Tonal

Tonal

By Eleanor Bruce

Tonal refers to the lightness or darkness of something. This could be a shade or how dark or light a colour appears. Tones are created by the way light falls on a 3D object.

The parts of the object on which the light is strongest are called highlights and the darker areas are called shadows. Chiaroscuro can be linked with tonal because it’s used to describe the dramatic effect of contrasting areas of light and dark in an artwork, particularly paintings. It comes from the combination of the Italian words for "light" and "dark."

Pablo Picasso, 1881-1973

Girl with a Mandolin (Fanny Tellier), 1910 - Oil on canvas (100.3cm x 73.6 cm) Museum of Modern Art

Picasso is universally renowned as one of the most influential and celebrated artists of the twentieth century. Before the age of 50, the Spanish born artist had become the most well known name in modern art, with the most distinct style and eye for artistic creation. There had been no other artists like Picasso, who had such an impact on the art world. Throughout his career, he created more than 20,000 paintings, drawings, sculptures and other items such as costumes and theatre sets.

Picasso's ability to produce works in an astonishing range of styles made him well respected during his lifetime. After his death in 1973 his value as an artist and inspiration to other artists has only grown. He is without a doubt destined to permanently etch himself into the fabric of humanity as one of the greatest artists of all time.

Guernica, 1937 – Oil on canvas(349 cm x 777 cm) Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía

Boy Leading a Horse, 190506 – Oil on canvas (220 cm x 131 cm) Museum of Modern Art

Ma Jolie (a portrait of Picasso’s lover Marcelle Humbert), 1911-12 - Oil on canvas (100 x 64.5 cm) Museum of Modern Art In Picasso's Ma Jolie he demonstrates use of a very similar colour palette to that of his other paintings from the same period. This is both a stylistic characteristic of the Cubist movement and Picasso's works because in the Analytical phase of Cubism all paintings used subdued colours and the specific shades used in this painting are close to the shades of other Picasso paintings of the time. Along with this, Ma Jolie demonstrates the use of geometrical forms in Analytical Cubism.

This painting, being of a person, is similar to his other artworks from this stage of the Cubist movement, mostly being portraits. Ma Jolie exhibits stylistic characteristics of subdued colours and geometrical forms, characteristics of both Cubism and Picasso.

In this work, Picasso challenges the distinction between high art and popular culture, pushing his experiments in new directions. Building on the geometric forms of Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, Picasso moves further towards abstraction by reducing colour and by increasing the illusion of low-relief sculpture. Most significantly, however, Picasso included painted words on the canvas. The words, “Ma Jolie" on the surface not only flatten the space further, but they also liken the painting to a poster because they are painted in a font reminiscent of one used in advertising. This is the first time that an artist so blatantly uses elements of popular culture in a work of high art. Further linking the work to pop culture and to the everyday, "Ma Jolie" was also the name of a popular tune at the time as well as Picasso's nickname for his girlfriend.

Ma Jolie (My pretty girl) was the refrain of a popular song performed at a Parisian music hall Picasso frequented. The artist suggests this musical association by situating a treble clef and music staff near the bold, stencilled letters. Ma Jolie was also Picasso's nickname for his lover Marcelle Humbert, whose figure he loosely built using the signature shifting planes of Analytic Cubism.

This is far from a traditional portrait of an artist's beloved, but there are clues to its representational content. A triangular form in the lower centre is strung like a guitar; below the strings can be seen four fingers; an elbow juts to the right; and in the upper half, what may be a floating smile is barely discernible amid the network of flat, semi-transparent planes. So although the figure appears to disappear into an abstract network of flat, straight-edged semitransparent planes, together these elements suggest a woman holding a musical instrument.

Thus it manages to be both a representative piece of high Analytic Cubism, while at the same time representing a very traditional theme.

Picasso has created planes, lines, spatial cues, shadings, and other traces of painting's language of illusion which are abstracted from descriptive uses, for example; the figure almost disappears into a network of flat, straight-edged, semi-transparent planes.

Marcel Duchamp, 1887–1968 Henri-Robert-Marcel Duchamp was a French, naturalized American painter, sculptor and writer whose work is associated with Cubism, conceptual art and Dada. Although he was careful about his use of the term Dada and was not directly associated with Dada groups. Duchamp is commonly regarded, along with Picasso and Matisse, as one of the three artists who helped to define the revolutionary developments in the plastic arts in the opening decades of the twentieth century, responsible for significant developments in painting and sculpture. Duchamp has had an immense impact on twentieth-century and twenty first-century art. By World War I, he had rejected the work of many of his fellow artists as "retinal" art, intended only to please the eye.

Instead, Duchamp wanted to use art to serve the mind. Duchamp's early art works align with Post-Impressionist styles. He experimented with classical techniques and subjects. When he was later asked about what had influenced him at the time, Duchamp cited the work of Symbolist painter Odilon Redon, whose approach to art was not outwardly anti-academic, but quietly individual.

The Passage from Virgin to Bride, 1912 – Oil on canvas (59 cm x 54 cm) Museum of Modern Art, New York

Nude, Sad Young Man on a Train, 1911–12 - Oil on cardboard mounted on Masonite (100cm x 73 cm) Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice.

