Category Archives: Parallels

Miro – (Rhythm and Structure)

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Joan Miro - Landscape - 1917 - oil on canvas

I’m sure Miro was thinking of Cezanne in this rhythmic landscape.  I love Miro’s wonderful rhythms and how sensitively he balanced movement with sophisticated structural support.

The rhythm of arches is primary, beginning with the large one, we then find them continuing up through the composition.  There are several, and I would like to focus on a few which integrate the sky with the foreground.

My favourite is the movement provided by the arch in the sky and the arch of the hill below.  Another two beauties are just below the yellow building with the black windows and the one at the right which connects to a wonderfully sensitive vertical which continues down through a wall.

Staying with the detail, l would Iike to mention the integration of the roofs at the right with the hill above, which brings us to another rhythm, those wonderful black dots just above the hills.  They are in harmony with the little black windows in the yellow house, which is the focus of the composition.

Let us return to the full composition and the sensitive structural support for the rythmic movement of the arches, the two zig-zags at the bottom.  Miro uses them to vertically take us towards the focus.  The strong right angle next to the yellow zig-zag  is the most important structural element, beautifully stabilizing the composition.  And I hope you can feel how important the sensitive vertical I mentioned is to the composition.

Miro has invited us to partake in a visual poem!

 

 

 

Van Gogh – (Parallels, Rhythm and Integration)

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Vincent van Gogh - Portrait of Doctor Paul Gachet - 1890 - 66 x 57 cm - 26 x 22.5 in - oil on canvas

Continuing from the last post, I would now like to turn your attention to Van Gogh’s wonderful brushstrokes and how they provide rhythmic movement for your eye, as well as very sensitive integration.  The strokes connect the background and Paul Gashet’s coat with harmonious movement as well as form.  How Van Gogh integrated the blues to read as one shape at first glance is masterful.

Those books are fantastic!  The yellow provides a fantastic pull and the pages are part of a rhythm of parallels which provide an oblique movement.  Subconsciously, or not, your eye will move in the direction of the pages and the lower left arm.  Also note how the plant is parallel to the upper left arm, another movement.

Two more impressive considerations are the vertical leaf projecting from the glass, providing subtle structure for the composition.  And those wonderful yellow strokes just above the line, running towards his ear, pull me briefly and gently from his Gashet’s gaze.  Does your perusal pause there briefly?

These considerations are all the more impressive as Van Gogh worked quickly, he was truly a great painter!

 

 

Edouard Vuillard – (Parallels, Pulls, and Integration)

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Edouard Vuillard - The Newspaper - 1910 - 34 x 55 cm - 13.5 x 22 in - oil on cardboard

This is a superb example of how masters assess their compositions.  Vuillard,as Bonnard, was interested in domestic scenes, and he shows us how any subject is an opportunity to create a sophisticated painting.

He was noted for his wonderful shapes and patterns which are a great way to gain control of the subject matter.  In other words not permitting the complexities of detail dictate to the artist.

In this post, however, I will focus on his thorough assessment of the composition.

I will begin with the curtain at the right and how it blends with the tree.  Note how the curtain does not disrupt the rectangle of the window, which permits a rhythm of rectangles, spanning the top of the painting.

He provided a wonderful movement with parallels.  The curtain tie at the right and it’s parallel projecting from the mullion.  Do you feel the movement towards the figure?

There is a marvelous pull which excited me.  That marvelous juicy red triangle!  I love how sensitively and yet boldly he pulls me from the figure, very impressive.

Vuillard has integrated beautifully.  Lets begin with the dark vertical at the right edge and how it connects to the red stripe on the chair.  A more subtle one is the merging of the curtain and curved back of the chair.  Also the connection of the window mullion with another chair and the very impressive integration of the shutter and the newspaper.  It is very subtle. Do you feel Vulliad’s consideration of bending the bottom right of the shutter to permit the connection?

I must mention the lovely yellow pause at the left and it briefly holds you.

There is more to discover.  Enjoy!

Chagall – (Parallel Rhythm, Integration and Motifs)

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Marc Chagall - The Poet - 1911 - 197 x 146 cm - 78 x 57 in - oil on canvas

To continue let’s go to the bottle and how it is supported by a rhythm of parallels.  From left to right we have the poet’s right leg, his forearms, a line on his chest, the edge of a red triangle, a small gray rectangle, a small red triangle, and the curtain.  There are a couple other subtle ones as well.

Another series of parallels which is very closely related, are his left leg and the small spatial angle beside it.  The rhythm continues with a very subtle plane in the grayish area, then the edge of the red table, which integrates with blue on his forearm.  Please note the horizontal integrating his arm to the table.  Chagall’s compositional assessments are very sophisticated and most impressive.

