A Masterpiece of Lines ofOil Painting - Essay Example

Perhaps staring out from his asylum window, Van Gogh saw the world as both beautiful and lonely (p.61). Also, the tall, bold, and white church in the middle gives a sense of balance and stability to the painting amongst the uncontrolled swirls, highlighting Van Gogh’s feelings about religion in the world.

Sol LeWitt’s Wall Drawing No. 681 is also a masterpiece of lines but in a more controlled and logical way (p.64). The four perfect squares with precise lines in four different directions marked by dark boundaries illustrate a regular, mathematical sequence. Lewitt’s use of soothing, colorful lines emanates feelings of peace and unity. Also, the perfection and uniformity of the lines are practically instructing the viewers on how to replicate such exquisiteness themselves (p.65). Lewitt uses the most basic of lines, showing how the world abounds with beauty in the simplest of lines and strokes.

Las Meninas by Diego Velázquez depicts a large room in King Philip’s palace with the little princess standing gracefully in the middle (p.155). She is surrounded by maids, chaperones, a dwarf, and even Velázquez himself; all positioned in such a way around her allowing the viewer to take in the spaciousness of the room. Some figures are interacting with themselves while others gaze out of the painting creating a sense of movement projected beyond the boundaries of the canvas. The towering easel on the left, the dark ceiling above, and the shadowed paintings behind the princess aptly reveal the length and height of the room. Also, the light shining on the figures shows how they are standing in the front, away from the dark and distant background, giving an effect of not only the vastness of space but also creating a sense of balance and uniformity. The lightness of the floor and part of the right wall in addition to the shadowy ceiling and back wall allow the eyes to travel all around the room effectively taking in the organizational space. Also, the depth of the room just doesn’t end at the rear wall, for the open doorway to the right, leads the vanishing point further back, extending the visualized space a viewer initially took in. The paintings hanging behind and to the right of the figures give a grid-like pattern to this masterpiece, reinforcing the overall spatial harmony and balance. Also, the effect of vast space is further exaggerated by Velázquez by showing a mirror in the middle of the rear wall, reflecting the King and Queen who are not even present in the room. This adds to the overall spaciousness of the painting creating a sense of space not limited to the boundaries of the canvas.

Edward Hopper’s oil painting, Nighthawks, shows a few people sitting around in a brightly lit diner at night (p.510). The darkened windows and street outside let the viewers know that it is late at night creating a sense of isolation and loneliness. The only light falling on the otherwise dull, red brick building across the street is from the practically empty diner called Phillies.  The dark black exterior of the diner stands in stark contrast to the bright cherry red, yellow and green colors inside. This counterbalance of colors creates a somber and depressing mood reminding us that even though the world is still there all around us, it is filled with intense gloom and loneliness. The light shines brightly off the metallic containers and even the bartender’s white hat which can hardly be seen in the piercing light. Yet such a vivid display of light and colors does nothing to uplift the seriousness of the mood. For example, the lonely, hunched figure to the left, dressed in a dark suit, practically blends into the darkness of the windows as if he’s not there at all.

Also, even though the bright red dress of the woman stands out vividly with light shining on her golden hair, her dark eyes seem to reflect the grave mood all around, lost in their own shadowy thoughts. The huge, horizontal glass walls of the diner meet at the edge of the lonely street casting an eerie light out onto the dark and empty sidewalk. The fluorescent light, glass walls, and bright diner let us know that this is a modern, urban area. However, the hustle and bustle of a lively city are nowhere to be seen. Instead, the dark windows and street create a sense of overwhelming isolation filled with remoteness. The tall curved glass lets us see inside the diner and allows the seated figures to look outside, but the wide expanse of the bright interior lacks a door or any sort of exit. The bright cherry red countertop tapers off to the right without any hint of a door nearby. This adds a feeling of physical and emotional confinement on top of the overbearing loneliness of the scene.