L.H.O.O.Q., 1919 rectified readymade: pencil on reproduction of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa (19.7 x 12.4 cm) National Gallery of Art, Washington DC

Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2, 1912 - Oil on canvas (151.8 x 93.3 cm) Philadelphia Museum of Art This work, by Duchamp, depicts a figure demonstrating an abstract movement in its ochres and browns. The noticeable "body parts" of the figure are composed of nested, conical and cylindrical abstract elements, assembled together in such a way as to suggest rhythm and convey the movement of the figure merging into itself. Dark outlines limit the contours of the body while serving as motion lines that emphasize the dynamics of the moving figure, while the accented arcs of the dotted lines seem to suggest a thrusting pelvic motion. The movement seems to be rotated counter clockwise from the upper left to the lower right corner, where the gradient of the apparently frozen sequence corresponding to the bottom right to top left dark, respectively, becomes more transparent, the fading of which is apparently intended to simulate the "older" section.

At the bottom left Duchamp placed the title "NU DESCENDANT UN ESCALIER" in block letters, which may or may not be related to the work. The question of whether the figure represents a human body remains unanswered; the figure provides no clues to its age, individuality, character, or gender.

The painting combines elements of both the Cubist and Futurist movements. In the composition, Duchamp depicts motion by successive superimposed images, similar to stroboscopic motion photography. Duchamp also recognized the influence of the stop-motion photography of ÉtienneJules Marey, particularly Muybridge's Woman Walking Downstairs from his 1887 picture series (as you can see below), published as The Human Figure in Motion.

The woman of the painting is constructed deliberately without definite form. She is made up of overlapping, jostling leaves of warm flesh tones. Each after-image of the woman runs into the next: discerning one position from the next becomes nearly impossible. This decomposes the form and helps to construct movement, resulting in a kind of elasticity of the image. The woman glides across the frame, a large range of her motion captured in a single instant, not unlike a photograph.

As you can see above, in Nude Descending a Staircase, No.2, within each section of the woman the artist has created tonal shading to create shadows and light to depict the moving figures multiple frames. At the edges of these frames, the steps are indicated in darker colours, showing depth and creating a clearer figure. The centre of the image is an amalgam of light and dark, that becomes more harsh approaching the edges.

The overall warm, monochrome bright palette ranges from yellow ochre to dark, almost black tones. The colours are translucent.

Jan van Eyck, 1390-1441 Van Eyck as one of the greatest and most important painters of the Northern Renaissance. He did not invent oil painting, as 16th-century artists-biographer Vasari suggested, but he did perfect the technique of glazing – building up layers of transparent paint. This allowed him to create wonderfully deep colours and to work up minute details. Nobody before had referenced reality so exquisitely.

Jan Van Eyck’s painstaking craftsmanship was matched by rigorous observation. He was extraordinarily sensitive to the fall of the light. He loved describing folds in cloth, delineating the precise point at which the form turns away from the light. Van Eyck’s portraits were brought to life by this close scrutiny. For his burst-length portraits, he would register stubble, light reflected in the eyes, and every crease in the skin.

Ince Hall Madonna, 1433 – Oil on wood (26.5 cm x 19.5 cm) National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne.

The Arnolfini Portrait, 1434 - Oil on oak panel (82 cm x 60 cm) National Gallery, London.

Ghent Altarpiece, 1432 – oil on wood (350 cm x 460 cm) Saint Bavo Cathedral, Ghent.

Madonna of Chancellor Rolin, 1435 - Oil on canvas (66 x 62 cm) The Louvre, Paris The Madonna of Chancellor Rolin is an oil painting by the Early Netherlandish master Jan Van Eyck. It is kept in the MusĂŠe du Louvre, Paris, and was commissioned by Nicolas Rolin, chancellor of the Duchy of Burgundy, whose votive portrait takes up the left side of the picture, for his parish church, Notre-Dame-du-Chastel in Autun, where it remained until the church burnt down in 1793, then in 1805 it was moved to The Louvre where it remains now.

The scene depicts the Virgin Mary crowned by a hovering Angel while she presents the Infant Jesus to Rolin. It is set within a spacious Italianstyle loggia with a rich decoration of columns and bas-reliefs. In the background is a landscape with a city on a river, probably intended to be Autun in Burgundy, Rolin's hometown. A wide range of well detailed palaces, churches, an island, a towered bridge, hills and fields is portrayed, subject to a uniform light. Perhaps some of the Chancellor's many landholdings around Autun are included in the vista. In the background a haze covers a mountain range, as in many Early Netherlandish paintings, the steepness of the hills and mountains is shown as much greater than that found locally, for dramatic effect.

The small garden which is centrally painted with many flowers including; lilies, irises, peonies and roses. It is visible just outside the columns, symbolizes Mary's virtues. Beyond, two male figures wearing chaperons are looking through the crenulations of what looks to be a fortified balcony.

There has been thought that they may represent Van Eyck and an assistant, after the pattern of his Arnolfini Portrait. The figure on the right wears a similar red chaperon to the probable Van Eyck self-portrait in the National Gallery, London. Near to them are two peacocks which symbols both immortality and pride, to which even a powerful man as Rolin might succumb.

The interior has complex light sources, typical of Van Eyck, with light coming both from the central portico and the side windows.

The chancellor, whose strong character is well rendered by the artist and is wearing a fur-lined, elegant garment; the Virgin, who is the same size as Rolin (rather a novelty in comparison to the Gothic painting tradition), is instead covered by a red mantle.

As in other van Eyck paintings, the depiction of the space is not as straightforward as it first appears. Comparison of the floor-tiles with other elements shows that the figures are only about six feet from the columned loggia screen, and that Rolin might have to squeeze himself through the opening to get out that way. Many van Eyck's show an interior space that is actually very small, but the depiction is subtly managed to retain a sense of intimacy, but without feeling constricted.

The Infant Jesus holds a cross in his left hand. The perfectionist rendering of details and textures, such as the capitals, the chequered pavement, the goldwork of the angel's crown or the garments is characteristic of Jan van Eyck's work, of which this is one of the finest examples.

