"Wheat Field with Cypresses" by Van Gogh
"Storm Cloud, Lake George" by Georgia O'Keefe
"Kaaterskill Falls" by Thomas Cole
"A Stream Beneath Poplars" by Lilla Cabot Perry
"Singing Beach" by Martin Johnson Heade
"'Blueboat" by Winslow Homer
"Road in Maine" by Edward Hopper
"Kindred Spirits" by Asher B. Durand
"A Field of Poppies" by Monet
"View of Auvers-sur-oise" by Cezanne
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"Forest of Paimpoint" by Rene Magritte
"Untitled (Desert Landscape)" by Salvador Dali
These are all very beautiful landscapes but the Impressionist landscapes are my favorite. I like how Perry captures the light and reflection in the stream in "A stream beneath Poplars." In "road in Maine" by Hopper you can totally see the influence Impressionism had on his art, the brushstrokes and the light and shadows on the mountain; I really like that piece. The color in Heade's "Singing Beach" is something that caught my attention, I passed it up the first time I was going through this but when I enlarged it wow the precision in how he captured the sea foam on the shore and the reflection of the red sunset on the water is so great!
ReplyDelete'The paintings that caught my attention were "Wheat Field with Cypresses" by Van Gogh, "Kaaterskill Falls" by Thomas Cole, "Singing Beach" by Martin Johnson Heade, and "Forest of Paimpoint" by Rene Margritte.
ReplyDeleteI love the energy and movement that Van Gogh's painting has. The waves and swirls in the sky is one of my favorite parts of the piece but I especially love it when it's contrasted against the prickly cypress tree. It definitely has a dream-like feel to it.
I found Kaaterskill Falls impressive due to how detailed it was.The details definitely popped out to me when placed beside Geogia O'Keefe's simplistic, yet organic landscape. In general, Cole's paintings make me wonder how he was able to paint these American landscapes so vividly without the aid of photography.
The red-orange color in the sky of Heade's "Singing Beach" is absolutely stunning and caught my attention immediately. I love how the vividness of the sky and the deep, dark shadows of the wave gives the painting tension despite the overall calmness of it. The life-like rendering of the ocean is spectacular as well.
Last but not least, I enjoyed Margritte's painting because it evokes feelings of peace and calm. I almost feel like I can jump into the painting and breathe in the fresh morning air. I think this is due to how crisp and distinct the colors and shapes are in the painting. I'm also fond of how the trees make me think of the Disney movie Sleeping Beauty. So in addition to the relaxing nature of the piece, I feel nostalgic when I look at it.
Van Gogh's "Wheat Field with Cypress" and Heade's "Singing Beach" are my two favorites because both not only have vivid color to them, but they both give me this anticipation of seeing them come to life and move right before my eyes. Van Gogh is famous for his feathery brushstrokes, and the movement sensed in his painting is fantastic.
ReplyDeleteHeade's looks almost like a photograph. The way that small wave was painted collapsing in on itself really portrays that this could be a real place and a real sunset. Also the neutrals are set off with a bright vermilion color on the horizon line which really draws your attention. Then you spend more time looking about the painting.
Enough has been said about "Kaaterskill Falls," "Road in Maine," and "Singing Beach," so I'll mention that another painting I like from these choices is Rene Magritte's "Forest of Paimpoint." The simple shapes of the sun and the trees compared to the complexities of the figure of the horse and rider add a lot of surrealism to the image. The color and shape of what I assume to be a cliff side makes it look more like a curtain of a stage, drawing the night to a close. I find the lack of shadows interesting as well, which adds to the strangeness of the scene.
ReplyDeleteThere is something about Cezanne's "View of Auvers-sur-oise" that is so calming. I feel like you can picture yourself sitting on a little bench overlooking that little town. Even though I have never been to this place or know where it is, there is this nostalgia and familiarity about it that almost makes it romantic. I think the blues, greens, and subtle touches of red definitely add to this as well.
ReplyDeleteI am drawn to several pieces that are displayed here. The one I will comment on is "View of Auvers-sur-oise" by Cezanne. whether it is because of the charm and nostalgia or the way it is rendered. I think the application of paint and brush strokes used to depict this rendering of a quaint countryside setting has captured the true essence of the environment. The colors lend to the mood and setting, a well done painting! OF COURSE!
ReplyDeleteTRYING TO POST A PIC>>>NOT SURE HOW...SO>>>>> I shall comment on some more !
ReplyDeleteOf these, Dali's Desert is my my favorite in style and subject. It's obviously not a realist image, as the foreground objects don't exist in nature. Despite that, because of the color and shape choice, it's immediately obvious that what we're seeing is a windswept desert. I especially like his color decisions, as he avoided he classic "yellow desert, blue sky" and used a complex scheme that gave us what we immediately recognize as a desert at night.
ReplyDelete"Kindred Spirits" by Asher B. Durand and "Singing Beach" by Martin Johnson Heade are what I am drawn to. "Singing Beach" because of the colors. Having the washed out colors of the entire piece and then the brilliant red being shown is visually appealing to me. I think if there was more width I would find it perfect. "Kindred Spirits" reminds me of another painting I adore which is "The Wanderer" by Caspar David Friedrich. What I like about "Kindred Spirits" is the composition and the hazy background gives it a nice tone. This may be the picture quality but the foreground is to close to the same tone across the picture that I lose the figures amongst the trees even though there standing apart from the trees.
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