Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette - Essay Example

Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette Table of Contents Introduction 2. What is Visual Analysis? 3. Dance at le Moulin de la Galette 4. Renoir – TheHead behind the Masterpiece 5. The History of Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette 6. Moulin de la Galette – a Source of Inspiration for Painters 7. Who is Present in the Painting? 8. The Elements of Visual Analysis 9. Hidden Objects in Dance at le Moulin de la Galette 10. Initial Reception 11. Will Reproduction Affect the Original? 12. Specialty of the Painting 13. Conclusion Introduction "To be desired is perhaps the closest anybody in this life can reach to feeling immortal" - said John Berger (2003). Bal Du Moulin de la Galette or the Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette is one of Renoir’s most desired paintings. Sold for over $78 million in 1990, this painting changed hands and now lies with an undisclosed Swiss collector with the title of being the sixth most expansive painting sold ever. The undying desire for this masterpiece among various curious collectors has definitely made Bal Du Moulin de la Galette as an immortal piece of art. Again, those who ever got a glimpse of Don Thompsons (2009) "The $12 Million Stuffed Shark: The Curious Economics of Contemporary Art" would never agree upon a painting’s worth based on its price. The author strongly argues the value of the paintings, sold in millions is created by auction houses and dealers rather than the critics and curios. Is Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette a brand painting which has acquired created value by the dealers or is it truly a masterpiece on canvas? To know this we should explore and analyze every minute visual aspect of the painting through our brain and heart. This essay aims conducting a thorough analysis on the visual structure and the meaning Dance at Le Moulin de La Galette tries to communicate. What is Visual Analysis? Richard Howells (2012) suggests examining a painting contains five key features. We have to analyze what kind of painting it is, what does it show, the location of the painting, the time or era it was drawn, what is shown and what is left out in it for us to make out. In technical terms we have to concentrate on the usage of key elements like the usage of line, brush strokes, light usage, the forms present in the painting, the color and texture to conduct a good analysis. Any person can do this analysis devoid of their art or historical background. But, determining a painting’s true value requires viewing it through the heart and mixing a bit of philosophy with the technicality to note the ‘absence’. We can interpret it in simple terms as reading between the lines or rather as reading between the brushstrokes (Kenny n.d.). Each painting has something absent, which we do not realize until we view the painting. Then we start to reflect about the absence and its loss (Berger 2009). Again as Howells (2009) mentioned, just reading the content of the painting alone is not important. Understanding its form and the interpreting the inner meaning identifying the absence is the key point of good visual analysis. Dance at le Moulin de la Galette Drawn by Renoir at 1876 in Paris, this painting has achieved its iconic status owing to its masterful brushstrokes (a major reason for critical controversy), the cheerful eeriness it portrays and the minute details captured in the image. Bal du moulin de la Galette is 175 cm long and 131 cm in height. Drawn as an oil painting in canvas, this painting reflects impressionism style which does not use strong outlines (Artble 2014). The main aspect of understanding the impressionist painting is capturing its absence. Sometimes closely linked to the subject matter and sometimes highly complicated to understand, each impressionist painting has its own authenticity (Panofsky 1972). Form is used deliberately in several different instances to convey time starting from the rustling leaves to cloudy sky. Impressionist painting can be rightly viewed as the best representation of the Parisian lifestyle depicted through a combination of modern and classic art form. One famous author argues the magic of hollywood can be largely attributed to the visual pleasure it creates (Mulvey 1975). True to the fact, the pleasure of seeing the painting makes the cheerfulness in the painting pass on to us quite effortlessly. Renoir – The Head behind the Masterpiece Renoir was held as the most famous impressionist painter of his era. Renoir and Claude Monet worked side by side on many paintings representing the same theme. They used the color reflected by the objects surrounding their main subjects to represent shadow instead of using traditional black and brown (Clark 1984). Renoir followed all the rules and regulations of Impressionist art in the Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette. "The rhythm of wide, generous brushstrokes varies from long and intense strokes to soft and curvy" describes Kuvatova (2013). Though widely known as the Impressionist artist he had created hundreds of paintings representing classicism as well in his lifetime. The History of Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette “I made from memory a sketch of the Moulin da la Galette.... I rented a house in Montmartre, surrounded