Sandro Botticelli, 1445-1510 Sandro Botticelli was an Italian painter and draughtsman. During his lifetime he was one of the most acclaimed painters in Italy, being summoned to take part in the decoration of the Sistine Chapel in Rome and earning the patronage of the leading families of Florence, including the Medici. By the time he died, however, Botticelli's reputation was already in decline.

He was overshadowed first by the advent of a new style by Perugino and Francesco Francia and then further outshone with the establishment of High Renaissance style, with the paintings of Michelangelo and Raphael in the Vatican. From that time Botticelli's name virtually disappeared until the reassessment of his works and reputation - a process which has gathered momentum since the 1890s.

Cestello Annunciation, 1489 – Tempera on panel (150 cm × 156 cm) Uffizi Gallery, Florence.

Primavera, 1482 – Tempera on panel (203 cm x 314 cm) Uffizi Gallery, Florence.

Adoration of the Magi of 1475, 1475-76 – Tempera on panel (111 cm x 134 cm) Uffizi Gallery, Florence.

The Birth of Venus, 1484-86 – Tempera on Panel (172 x 278 cm) Uffizi Gallery, Florence Botticelli's Birth of Venus is one of the most treasured artworks of the Renaissance. In it the goddess Venus (known as Aphrodite in Greek mythology) emerges from the sea upon a shell aligned with the myth that explains her birth. Her shell is pushed to the shore from winds being produced by the wind-gods in amongst a shower of roses. As Venus is about to step onto the shore, a Nymph reaches out to cover her with a cloak.

Venus is illustrated as a beautiful and chaste goddess and symbol of the coming spring. Her depiction as a nude is significant in itself, given that during this time in Renaissance history almost all artwork was of a Christian theme, and nude women were hardly ever portrayed.

Many aspects of Botticelli's Birth of Venus are in motion. For example, the leaves of the orange trees in the background, ringlets of hair being blown by the Zephyrs, the roses floating behind her, the waves gently breaking, and the cloaks and drapery of the figures blown and lifted by the breeze.

Venus's long golden hair sweeps gracefully about her. This use of gold may have been inspired by Donatello's Penitent Magdalen.

Birth of Venus is dependent on the delicacy of Botticelli's line.

The proportions show their greatest exaggeration, yet the long neck and torrent of hair help to create the mystifying figure.

Venus is the main focus of the composition, portraying love, fertility, beauty and fortune. This is depicted by the figures surrounding Venus and bringing the viewers attention to her in the centre.

Venus’ contrapposto stance and her pudica positioning of her hands adds to her idealistic form, inspired by many other classical female sculptures.

This scene also shows roses blowing in the wind which is said to have been born along Venus.

Artemisia Gentileschi, 1593-1653 Artemisia Gentileschi was the most important woman painter of Early Modern Europe by virtue of the excellence of her work, the originality of her treatment of traditional subjects and the number of her paintings that have survived. She was both praised and disdained by contemporary critical opinion, recognized as having genius, yet seen as monstrous because she was a woman exercising a creative talent thought to be exclusively male. Since then, in the words of Mary D. Garrard, she "has suffered a scholarly neglect that is almost unthinkable for an artist of her caliber.”

Her father trained her from an early age as an artist, and introduced her to the numerous artists of Rome, including Caravaggio whose use of dramatic chiaroscuro (light and shadow) influenced her painting.

Jael and Sisera, 1620 – Oil on canvas (86 x 125 cm) Szepmuveszeti Museum, Budapest.

Susanna and the Elders, 1610 – Oil on canvas (1.70m by 1.21m) Schloss Weißenstein collection, Germany.

Self-Portrait as the Allegory of Painting, 1639 - Oil on canvas (96.5 cm × 73.7 cm ) Royal Collection Trust, London.

Judith Beheading Holofernes, 1611-1612 – Oil on Canvas (159 x 126 cm) Museo di Capodimonte, Naples Judith Beheading Holofernes is a painting by the Italian early Baroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi completed between 1611 The work shows the scene of Judith beheading Holofernes, common in art since the early Renaissance, as part of the group of subjects called the Power of women, which show women triumphing over powerful men. The subject takes an episode from the apocryphal Book of Judith in the Old Testament, which recounts the assassination of the Assyrian general Holofernes by the Israelite heroine Judith. The painting depicts the moment when Judith, helped by her maidservant, beheads the general after he has fallen asleep drunk.

The lighting of the piece of somewhat different to that of others, with the corners of the painting and around the figures being black, with no light source visible, yet there is white light upon the edge of the bed, upon Holofernes, and just reaching the faces of the two women. The unnatural light creates a feeling of eeriness, and somewhat displaces the scene, putting it in a ‘spotlight.’ It rather morbidly draws us in to observe a man’s murder.

The shadows subsequently cast upon the women’s faces not only makes them look strong, but somewhat evil; Gentileschi flips the conventional ideas of women, and presents these two powerful and vengeful women.

Equally, the focus seems to be on Holofernes’ face; his is the only face we can see clearly, and even in this moment of his death, we see his eyes open; his dying expression. This is one of the ways Gentileschi’s painting is much more violent and brutal than other depictions of the scene.

The man, in this painting, is vulnerable, wrapped in bed sheets, and the women are wearing lustrously textured dresses in bold colours befitting nobility, implying power with the vivid red and blue. The way Holofernes’ face is forced to front of the image making us look at him, is similar to the idea of the woman being looked at after a sexual incident, where as she is vulnerable and we observe her terror, but here, we are seeing the women very much in control and Holofernes as a ‘victim’.