Note how his inverted the head is integrated with the background.  There is an edge which connects to the chin and then runs to the right into the curtain.  Can you feel how it supports the head?

We could say the composition has a triangle motif supported by ovals, circles and rectangles.  Take the hand holding the glass.  It is a partial oval, and harmonizes with the head and other ovals above.

My last observation.  Note how the cat is in space.  I say this because of the spatial plane, or the background overlapping the cat. Do you feel it?

I could go on.  Chagall is wonderful!

Chagall (Integration with Spatial Planes)

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Marc Chagall - The Poet - 1911 - 196 x 145 cm - 77 x 57 in - oil on canvas

What an impressive painting!

Only Chagall could convey the delightfully frustrating tussle of the creative process and take spatial considerations to a higher level.

There is much to enjoy this painting.  I think I should limit myself to a vertical integration and some wonderfully placed spatial planes.

The vertical integration begins at the top with a short blue line.  Your eye then connects to another line above the shoulder.  You then continue through the figure.  You also can connect the verticals above the shoulder to a vertical at the bottom.  Chagall offers you choices.

Now to the planes, and I will focus on the area near the hand with the glass.  Do you see a small rectangle just to the left of the glass.  Can you feel it being in front?

The other plane is just below his hand, actually it overlaps the hand.  I hope you can sense different levels.  Note also how the cup integrates or connects with the plane.

There is a lot going on in a Chagall painting, and I will continue in the next posting.

Chagall (Integration and Spatial Planes)

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Marc Chagall - The Fiddler - 1911 - 95 x 69 cm - 37 x 27 in - oil on canvas

Chagall not only understood spatial planes, he masterfully shows us the playful side of this wonderful consideration.

Let’s begin with the line that creates the triangle at the top right.  Do you feel the light blue and the red in front of the triangle?  This is wonderful and sophisticated play.

There are also a couple of right angles creating other minor planes.  One is at the chimney and the other is below, pointing at the fiddler’s head.  I hope you can feel the planes they provide.

Now to the edge of the roof at the front of the house and how it is integrated with the above background shape at the top and to the fiddler’s coat.  I love his coat.  Chagall made the coat a rhythmic shape, rather than disrupting the composition with depiction.  Very impressive!

Ask yourself why is the boy’s right leg white?  His left leg is parallel and supporting the angle of the roof and fiddler’s coat.

I’ll finish with that little tree at the left and how it is harmony.  There are more notes and I hope you enjoy discovering them.

Remember this is knowledge and poetry, not formula, and Chagall was a true master of twentieth century painting.

 

 

 

 

 

Influences (Cezanne on Morandi)

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Georgio Morandi - Landscape - 1940 - 48 x 53 cm - 19 x 21 in - oil on canvas

This is a great example of how a notable painter permits himself to absorb the considerations of other artists without loosing his own unique approach.   We can feel the influence of Cezanne but this painting is a Morandi.

The sense of volume and space is wonderful.   He achieves this with shapes and values, as well as colour.  I will focus on shapes and integration.

The painting is held together by a large shape in the central area, which integrates the buildings and the foliage beautifully.  (It may help if you blur your vision slightly.)

The roof line of the building at the left defines the top of the shape.  It’s right edge runs down through the other building, continuing to it’s bottom edge, which parallels the top of the shape.  Remember the shapes are not meant to be obvious.

Morandi also has provided a wonderful spatial plane at the bottom right.  This is created by the vertical trunk of a tree and a dark horizontal line to the right.  Can you see the rectangle?  The rectangle not only provides structure but is also a plane which seems to come forth.

I also would like to point out the two parallel branches on the tree.  They parallel the roof line above.  Superb parallel rhythm and structure!

Morandi understood Cezanne.

 

Picasso (Parallels)

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Pablo Picasso - Self Portrait - 1907 - 54 x 46 cm - 21 x 18 in - oil on canvas

This early painting by Picasso shows his developing interest in primitivism and cubism.

In this posting I will focus on how he conveys movement and space with parallels which Cezanne used so well.

First the black line defining the left of his face and the parallel line adjacent to his right nostril.  Do you sense the space between the lines and how your eye movement is directed?

The other movement is the line on defining his forehead and the parallel line on his right cheek.  Do you feel the space between them?

When you concentrate on the two directional shifts, can you feel the shift in space?   They are powerful when you become aware of them.  He is occupying space!

This is the seed of cubism, which is an unfortunate term for this fantastic way of conveying space.

We also see Picasso’s interest in primitivism, which, I think is a greatly misunderstood consideration.  And this reaching for the prime will have a major impact on twentieth century art.