Dear Humanities Kids,
We completed the following today in class:
1. We completed discussing the "Artist Intent" pieces of artwork that each student was assigned last week.
2. If you missed class, we started by having
a practice session for your test, which is scheduled for Friday, September 20th.
We looked at the following piece by Mary Cassatt called
The Bath and then discussed the
composition, color, balance/harmony, movement and mood established by the piece. Remember that part of your
exam on Friday pertains to doing the same evaluation. Make sure you refer to the
five images I posted last time.
Review and research them in order to make sure that you have a strong understanding of the
composition, color, balance/harmony, movement and mood for each.
I HAVE INCLUDED A FORMER STUDENT'S RESPONSE BELOW THE IMAGE.
Elisa Wilson
Mrs. Crampton
Humanities
22 September, 2001
The Bath by Mary Cassatt
The Bath
by Mary Cassatt embraces the natural love between a mother and a
child. Through the design elements of composition, color, balance, mood
and movement one greatly appreciates Cassatt’s intent, and the viewer
develops a deeper understanding for Cassatt's depiction of the mother
and child.
The composition of The Bath
focuses the audience’s attention on the child. The eye is immediately
drawn to the child, and then to the mother. This draws attention to the
emotion of the moment. Cassatt has also used circles in the piece to
indicate unity and peace between the mother and child. One
can see the circle in the basin, the shape of the heads, and in the
circular form of the pitcher. The background of the painting appears
muted or slightly fussy, which helps bring the attention to the mother
and child. The overall arrangement of subjects gives the viewer a sense
of peace.
The
color used indicates a moment of peace. Cassette used white for the
little girl to indicate her innocence and naivety. The mother appears in
a stripped dress using light green, pink and white. These colors let
the audience know that the moment is serene. The red colored carpet,
although subtle, lets the audience know that the relationship between
the mother and child is genuine.
Cassatt
has created a balance in the work, as the mother and child are placed
in the middle of the piece. No contention or disharmony exists here.
The balance gives the viewer an understanding of harmony and
relaxation, as these are the emotions experienced by the two subjects.
The
movement of the piece begins first with the child. The audience sees
the little girl and then the eye is drawn down toward the basin. The
mother washing the child’s foot helps the audience understand the
connection between the two of them. In addition, both subjects are
looking in the same direction towards the child’s feet as the mother
gently cleans them. This positioning helps the audience follow the gaze
to the feet of the child.
The
audience becomes captured by the peaceful and relaxed mood set by this
piece. Cassatt clearly valued relationships, especially those among
children and mothers. The mother portrays concern for the child’s
well-being by securing the child in her lap with one hand, while the
other hand gently caresses the girl’s foot. These actions appear
natural, and help the viewer recognize the significane of the
relationship.
Dear Humanities Kids,
1. Your first EXAM is scheduled for Friday, September 20th. Prepare this way:
a. What are the Humanities?
b. Why is studying the Humanities so important?
c. Why should an "observer" learn more of the time
period and artist's personal life prior to making a judgement about a
piece of art?
d. Define the following terms and make sure you can
apply them: Composition, Mood, Color, Balance/Unity, and Movement
e. Students will randomly draw one piece of artwork from
the "hat." They will then need to evaluate the piece using the above
elements. We did this in class with "The Raft of the Medusa." In order
to assist you with this section of the exam, I have included the pieces
of artwork below. Realize that you won't know your focus until the day
of the exam; however, you can easily learn more about them through
some research. Remember that I am going to ask you to comment on the
composition, color, mood, balance/unity and movement in the piece that
you select.
"Judith and Holofernes" by Artemisia Gentileschi
"Weeping Woman" by Picasso
"Burial of Count Orgaz" by El Greco
"Penitent Magdalene" by Georges
de la Tour
"The Dead Christ" by Andrea Mantegna
HOMEWORK:
1. Locate information for TWO of the FIVE art pieces included above.
You can easily locate the information via the Internet. Focus on
composition, color, mood, balance/unit and movement.
2.STUDY FOR YOUR FIRST EXAM, cute kids!