The blood seeping down the bed also adds to the sense of ‘otherness’ at it creates an odd feeling; we are witnessing something incredibly brutal and it seems normal; the blood is drying and we are doing nothing about it. It is also in a sense, a reflection of our own mortality; we will all die one day, and our blood will dry up; Artemisia is offering us the idea that no one is invincible.

Overall, Gentileschi’s piece is very powerful, somewhat due to its feeling of ‘otherness.’ The concept that it may well be allegorical aids this substantially, as it distances us from reality. Equally, the sheer brutality and harsh lighting, coupled with the vibrant colours, which contrast to the cadaverous skin tone of Holofernes makes this a very difficult painting to look at, especially as she confronts you with a dying man’s face; and yet, it is ‘safe’ for us to observe such horrors, as we are being fed it in the form of a Biblical narrative, which to us is like a fairy tale with only good and evil, good triumphing.

Rembrandt, 1606-1669 Rembrandt was a prolific painter, draftsman, and etcher who was usually regarded as the greatest artist of Holland’s “Golden Age.” He worked first in his birth place, Leiden, and then in Amsterdam, where he had studied with the influential history painter Pieter Lastman. Rembrandt never went abroad, but he voraciously surveyed the work of Northern artists who had lived in Italy, like Lastman, the Utrecht painter Gerrit van Honthorst, Anthony van Dyck, and— mostly through prints—Adam Elsheimer and Peter Paul Rubens. A crucial aspect of Rembrandt’s development was his intense study of people, objects, and their surroundings “from life,” as is obvious in paintings like his early self-portraits and the Saint Paul in Prison of 1627. Even by Dutch standards, Rembrandt’s preoccupation with direct observation was exceptional and continued throughout his career. Despite the constant evolution of his style, Rembrandt’s compelling descriptions of light, space, atmosphere, modelling, texture, and human situations may be traced back even from his late works.

The Blinding of Samson, 1636 – Oil on canvas (206 × 276 cm) Städelsches Kunstinstitut, Germany.

The Night Watch, 1642 – Oil on canvas (379.5 cm × w 453.5 cm) Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

The Storm on the Sea of Galilee, 1633 - Oil on canvas, (160 x 128 cm) Originally located in Gardner Museum of Boston, USA, prior to being stolen in 1990 (and still lost).

Doctor Nicolaes Tulp's Demonstration of the Anatomy of the Arm, 1632 – Oil on Canvas (169.5 x 216.5 cm) Mauritshuis, The Hague This is a more complicated composition than it at first appears.

Understandably, the focal point of the image is Dr. Tulp, the doctor who is shown displaying the flexors of the cadaver’s left arm. Rembrandt notes the doctor’s significance by showing him as the only person who wears a hat. Seven colleagues surround Dr. Tulp, and they look in a variety of directions - some gaze at the cadaver, some stare at the lecturer, and some peek directly at the viewer. Each face displays a facial expression that is deeply personal and psychological. The cadaver - a recently executed thief named Adriaen Adriaenszoon—lies nearly parallel to the picture plane. Viewing the illuminated body from his head to his feet brings into focus a book - likely Andreas Vesalius’s De humani corporis fabrica (Fabric of the Human Body, 1543)

A group of students, painted by Rembrandt, are positioned in a slightly slanted pyramidal structure which surrounds the dead body that’s being demonstrated on.

All figures are dressed formally for a lecture held by Dr. Tulp. Who is wearing similar clothing as well as a large black hat which heightens his statues as a teaching doctor. Each figure is observant of the scene which is happening, however, two students at the top left engage with the viewer, perhaps to invite us into the painting.

Dr. Tulp is shown with his left hand raised, possibly showing his about to speak or is in mid sentence to the pupils around him. In his right hand he holds an instrument, this is grasping the muscles or tendons of the dissected corpses arm being presented to the figures. Below all these figures, lays the criminal pale, grey body, of Aris Kindt, which gives off a cold, sombre tone effect to the painting.

It is also clear from the painting that Rembrandt was aware of anatomy and shows a clear scientifically accurate representation of a dissected arm. The scene is set in a dark room with no architecture or background seen, creating a stage like scene. There is also dramatic chiaroscuro depicted within this artwork, seen especially on the dead body’s legs where they gradually painted darker into the plan, dark background. In addition the face of the figures and the body are highlighted by an unknown light source.

Finally, looking at the aspects of tonal in art, the Dutch artist has represented death to create an almost sinister overall effect of the painting by using the bold use of chiaroscuro and creating contrasting tonal effects from a unknown source of light.

Also this artwork is based on fact and reason rather than conveying the artists ideas and emotions of the dark, eerie feel.

Joseph Wright Of Derby, 1734-1797 Born in Derby in 1734, Wright is an internationally renowned artist, whose paintings and works on paper adorn the walls of major galleries the world over. Famed as a “painter of light” and for his association with key members of the intellectual movement known as the Enlightenment, he is now considered to be one of Britain’s most interesting and wide-ranging painters. The Joseph Wright Gallery is a permanent space dedicated to showcasing the full range of his spectacular paintings alongside small, temporary displays of drawings and prints from the museums’ collection.

Indian Widow, 1783-84 – Oil on canvas (101.6 cm × 127 cm) Derby Museum and Art Gallery, England.

The Alchemist Discovering Phosphorus, 1433 – Oil on canvas (127 cm x 102 cm) Derby Museum and Art Gallery, England.

A Philosopher Lecturing on the Orrery, 1766 - Oil on canvas (147 cm x 203 cm) Derby Museum and Art Gallery, England.