by a large garden [so I could paint with] my nose right in it.” These are the worlds of Renoir about this painting. The painting was first displayed at the Impressionist exhibition on 1877 by Renoir himself. The paintings visual brushstrokes add to its value and make it a focal point of several controversies, as contemporary critics consider it as a blurred image of an actual scene rather than a realistic image. Moulin de la Galette – a Source of Inspiration for Painters Moulin de la Galette was the name of one of the last windmills in Montmartre. The Debray family who owned it named honored the dance hall they opened with the same name. Moulin de la Galette soon became a crowded tavern famous for its Sunday dances. The open-air dancehall and the tasty pancakes were the highlight of the tavern. Renoir was a regular visitor to the place and his artistic eyes soon planned to capture the joy and commotion prevalent in the working class Parisian life style. The painter made extensive preparations for his painting. He rented a building, in walk able distance from the tavern. He worked on the painting for nearly six months, trying deliberately to capture every single detail in the scene. Inspired by Renoir, many other post-impressionist painters like Toulouse-Lautrec and Van Goh also created similar paintings on the Moulin de la Galette tavern. The most famous paintings among them are Pablo Picassos Moulin de la Galette drawn in 1900 and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrecs, Moulin de la Galette drawn in 1889. Who is Present in the Painting? Renoir mostly used his friends as models to depict the clientele frequenting the Moulin. The people present in the work are Frank Lamy, Norbert Goeneutte and Georges Riviera sitting in the table shown in the forefront. We also have two women in the table. These were the girls who modeled for the painter. The young woman in white dress was named Estelle. She was the sister of Jeanne, a girl depicted in another of Renoirs famous painting. Three others Gervex, Cordey, Lhote all fellow painters of Renoir are also present in the painting. The foreground also has a dancing couple with the lady looking straight at the audience on the left. The prominent dancing couple is Margot, a model and Cardenas, a Cuban painter. The background has several different couple and people dancing and making merry. The fluttering trees depict a breezy background trying its best to depict a Sunday evening. The Elements of Visual Analysis The elements of the art help a student understand the basic ways in which a painting should be produced. Brooke (1977) helped students understand the syntax of the pictures structure through his work "A Viewers Guide to Looking at Photographs." The design elements are worth criticizing and learning by the future generation. The same is applicable to the painting field too. The key elements of the visual analysis helps the students learn the basic syntax of the impressionism paintings and elaborate further on the technical element usage. 1. Line: The most basic element of any painting analysis the line. This element can be used to create accurate geometric shapes as well as astoundingly complex shapes which draws you eyes to a particular area (ArtsEdge, 1996). The seamless flow of lines is what takes your sight from one area in the painting to another. In Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette, lines are used expertly to create the images of the people in the centre table and the prominent couple dancing behind them. Once you look at the painting, the first place you eye goes is to the standing elder lady and the seated younger one. Naturally, the next main attraction is that of the dancing couple behind them. Renoir has used vertical, horizontal and curved shapes cleverly to create foliage in these two portraits making them distinct in the foreground. 2. Value: Value here refers to contrast. All the tones between black and white used to add shades to the painting are known as values. Hence, both black and white paintings as well as the colored ones use Values. Varying changes between these values creates the contrast. Renoir uses several contrasts in his painting. He uses hues of green instead of other colors to create the contrast. The patches on the man’s coat sitting in the centre table, the shredded lighting flowing from the tree and the dance floor with blue hue are the main shade variations used in the painting. They have several mysterious figures hidden inside them which we will explore in the later sections. Susan Sontag (1990) mentions our human brain is overflowing with anthology of images. She refers to the Plutos cave example to prove the point we are often carried away by narrow beliefs rather than digging in deep to understand the vivid reality. Similarly we have to dig deep in to the painting sometimes to know its true meaning, represented best in the form of an image. 3. Forms: Considered as an important element in determining the style of the painting, forms can simply be referred as the representation or absence of three-dimensional shapes. Renaissance age bought about a major cult where every painter and sculpture worked on crating depth even for simple objects they created like the cylinders, boxes, balls. As classicism dwindled, stress on creating depth for each and every part of the portrait also decreased. Renoir distinguished the foreground and the background only through color differentiation rather than increasing the depth for each portrait. However, the visible brushstrokes and the portraits soaked in sun and shadow do add the required depth to distinguish the key areas in all the required places. Though not entirely 3-dimensional, the painting aptly justifies the blend of forms in the impressionist style. 