Analysis of Art Work from Virtual Museum - Research Paper Example

Analysis of Art Work from Virtual Museum In this paper it is necessary to make a formal analysis and interpretation of one work of art from a local museum. The work of art of my choice is Self-Portrait with Wife Ernestine in a Balloon Gondola made by Nadar in 1865 and the virtual museum of my choice is Washington’s National Gallery of Art that is located at the website www.nga.gov. First of all, beginning an analysis of Nadar’s photography that is called Self-Portrait with Wife Ernestine in a Balloon Gondola, it is necessary to mention that human lives are so intricate that the existence of some people seems nothing more than a legend and only some photography can prove truthfulness of one or other event and existence of any person.

Thus, the choice of Nadar’s photography, as the work of art for analysis, is an actual answer to contemporary rapid changes, because a static image made by a real professional can tell us much more than the whole film produced by an ungifted person. Thinking about historical context of Nadar’s Self-Portrait with Wife Ernestine in a Balloon Gondola creation, it is necessary to mention that Nadar (who is also generally known as Gaspard-Felix Tournachon) was a French photographer, who found himself not only in true love to photographic art, but also in a fantastic talent to reflect not only people’s outer image, but to show some hidden places of their souls.

Discussing Nadar’s way to the fame we should mention that exactly a gallery of portraits of great people has brought glory to Nadar. Moreover, the gallery of famous people portraits concedes its place only to the variety of characters presented in Honore de Balzac’s La Comedie humaine (The Human Comedy) by the number of types represented in it. So, it will be strange not to found author’s self-portrait in a big variety of images. Describing Nadar’s Self-Portrait with Wife Ernestine in a Balloon Gondola we should mention that its real size is rather little, and if to be exact in numbers, it is 8.6 x 7.7 cm (3 3/8 x 3 1/16 in.). On the photo, both Nadar and his wife look like two people who are deeply involved in their own thoughts and exactly this aspect reflects moods of those times, when people have many problems and should solve them in their own way.

The self-portrait shows us Nadar’s dreams about air journeys and it is possible to say that the photo of our analysis is not only a brilliant historical shot, but it also gives its viewers an opportunity to understand Nadar’s big aspiration for freedom and absence of frames of life. Interpreting his self-portrait we should mention that only Nadar’s and his wife’s images are limited by photo frames, while their minds and souls are flying somewhere in the sky. Thus, the balloon gondola plays its specific role on this photo, making the photo limitless and innovative.

Observing National Gallery of Art, where Nadar’s self-portrait was found, it is necessary to say that this virtual museum is really a wonderful place, because it allows people, who like and understand arts, to find many works of art and look at them in their own eyes, not living their working place using the internet means. National Gallery of Art helps people not only to observe different images of the past, but its one more plus is that the most innovative works of contemporary art are also exhibited on its pages.

Thus, taking everything into consideration it is possible to conclude that we have analyzed and interpreted Nadar’s Self-Portrait with Wife Ernestine in a Balloon Gondola not only from the position of work of art, but also from its inner creative meaning, proving that it has its own message to viewers which allows to understand historical context of those times in combination with people’s dreams and wishes. Work cited: Nadar, P. Self-Portrait with Wife Ernestine in a Balloon Gondola, 1865.

Available at http://www.nga.gov/fcgi-bin/tinfo_f?object=110211