Experiment on a Bird in an Air Pump, 1768 – Oil on Canvas (169.5 x 216.5 cm) The National Gallery, London Joseph Wright of Derby has created a new invention - part genre, part portrait, part history painting. It remains unique and has no real imitators, yet it bears the stamp of genius. On a moonlit night in a darkened room, a company of amateurs and friends gather to witness a demonstration of a new device, an air pump, whose functionality can be demonstrated through its effects on a bird. Mingling direct reportage with high drama, Wright of Derby spins a timeless tale out of the prosaic reality of life around him.

The powerful central light source creates a chiaroscuro effect. The light illuminating the scene has been described as "so brilliant it could only be the light of revelation". The single source of light is obscured behind the bowl on the table; some hint of a lamp glass can be seen around the side of the bowl, but David Hockney has suggested that the bowl itself may contain sulphur, giving a powerful single light source that a candle or oil lamp would not. In the earlier study a candle holder is visible, and the flame is reflected in the bowl. Hockney believes that many of the Old Masters used optical equipment to assist in their painting, and suggests that Wright may have used lenses to transfer the image to paper rather than painting directly from the scene, as he believes the pattern of shadows thrown by the lighting could have been too complicated for Wright to have captured so accurately without assistance.

From Caravaggio and his many followers Wright made this a candle and moonlit scene, setting the whole event in dramatic chiaroscuro. From Rembrandt's Leiden followers - the so-called fijnschilders ("fine small-scale painters") of whom Gerrit Dou (1613-75) was the most famous - Wright developed his smoothly rendered, meticulous realism. Using his friends and neighbors as models, the artist supplied a believable slice of life while creating archetypes of age, understanding, and gender.

In the painting, a travelling scientist is shown conducting an experiment during which a vacuum is created by the air pump, which for a moment robs the bird of the air it needs in order to breathe. In this moment, the scientist must decide between life and death, a decision which classically belongs to God alone. The picture is therefore - at heart - a human drama.

A young couple to the left are too involved in courtship to care much about the experiment, while the young girls on the right weep over the fate of their pet cockatoo (which is based on a bird Wright knew from a portrait commission). As their father tries to teach them about the harder realities of life, or comfort them with the news that not all the air will be removed - the picture is the ultimate cliff-hanger - only the bewigged amateur and the young man beside him are completely absorbed in the experiment, and listen as the wild-haired old man expounds on his thesis as the experiment progresses.

Also worth noting are the various items of scientific equipment depicted. The air pump itself is painted in highly realistic detail, a faithful rendering of a design in use at the time. There is also a thermometer, candle snuffer and cork, along with a pair of Magdeburg hemispheres, which in combination with the air pump might have been used to demonstrate the pressure exerted by a vacuum.

Jacques-Louis David, 1748-1825 David was a highly influential French painter in the Neoclassical period and many of his paintings contained propaganda. He considered to be the prominent painter of the era. Jacques Louis David later became an active supporter of the French Revolution and friend of Maximilien Robespierre, and was effectively a dictator of the arts under the French Republic.

Imprisoned after Robespierre's fall from power, he aligned himself with yet another political regime upon his release, that of Napoleon I. It was at this time that he developed his 'Empire style', notable for its use of warm Venetian colours. David had a huge number of pupils, making him the strongest influence in French art of the 19th century, especially academic Salon painting. Throughout these political changes over David’s time, he remained absolutely true to his view of art, as an exercise in moral integrity.

Portrait of Madame Récamier, 1800 – Oil on canvas (174 cm x 224 cm) Musée du Louvre, Paris.

The Death of Socrates, 1787 – Oil on canvas (130 cm x 196 cm) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Portrait of Émilie Sériziat and Her Son, 1795 - Oil on canvas (131 × 96 cm) Musée du Louvre, Paris.

Oath of the Horatii, 1785 – Oil on Canvas (330 x 425 cm) The Louvre, Paris The story of Oath of the Horatii came from a Roman legend first recounted by the Roman historian Livy involving a conflict between the Romans and a rival group from nearby Alba. Rather than to continue a full-scale war, they elect representative combatants to settle their dispute. The Romans selected the Horatii and the Albans choose another trio of brothers, the Curatii.

In the painting we witness the Horatii taking an oath to defend Rome.

In the painting, the three brothers express their loyalty and solidarity with Rome before battle, wholly supported by their father. These are men willing to lay down their lives out of patriotic duty. With their resolute gaze and taut, outstretched limbs, they are citadels of patriotism. They are symbols of the highest virtues of Rome. Their clarity of purpose, mirrored by David's simple yet powerful use of tonal contrasts, lends the painting, and its message about the nobility of patriotic sacrifice, an electric intensity. This is all in contrast to the tender-hearted women who lie weeping and mourning, awaiting the results of the fighting.

The viewer's eye spontaneously grasps two superimposed orders-that of the figures and that of the decor. The first is striking because it is organized into three different groups, each with a different purpose. To the appeal of the elder Horatius in the center, the reply on the left is the spontaneous vigor of the oath, upheld loudly and with a show of strength, while on the right it is a tearful anguish, movement turned in upon itself, compressed into emotion. The distance between the figures accentuates this contrast. To the heroic determination of the men the canvas opposes the devastated grief of the women and the troubled innocence of the children.

David’s doesn’t use many colours, however, they are well balanced. His pallet seems to consist of red, blue, brown, white, black, and flesh tones. The vivid red of the cloak of Horatius draws the viewer to the centre. The brothers wear clothing of red, white, and blue as they prepare to patriotically and passionately fight for the glory of Rome.

While the women, in their sullen downcast mood, are huddled together in earth tones. The scene is closed off from the rest of the world by the deep shadowy recesses among the columns. The use of shadows and tone helps to add depth to the basic colours and give variations of hue throughout the composition.