4. Lighting: Renoir uses pink, blue and yellow to represent the light that reflects on the clothes the people wear. Their face is also overshadowed by those colors if their portrait is placed in a place the light will illuminate. Impressionistic sketches of the Dance at le Moulin de la Galette depicts clear differences between the natural and artificial light through his brushstrokes. This painting contains in it several portraits, still life capturing as well as landscape painting everything represented through different lighting. Sunlight is shown contrasting with the dark clothing while the lighter shades of dresses are illuminated by the artificial light. Natural skin is shadowed by both the sun and the shadow represented as spots and strokes. Hidden objects in Dance at le Moulin de la Galette Dance at le Moulin de la Galette hold within it several distinct features. There are lots left untold in the painting than the ones we are capable of actually seeing. Roland Barthes (1975) stated narratives are actually present in all forms of art starting from legends and fables to epics and comedies. The present world we live in give immense importance to narratives and spreads it much faster than any other age with the aid of new age technologies (Inglis & Aers, 2008). This painting contains a distinct form of narrative without words in its hidden objects. From the faces of the people to the self-portrait of Renoir himself amongst the crowd, the painting gives different meanings each time we see explore it. This masterpiece also gives us a glimpse of various new objects in the space surrounding the portrait if we alter the lighting slightly. The artist had actually superimposed several objects one upon the other to create layers of hidden objects in the painting. Iconography was used widely in the medieval ages close to the period of time this painting was done (Male, 1984). Renoir also uses various icons to represent the good and the bad like the party cap and the python in his hidden images. (Philips, 2010) Ever played with a 3D image with several superimposed lines? The picture will have two images. One image can be viewed if we look straight. Another image will be visible if we tilt the image slightly to an angle. Such images are now found abundant from kinder garden pencil sharpeners to wall hangings these days. Renoir actually tried to correlate the same technique just with his brush and canvas before centuries. The top right part of the Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette has the image of two men merging to form the third one. The face of both the men cannot be viewed properly. But, viewed from a certain distance, we could see the figure of both the men merging to form one new face which stares at the figures shown in the foreground. This image can be viewed in the normal light. (Philips, 2010) If we view the same painting in a dark light, we could see a small duck like animal on the table instead of the drinking glasses. Similarly we can also see a handsome mans face peering on the people sitting in the center table if we view the painting in dark light from a distance. We could also see the dance floor transforming into a puffy sky filled with clouds giving an appearance of the dancers enjoying in heaven. The viewers can also notice a face similar to Renoirs self portrait emerge from the dance floor. (Philips, 2010) (Philips, 2010) (Philips, 2010) (Philips, 2010) Seen darkening the light further, we could absorb a python trying to swallow a dancing man and the face of the grim reaper. Observed from a much farther distance we can see the face of the devil looking upon the people making merry in the center table. Similarly, while viewing the same painting in a slightly darker light from the same distance we can see the face of a cheerful man with a party hat occupying most part of the painting. He actually tries to embrace the people seated around the table with a smile of approval on his face. This face is considered as the Gods face by most critics. Viewed from a certain distance a person could see the devils face and the Gods face in the same painting when the lighting varies. Similarly, various images emerge when we view them from different angles. The concept of space and shape are used in a very clever way to indicate the merriment as both wrong and right. While the merry man approves vanity as celebration of life, the devil is ever ready to pounce upon the merrymakers with the python and the reaper. Renoir just stresses life is an incident to be enjoyed utmost while the dangers of the vanity awaits close by. It is up to the people to maintain a balance without the falling prey to too much vanity whilst they enjoy the necessary refreshments. The painting depicts mostly working class people gathering together to spend their Sunday afternoon together. It is an indication and warning to them to stay balanced without getting over drunk or indebted to certain harmful habits. The hands of