and a white scarf around his shoulders. He’s kneeling and his lower body is covered by a mustard blanket. In his left hand is an antique feather quill pen. The palm of his right hand is on his chest and his head is tilted up as his gaze is upon the woman. She looks down at him in return. Barely noticeable in the background on the right is a male saint, St. Francis, identifiable by his brown monk’s robe and a stigmata on his left hand. The gaze of the two boys on either side of the woman create directional lines towards her face and her placement in the center make her the focal point. We can’t see the saint’s body as he

is overlapped by the teenage boy, indicating that he is in the background. Bright light emphasizes her skin, her dress, and the right side of her face (her left side is slightly dark and shadowy). She also radiates an angelic presence through her bright skin and a thin veil, which resembles a halo, is placed inconspicuously behind her head. Her downward gaze draws the viewers to her pink dress and almost immediately the eyes bounce off to the pink flower the boy is holding. The flower is the same color as her dress as an allusion to her beauty. The boys on her side could be interpreted to be her sons as she gives off a motherly vibe. The curved lines in her left hand show it is placed delicately behind the teenage boy’s head as a symbol of care and compassion. Her right hand is placed protectively and gently around the little boy’s waist, this is evident in the relaxed form of her fingers. The tender smile on her face as she looks down on the teenage boy generates a warm and nurturing energy in the artwork. Santafede’s choice of complementary colors intensifies the vibrancy of the artwork. Her pink dress compliments the green blanket. The teenage boy’s blue shirt compliments his orange/mustard blanket. These colors strengthen the peaceful mood of the painting and gives it a slight rush of energy. The light values of the skin of the woman and the teenage boy contrasts with the dark values of the background of the painting and the saint in the background. Santafede’s choice to hide the saint in the background produces a sense of mystery to the painting. One might question the saint’s purpose and motives. He blends so easily to the brown background, suggesting that he is a shadow looming over the woman and the two boys. He might be secretly watching over them or is placed in the painting as a religious symbol. The artist creates a sense of balance and unity in this painting. Balance is achieved through the intentional placement of the figures in the composition. The woman in the middle is

complimented by the two boys on either side of her. They are close together and connected by physical touch; thus, communicating familiarity and love. Though the boys differ in size and age, balance remains in the way the little boy seems to be standing on an elevated surface in the left bottom of the foreground, while the teenage boy is on one knee. The top of their heads align with each other making their height “equal” on either side. St. Francis blends with the background so as to not disrupt the balance, making the symmetry approximate. All the figures in the composition are doing something significant with their hands. As mentioned earlier, the woman places her left hand behind the teenage boy’s head and her right hand on the little boy’s waist to illustrate a protective role. The little boy is holding a flower with his right hand, the flower echoes the woman’s beauty. The teenage boy is holding a feather quill pen with his left hand, perhaps used for signing a marriage certificate and his right hand is on the chest to demonstrate that he is placing significance on himself. Finally, St. Francis’ left hand is marked with a stigmata, indicating his identity as a saint. These several important hand actions provide the painting’s unity, cohesiveness and balance. It shows that they are all interconnected. Santafede used oil on canvas. This medium allows for luminosity. The figures easily reflect light, making the light values easy to depict. Through oil, the artist achieves a high level of detail seen in the stigmata on St. Francis’ left hand and in the creases of their clothes. The strokes of the brush enhances the texture of the clothes giving them a realistic look. Oil is durable and slow drying; therefore, artists can blend it and make various changes days after applying the initial coating. This is why oil paintings appear smooth and detailed. Though it is a two-dimensional surface, oil lends depth and a three-dimensional effect in painting, adding to its realism.

The painting is representational because it portrays the natural human form and lifeless objects like blankets, clothes, flowers, and feather quill pens. These objects resemble what our eyes naturally see. I had a pleased initial reaction to the painting. I loved the work and couldn’t stop staring at it. It was just seemed perfect and peaceful. The woman’s interactive tenderness and love towards the boys and the painting’s realism also drew me to choose it. The visual analysis didn’t change my personal reaction. It challenged me to understand the artwork more, look beneath the surface, and question the artist’s choices in the composition. I’ll admit that after absorbing the artwork then reading the label it was shocking to find out it was about a marriage as I didn’t interpret it in that concept. The only thing that alludes to marriage is the veil. And the veil doesn’t really stand out. It’s very transparent and subtle. America, by Joseph Mozier, 1850 is a female marble bust that symbolizes the United States of America. Through an iconographic analysis, the bust is female because countries are usually given a female attribution. Her breasts are exposed, communicating sensuality and possibly the fertile land of America. It could also represent the artist’s vulnerability to demonstrate his patriotism. A flag decorated in stars is wrapped around the bust just below her breasts to represent liberty and freedom. Mozier’s choice to symbolize his patriotism through this sculpture could demonstrate his nostalgia for America because he had moved to Florence in 1845 and had made the sculpture there. He must have missed home. The star on her head is almost like a crown and symbolizes royalty and success. It could also be an ode to the epitome of the American Dream. Mozier careful thought about his sculpture and what it was going to represent. The bust is simple but detailed, elegant, graceful and structured.

I loved the museum. I enjoyed being surrounded by various artworks and being transported into the artists’ mind and feelings. Several other artworks interested me but there are too many of them to list! I will say the Impressionist exhibit was fascinating. Santafede effectively used formal elements such as line, color, value, space and principles of art like balance, contrast, focal point, and unity to communicate the love and protectiveness of a motherly figure through mystical undertones. Mozier’s iconographical sculpture alluded to patriotism and trust in one’s home....