The Art of Perspective

Perspective is one of my favorite art elements of Space. Using perspective can create the illusion of depth in a painting. It's important in creating the focal point of a painting, not only to create interest, but to emphasize the importance of an object, figure, or shape in your composition. To make your two-dimensional painting look three-dimensional, you may choose to vary size, position objects relative to each other, and use overlapping.

My personal favorite for teaching this topic is The Gleaners by Jean-François Millet. See More Seniors' Art -- Acrylic Landscapes for the six ways to create depth in a two-dimensional painting.

Café Terrace at Night (1888), Van Gogh

Perhaps one of the best examples of the use of perspective may be found in Van Gogh's Café Terrace at Night (1888). While somewhat cartoon-like, I appreciate his use of color and repetition of shapes. I hadn't noticed the color and relative size of the figures walking up the street outside the café, as I was focused more on the silhouetted patrons against the elliptical white tabletops. The oval shapes are echoed in the starry night sky, and the cobblestone street has more of a pointillist vibe. I'd have to see this in-person.

Bedroom in Arles (1888), Van Gogh

Also painted in 1888 is Van Gogh's Bedroom in Arles. Much more shortened in its perspective, the floorboards and the placement and size of the chair against the back wall create the depth. A second version added a checkerboard texture to the floor. Van Gogh was very selective about the colors of the objects and wanted to create a restful and dreamlike setting. I love the simplicity and absence of light and shadow.

The Last Supper (c. 1495–1498),
Leonardo da Vinci

Other versions of single-point perspective include Leonardo da Vinci's and Raphael's versions of The Last Supper. All lines converge just to the right of Christ's head, focusing on the central figure of the feast. The overlapping figures subtly emphasize depth in the foreground. The horizon lines up with Christ's head, with orthogonal lines radiating outward, and the long horizontal table grounding the scene.

The Dance Class
(1874), Degas

Edgar Degas used perspective in his painting of ballet dancers. In The Dance Class, Degas uses size and placement of his dancers to achieve depth in his painting. Like Van Gogh's bedroom, the floorboards recede from view and vanish in the distance. There's even a window far off in the distance through the ornate doorway. The cluster of dancers represents the ~horizontal line. The orthogonal line from the dancer with the red and blue bows to the teacher draws our eyes toward the light blue tutu at the end of the horizontal line. The red bow holds our attention left of center.

Rue de la Bavolle, Honfleur
(1864), Monet

Using mostly orthogonal lines, Claude Monet captured this street scene in the old port town of Honfleur. Due to the shadowing, Monet has divided his painting in half. He once again uses the contrasting colors characteristic of the Impressionists. He seems to have been experimenting with light and dark values as well. The figures in red and blue hold your interest and draw your eyes toward the center.

The Gold Weigher (1675),
Cornelius de Man

This final painting uses two-point perspective and is reminiscent of Dutch painter, Johannes Vermeer. It is painted by another Dutch painter, Cornelius de Man (1621-1706). Here, there are two vanishing points, one on the left and one on the right. Initially, I thought this painting was done by Vermeer, but even with the checkered floor, there is no bright blue and yellow that would be characteristic of his work. Well, maybe the soft blue of the woman's shoulder and the golden highlights of the table!

10 Artists With April Birthdays

Self-Portrait (c.1505), Raphael

1. Raphael

The Italian artist Raphael, full name: Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, was born on 6 April 1483 and died on his 37th birthday. His portrait hangs in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy where I visited in May 2011. In this post, I will attempt to show self-portraits of each artist.

Self-Portrait in Studio (1985), Vasarely

2. Victor Vasarely

Some say that Victor Vasarely was the Father of Op Art. He was born on 9 April 1908. He is featured in my April 2020 post about Op and Pop Art. This portrait was painted ~12 years prior to his death. The colors and shapes are reminiscent of those used in many of his geometric paintings. I like how he repeats the shapes and stripes and uses analogous colors of purple and blue for emphasizing his own figure in contrast with the background.

3. Gustav Vigeland

Self-Portrait (1922),
Gustav Vigeland

My next artist is Norwegian sculptor, Gustav Vigeland, who was born on 11 April 1869. His work is featured in my June 2019 post about our visit to Oslo, Norway during our cruise to seven Baltic countries. Although I'd been to Oslo twice before on business, I hadn't taken the time to visit Vigeland Sculpture Park, located in Frogner Park. Don't miss his 212 sculptures made from bronze or granite!

I've never posted a sculptural self-portrait of an artist. He reminds me a bit of the Star Wars character (played by Ian McDiarmid), Naboo Senator (Lord) Palpatine, who led a double life as the phantom menace, Darth Sidious.

Portrait of a Man in Red Chalk
(1512), Leonardo da Vinci

4. Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci was born on 15 April 1452 and, unlike his colleague Raphael, he lived to be 67. As I discussed in my recent Easter Egg post, it was common for artists in the 15th century to use (black, white, or red) chalk in their drawings. I wonder if the drawing was as speckled as it appears, or whether time has taken its toll on the surface. And he looks way older than 60.

Self-portrait With Rita
(c. 1924), Benton

5. Thomas Hart Benton

Thomas Hart Benton, born on 15 April 1889, started the Regionalist art movement along with his colleagues Grant Wood (of American Gothic fame) and John Steuart Curry. Benton and his wife Rita spent their summers in Chilmark, on the Massachusetts island of Martha’s Vineyard, for over 50 years.

Joan Miró Self-Portrait (1917)

              6. Joan Miró

Spanish abstract expressionist and surrealist Joan Miró, born on 20 April 1893, is the inspiration for one of my favorite art lessons about composition. In his compositions, he typically uses primary colors and black. Many artists, including Edgar Degas, liked to use black outlines in their works. I also own books of both artists' works.

Self-Portrait (1799),
J.M.W. Turner

7. J. M. W. Turner

Born on 23 April 1775, English Romantic painter, printmaker, and watercolorist J. M. W. Turner was a master of painting atmospheric effects. In museums, it is common to see mostly landscapes by this artist. It is also common for artists to paint their own portraits early on or until they can afford to hire models or get commissioned work. Rembrandt was too poor an artist and painted >75 self-portraits in his lifetime.

    

Self-Portrait (1947),
Willem de Kooning

8. Willem de Kooning

Willem de Kooning was a Dutch-American abstract expressionist, born on 24 April 1914. He was also the husband of expressionist Elaine de Kooning, whose work was part of the Women of Abstract Expressionism exhibit that I was fortunate to see on one of my trips to Palm Springs.

Young Girl by Bridget Riley

9. Bridget Riley

Born on 24 April 1931, English painter Bridget Riley was known for her op-art paintings. In 2011, the National Portrait Gallery of London had an exhibit of her early portrait drawings, called From Life, but alas no self-portraits.

Self-Portrait in a Green Vest
(1837), Delacroix

10. Eugène Delacroix

French Romantic artist Eugène Delacroix was born 26 April 1798 and is famous for painting the magnificent and large (8′ 6″ x 10′ 8″) Liberty Leading the People, which may be seen at the Louvre Museum in Paris.