the God Face are left unclear particularly to indicate it won’t be there to protect you if you fall prey to too many distractions. Similarly the devil face is created using the faces of several unknown people who might dig the grave hole for any person through gossiping and the unintentional activities. They cannot be blamed for their actions and the person enjoying the vanity will be the sole sufferer. Dance at the Moulin de la Galette earned its fame through many such hidden technicalities explored by critics over the years. The painting is itself an embodiment of life’s joys and the danger following close by. What will be thought in huge corporate seminars about tackling competition and the being aware of the unintentional damage your activities might cause to your image is depicted without words masterfully in this art piece. The relationship between the visual culture, its link to the reality and the wide moral it tries to represent, pertaining to a particular culture, everything can be understood by interpreting the meaning of the hidden objects. What looked more like a happy dance party in a tavern suddenly turns into an artistic form of excellence conveying the practical reality of life. 5. Space and Shapes: These hidden objects are incorporated cleverly in all available space surrounding each portrait. The shapes of the figures inserted in the middle are cleverly altered to form various symbols. For example the grim reaper turning into the devils nose and various contorted lines joined together to form the party cap of the merry man. Renoir has invested considerable work in the painting making it a masterpiece by every means filling each inch of the space in the canvas with various shapes all interlinked together. Hence, Dance at the Moulin de la Galette is rightly claimed as one of the best impressionist paintings drawn ever. Impressionist painters are often celebrated as the forefathers of photography and film. Renoir, being one of the best among the impressionist painters, interlinked movements masterfully with his brush strokes. The audiences get to feel the breezy climate and the sweeping movements of the dress quite nonchalantly. The modern day film makers who teach about reading the film and photography techniques often refer to this painting first as the forerunner of using such hidden techniques. 6. Color Usage: Renoir boldly blends light colors with other subtle hues like sky blue. He boldly refuses to use black much and there is complete absence of outlines in the painting. This style was typically used in all the Impressionist paintings drawn during the Renoir era. Patches of soft color mingling with vibrant portrait figures create an impression of speckled light. The lighting is made to pass through the rustling trees to make the outdoor experience of an afternoon come true. The portraits are often dressed in bold shades like blue, red and green, while the light color patches of soft pink and purple, illuminate their attire much more. Reception of the Painting 7. Texture: Dance at le Moulin de la Galette continues to be the epicenter of several controversies till date. Georges Riviere, a well known writer described the painting as, "page of history, a precious and strictly accurate portrayal of Parisian life." Many critics were severely against his views as they considered the flickering lighting and the bold brush strokes quite far away from the natural reflection of the scene. Besides, the fact that it was drawn in a studio rather than being drawn observing a real group made the comment on the details of the Parisian life style the painting depicted. Till date, the painting remains an object surrounded by high debate owing to its one distinct quality, the visible fluid brush strokes which give a unique rough texture to the painting. They also argue this studio created piece does not depict the exact age it was drawn perfectly like the other realistic images. While everyone praises Renoirs signature joie de vivre in the painting, notable critic Januszczak created a controversy questioning the expressions of the female figures in the painting. He noted no women figure was actually depicted completely happy. Their frowning lips and gloomy eyes either indicated they were tired or disliked dancing with particular men. This controversy arose few other Renoir’s paintings too. Will Reproduction Affect the Original? This question rose by John Berger before ages is still inhibiting the minds of several people to date. Noted historian Francis Haskell (1993) was the first one to note the importance of paintings in connection with the history. However, he kept away from the distinct methodologies used to draw a painting. One are more sources like film and photography are available to access a historical notion these days. But, still paintings have a deliberate connection with history and more specifically details. Even in the age of macro photography, paintings are still sold for millions though reproductions are available lot cheaper (Bergstein 1995). Such masterpieces are created with the soul of the artist rather than the paint and colors are easily reproduced in the contemporary world with little effort. Will the new paintings produced by the digital era, perfect in the minutest details carry the same emotions and feelings of the original? Will they be suitable for such an elaborate visual analysis? Walter