Through David's rigorous and efficient arrangement, the superior harmony of the colors, and the spiritual density of the figures, this sacrifice, transfigured by the oath, becomes the founding act of a new aesthetic and moral order. He consciously intended it to be a proclamation of the new neoclassical style in which dramatic lighting, ideal forms, and gestural clarity are emphasized. Presenting a lofty moralistic theme, the work became the principal model for noble and heroic historical painting of the next two decades. It also launched David's personal popularity and awarded him the right to take on his own students.

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, 1571-1610 Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was an Italian artist. He is commonly placed in the Baroque school, of which he is considered the first great representative.

Even in his own lifetime Caravaggio was considered enigmatic, fascinating, rebellious and dangerous. He burst upon the Rome art scene in 1600, and thereafter never lacked for commissions or patrons, yet he handled his success atrociously. An early published notice on him, dating from 1604 and describing his lifestyle some three years previously, tells how "after a fortnight's work he will swagger about for a month or two with a sword at his side and a servant following him, from one ball-court to the next, ever ready to engage in a fight or an argument, so that it is most awkward to get along with him." In 1606 he killed a young man in a brawl and fled from Rome with a price on his head. In Malta in 1608 he was involved in another brawl, and yet another in Naples in 1609, possibly a deliberate attempt on his life by unidentified enemies. By the next year, after a relatively brief career, he died.

The Beheading of St John the Baptist, 1608 – Oil on canvas (361 cm x 520 cm) Saint John's Co-Cathedral, La Valletta.

The Taking of Christ, 1602 – Oil on canvas, (133.5 cm x 169.5 cm) National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin.

The Calling of St Matthew, 1599– 1600 – Oil on canvas (322 cm × 340 cm) San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome.

Supper at Emmaus, 1601 – Oil on Canvas (330 x 425 cm) National Portrait Gallery, London Caravaggio’s Supper at Emmaus shows a scene from the gospel of Luke 24 where the Resurrected Christ appears to two disciples. He first appears as a traveling man on a journey to the town of Emmaus, not recognized as Christ. It is only at dinner when he breaks bread that the disciples recognize him as Christ. It is not, however, from his appearance that the disciples recognize him. Christ has no beard, and his flowing robes cover any indications of the wounds he suffered during the crucifixion. Instead, he is recognized from a gesture – his raised arm blessing the bread.

At the centre of the painting is the Resurrected Christ blessing the bread. To his left is a disciple; his arms outstretched in disbelief. Standing next to Christ is the innkeeper, unaware of the significance of the gesture. On the opposite end of the table, closest to the viewer is another disciple pushing back in his chair. It is Caravaggio’s figures that truly show his talent and contribution to the history if art. Before him, compositions were made up of figures posed, frozen, and static. In this painting, Caravaggio shows an example of the new style showing figures in a moment of time. Christ has just raised his arms to bless the food. At this motion, the two disciples are instantly aware of whom this traveling man is. They react quickly with disbelief standing and pushing their chair out swinging open their arms. The innkeeper looks unfazed by the gesture and confused by the commotion. All three of these figures show real emotion.

These figures are far from the idealized images seen in the past. The disciples have rough hands showing signs of wear and life. Their faces are wrinkled showing age. The man standing has clothes tearing and with holes. The innkeeper has his sleeves rolled up and a face unshaven. These are real people with real lives and real signs of hard work.

This Supper at Emmaus shows everything that has become known as Caravaggioesque. The strong light with dark shadows has become Caravaggio’s legacy, but his influence goes far beyond that. He made art personable. He took biblical figures, long gone and distant, and brought them close, familiar and human.

On the table is their dinner; bread, fowl, and a basket of fruit. All of these items on the table, theses still life's, provide symbolism in Supper at Emmaus. Often painters, Caravaggio included, paint a still life into their art to show their talent and mastery of natural subjects.

In this painting, the still life's represent aspects of Christ. The bread that he blesses is flesh.

The fowl on the plate is mirroring death. The basket of fruit, placed on the edge of the table almost falling over, shows life, resurrection, and rebirth. The grapes in the bowl go with the bread. While bread is his flesh, grapes make wine a symbol of Christ’s blood. The bowl containing the fruit sits on the edge of the table, almost falling, almost asking the viewer to reach out and push it back on the table. This playfulness is characteristic of Caravaggio well aware of his status as “the most famous painter in Rome.” It has also been said that the shadow created by the fruit basket is that of a fish, another symbol of Christ.

Judith Beheading Holofernes, 1598 – Oil on Canvas (145 x 195 cm) Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, Rome Judith Beheading Holofernes tells the story Biblical story of Judith, who saved her people by seducing and beheading the Assyrian general Holofernes, which was a common theme in the 16th century. The same story has also been painted by artists such as Sandro Botticelli, Donatello, Artemesia Gentileshi, Giorgione, and Andrea Mantegna. Caravaggio was certainly aware of Judith's traditional identity as a symbol of triumph over tyranny; but he presented the subject primarily as a melodrama, choosing the relatively rarely represented climactic moment of the actual beheading of Holofernes.

The Main focus of this painting by Caravaggio is on Holofernes as all the features in the scene are directly looking towards him and both figures on the right hand side have subdued clothing which doesn’t distract the viewers from the narrative of the scene.

The woman figure, as depicted in the title, is Judith as she is beheading Holofernes. This figure plays a huge part in this story, as you can see the artist has put emphasis on her white top by the bright, sharp light. Judith's beauty in comparison to the maid on the far right, whom doesn’t seem to play a part in this narrative, puts more attention again onto Judith as the story is all about her and Holofernes.