Benjamin (1999) provides the answer for this unceremonious question. Analyzing the shift of perception about the mainstream media encompassing film and photography, the author argues, the reproduced work will lack a distinct aura present in the original one, no matter how painstakingly it is manufactured (Benjamin 1992). Specialty of the Painting True to Benjamin’s words the aura surrounding the original painting cannot be surmounted my any amount of replica. Digital reproductions only kindle our eagerness to visit the original painting and stand in its magnificent presence at least once in our life. The specialty of Dance at le Moulin de la Galette too lies in its indomitable spirit cherished by one of the greatest artists of our time. The artist created this painting with the sole aim of entertaining people and making them happy. He wanted to capture the happiest moments of his friends and his surroundings with his brush and he was not ready to spare anything until he achieved perfect satisfaction in doing so. The painting instills in us the same feeling of eternal joy no matter it is a great artist exploring the technical aspects or a simple spectator enjoying the smile and the dance filled in the canvas. Dance at le Moulin de la Galette is a truly immortal piece whose value was created through hard work and sincerity, through auction houses and dealers determining the price of the paintings. We cannot decipher one dull corner in the Dance at le Moulin de la Galette painting. The 19th century Parisian dance hall literally comes to life before us with music, tinkling glasses and laughter when we see this painting. The typical impressionist style of blurring the sunlight and shade into figures present in the scene through broad brushstrokes creating a special floating effect is visible in precisely in this painting. (Kleiner 2012). The typical difference between Impressionism and classicism lies in capturing the simple, momentary, joyous aspects of the real day life and Dance at le Moulin de la Galette does it picture perfectly. Conclusion Roger Fry (1969) states we often categorize arts into two distinct forms one group representing the day to day details in a vivid way and the other group totally dejecting it. This painting Dance at le Moulin de la Galette falls in the first category though it seems like it belongs to the latter category depicting only a high class Parisian life style. In reality, the people shown here are all working class Paris residents, tired and worn off. They enjoy and come to the dance floor, not as a hobby but as a necessity to relieve their everyday stress. Their apparel, belongings and the surrounding area itself represents a stark middle class rather than the posh high society ball rooms. But, there is no dearth of merriment here which is the life line of this painting. This cheerfulness and celebration of life made this painting survive the tension of times and remain a proud artistic piece till date. References 1. ArtsEdge (1996) Formal Visual Analysis: The Elements & Principles of Composition [online] avaialble from [1996] 2. Artble (2014) Dance at le Moulin de la Galette [online] available from [2014] 3. Barthes, R., and Duisit, L 1975, An Introduction to the Structural Analysis of Narrative Authors, Vol. 6, No. 2. New Literary History, 237 4. Berger, J. (2008) Ways of seeing. UK: Penguin. 5. Berger, J. (2003) Diaspora City: The London New Writing Anthology. UK: Arcadia Books, 117 6. Benjamin, W. (1999) ‘The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction’. Illuminations. London: Pimlico Press, 73 7. Benjamin, W. (1992) Illuminations, Hannah Arendt (ed.). London: Fontata, 112 8. Bergstein, M. (1995) ‘‘We May Imagine It: Living with Photographic Reproduction at the End of our Century’’. Art History Through the Cameras Lens. Amsterdam: Gordon and Breach, 157 9. Clark, TJ. (1984) The Painting of Modern Life: Paris in the Art of Manet and his Followers. New York: Thames and Hudson, 213 10. Haskell, F. (1993) History and its Images: Art and the Interpretation of the Past. New Haven: Yale University Press, 4 11. Fry, R 1969, The Double Nature of Painting, Chicago University Press, 380 12. Howells, R & Negreiros, J (2012) Visual Culture. 2nd edition. Cambridge: Polity Press, 2 - 6 13. Howells, R & Matson, R (ed.) (2009) Using Visual Evidence. New York: Open University Press and McGraw-Hill Education, 2 - 3 14. Inglis, F. & Aers, L. (2008) Key Concepts in Education. Washington DC: SAGE Publications, 6 - 8 15. Kenny, N n.d., Reading between the brushstrokes: Art as a primary source in history, University of Maine, 5 – 6 16. Kleiner, F. (2012) Gardeners Art through the Ages: Backpack Edition, Cengage Press, Stamford, 806 17. Kuvatova, V. (2013) Impessionism: The history, The artists, The masterpieces, 23 18. Mulvey, L. (1975) Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema, Screen 16.3 Autumn, 6 - 18 19. Mâle, E. (1984) Religious Art in France: The XIIIth Century --A Study of Medieval Iconography and its Sources Princeton: Princeton University Press. 20. Panofsky, E. (1972) Studies in Iconology. New York: Westview Press. 21. Philips T. D (2011) The Hidden Renoir. Donald T Phillips, 33 - 37 22. Sontag, S. (1990) On Photography. Anchor Books. 23. Thompson, D. (2009) The $12 Million Stuffed Shark: The Curious Economics of Contemporary Art. Palgrave: Macmillan. Read More