The lighting created in the scene is lighter on the motion of Judith beheading Holofernes to draw more attention to the main subject. It’s highlighted by the white light accents and, because the figure of Holofernes is centrally position, the attention is drawn more towards the story within this painting.

The fact that Caravaggio captured the moment of beheading makes the style Baroque due to it showing what was feared to paint.

The chiaroscuro in this artwork is very dramatic since the background is completely dark, therefore, it makes the importance of the story highlighted.

As stated previously, the style is Baroque mainly because of the dramatic and gory scenes depicted, also the fact this painting was created during the counter reformation and then brought by the church makes this a Baroque style art piece.

The continuous use of colour reds and browns represents death in a harmonious way as well as the obvious bright red blood, it also exaggerates the drama captured in the painting to link it more towards the art movement Baroque.

Caravaggio was inspired by other artists work to create the story of Judith and Holofernes, but he wanted to depict it in a different way, by making the melodramatic Judith young, beautiful but physically weak to create a realistic view of how women were portrayed in that era and that they did so little to have the need to be strong and powerful. Holofernes, on the other hand, is powerful and physically strong by a huge amount compared to Judith, although, he is drunk in the futile struggle of his last instant consciousness. This shows the heroism within Judith and also goes against the stereotypical image of woman and how men can only be the hero.

Intension Finally after exploring various paintings that link with my theme of tonal, my intensions are to create a design of an exhibition where these artworks will be displayed. For this visual exhibition, I will create my own leaflet, ticket stub and digital poster.

Throughout this process I will be showing the step by step procedure of how I’ve come up with ideas and how I have further developed them onto my final piece. With the theme of tonal carried throughout my process I will try and incorporate elements of black and white as well as chiaroscuro. Overall, I would like to achieve a realistic exhibition design, poster, leaflet and ticket stub which will look professional and links well with my theme of tonal.

Font Styles

Exploring different title names which link to tone and chiaroscuro, I’ve come across ‘Shadows of Mystery’. Using this title, I have collected many styles that aren’t just plain black writing but styles I’ve manipulated in photoshop to create unique fonts interpreting elements of various paintings I will use in my exhibition, masked within the font itself. As you can see below are my demonstration of findings and ideas gathered to create an unusual, yet unique, font design.

Final Font Styles

On the previous page, I have shown the title of my exhibition, ‘Shadows of Mystery’, in various style fonts which I’ve created a few on photoshop to help me understand which fonts work well, in the theme of Tonal, for my exhibition poster, leaflet guide and ticket stubs. From all these styles, below, I’ve brought forward four of my favourite which I will narrow down to my final chosen font.

Here is a font style which portrays tonal effects through dispersion, in a way the tones from dark to light blend in an arty style. The font is unique This font style can be seen as a mysterious dark theme which again and links well to my theme of tonal and the effect of shadows created links to my theme of tonal (the lightness and darkness of shade). This is very unusual and unique for a title of an exhibition which attracts by the dispersion effect helps correspond to my exhibition names. more audience and catches everyone's eyes. Consequently this font will stick in viewers mind, from on a bus or driving a car leading those people to search up this exhibition to find out more.

Above is a photoshop designed font which I’ve created by using clipping masks. This font shows the image underneath the writing which is very effective for my title as it’s a ‘mystery’ to what’s behind the text. The font stands out more than the rest which will help attract people to look at the poster advertisement.

This style of font is very efficient as it links to my theme, tonal, very well as parts of the font fade away creating a mysterious shadow effect. The text is quite Chosen Font Style similar and easy to read, therefore, it wont get lost in a busy poster background.

I’ve chosen, from these four font styles above, the third design which I was able to create in photoshop. I believe this style is most effective for my exhibition and most suited to the purpose and the contents of my exhibition because it depicts a tonal paintings within the writing. The simple yet bold font also grabs the attention of the viewer as well as not being able to see the full image behind the title, making the audience intrigued.

Poster Research

On this page are a variety of posters I’ve gathered from various events/exhibitions which I will use for inspiration on my own poster as well as ideas for my fonts styles. Each poster has its own unique theme with colour and style specific to their own event.

Existing Poster Analysis This film poster for ‘Enemy’ is a fantastic example of a poster design I would like to incorporate for my exhibition on tonal.

It has a simple layout with a plain, pale pink wash which bring out the main focus of the design. The use of photoshop to create the films setting as the mind of the main character, with this it gives you an idea of what the theme is about.

On the top of the poster you can see the film name and who is starring in it. For an art gallery poster this would represent the gallery title and where it’s held which gives the audience a clear understanding of the overall event.

‘E N E M Y’ is shown in a big, black, simplistic font, however, each letter is spaced apart the same not including the ‘N’ which is in an italic font. This could suggest the difference between enemies, although they’re similar, they have completely opposite intents.

This poster is eye catching to the audience from its unique design from photoshop with the character mind which brings them closer so see what the posters all about.

The use of little colour has been used effectively to show the dark, bold colours of the main focus point. This unifies the simplistic font with the detailed image within the pale canvas.

Moving on, not much information is displayed around the poster which is useful as it doesn’t confuse the viewers, however, all the necessary details are shown like; the director, who’s starring in the film, when it will be available as well as all the people that have created the whole outcome. This would be represented, in an art exhibition poster, as the gallery title, where it is, when the event is happening, prices and any other information including website address and telephone number details.

I will love to carry this design through onto my own poster by using tonal paintings, I’ve analysed, and recreating a similar layout to the ‘Enemy’ poster here. Using photoshop, I will try out a few ideas and work with them to create a final design.

Existing Poster Analysis This poster is another brilliant example I can use for inspiration for my final poster design. The way they place images of the main actors within a solid black image (for example a gun) is a unique idea which works extremely well to the viewers eye which is simple and isn’t confusing.

Incorporating a elegant sky background links to the title of the film ‘The Air I Breathe’. A simple background is a perfect way to unify the whole poster which is something I’ll be carrying through to create a unified exhibition poster.

Using the same font throughout the poster also creates a unified display as well as making the font colour similar throughout with the main title light and dark blue and the information (bottom right) using a mixture of the same colours.

These colours are eye catching, due to the bold and contrasting elements, for the viewer as it makes the title stands out more then all the other writing anywhere else on the page.

In the bottom right corner locates the necessary information of the film which is similar to an exhibition location, price, contact details and other information. It’s not very visible for the viewers to see when they glance at the poster for a brief moment as they will have to look closer to read, which doesn’t work well for an exhibition as the viewers need to be able to read easily whilst on the move.

I am influenced by this poster to use an image within another image similar to the previous poster, to create a contrast of tonal images behind one another, linking in with my theme ‘Tonal’.

Poster Design Here is an example of a poster I’ve created from ideas gathered by existing posters.

Using Picasso’s ‘Ma Jolie’ I placed figures from paintings I’ve analysed to fit into the shapes of the lines painted by the artist. Below is a brief step by step induction of how I’ve created this unique poster which links very well to my theme of tonal. I’m happy how this has turned out, however, I will be developing further skill in photoshop to create a more unified and sophisticated design which I will use as a final poster, leaflet and ticket stub design for my exhibition.

Step 1

Above is a screenshot of the first step of creating this poster on the right. Using Photoshop, I opened a new document and placed the painting of ‘Ma Jolie’ by Picasso to create the background.

Step 2

Choosing a few figures from paintings I’ve looked at within my exploration I used the magic wand tool in Photoshop to leave the figures with no background. After doing this with all tree paintings, I placed each one in a specific place where I could take chunks of the paintings out where Picasso has different shapes in his background.

Step 3 By using the rubber in Photoshop I removed various areas, leaving the three painting figures looking natural within the background of Picasso’s ‘Ma Jolie’. To create a more appealing view for the audience, I changed to opacity on each painting down to 75%.

Now all was left to add in the title ‘Shadows of Mystery’ and the necessary information, however, this isn’t going to be my final poster. Therefore, I only added the title.

Final Poster Design My final poster, on the right, has been influenced by both posters I’ve previously analysed (‘Enemy’ and ‘The Air I Breathe’) which has turned out rather well. Using photoshop I’ve taken a figure from a painting and used the same background of the painting as a mask behind the face and hands of this main figure to try and show the full picture within one main element of the painting itself. Adding all the necessary information, for example; time, date, location, exhibition logo and title of the exhibition, I have created a final design I’m satisfied with and will defiantly use for my leaflet and ticket stubs.

The way I’ve taken inspiration from both posters that I have analysed and used in my poster reflect tonal quite a lot in ways that the background of Van Eyck’s painting is layered in the figures hands an face creating a deep tonal effect. The drapes taken from one of Caravaggio’s paintings shows tonal perfectly through his painting skills which makes them look realistic.

That is why I’ve placed both these elements together to show my exhibition theme of Tonal clearing through my poster design.

On the next page is a step by step induction of how I’ve managed to create this wonderful poster linking to my tonal theme on photoshop, as well as a brief description of how I made my gallery logo on my poster (bottom right).

Step 1

Starting off with the full painting, ‘Madonna of Chancellor Rolin’ by Van Eyck, in Photoshop I used the magic wand tool to outline the figure of Chancellor Rolin and then pasted via cut. This left the only part of the figure I want on a blank page. From this I used the rubber tool to tidy up any imperfections and unwanted areas attached to this cut-out.

Step 2 For each part, the head and the hands, I created a clipping mask with the full painting behind the cut out figure. Once placing the painting behind the head in the right stop I rubbed out the remaining painting. I repeated the same process for the image behind the hands to create this final outcome on the left.

Step 3

Step 4

Using the magic wand tool in Photoshop once again, I cut out these beautiful painted drapes by Caravaggio which show tonal very powerfully to use as a background curtain.

I went in with the rubber tool after I was happy with the placement and size to clear up any excess.

After all this was done, I wanted to add a simple yet contrasting coloured background which helps to blend the two elements of this poster together. After testing a few colours, I stuck with a pale salmon pink colour which I believe unifies the whole poster together.

To create my gallery logo, I wanted to use something unique to Swindon (as my gallery is called ‘The National Gallery of Swindon’) which is when I thought of using Lydiard Park House as my logo (which is a main icon of Swindon). Using Photoshop again, I draw out the outline of the house and added simplistic detail. Then adding a bold block coloured background and then adding the gallery’s name, all that was left to do was to incorporate it onto my final poster design and add the title as well as all the necessary information.

Art Exhibition Analysis On the next two pages are two exhibition galleries I’ve been to and taken photo’s of their interior. These galleries include; the Tate Modern in London and the MOMA in New York. I will be analysing both gallery layouts and colour schemes to help with ideas for my very design and colour of my own exhibition I will create on the computer.

In the top right corner is one view of the Tate Modern gallery which is unusual with the different groove sections on the left hand side, which is a good way to section off different genres of paintings/sculptures. The lighting is bright, making it easy to view the artwork, especially with the natural light from the high up windows on the left. I like the use of chairs in the room so you can take a seat and look at the artwork deeply whilst you look over it, therefore, I will incorporate a few seats in my gallery for visitors to relax and take into account the way its created or what the artwork may depict, etc.

Tate Modern, London

Here is another view of a different room in the Tate Modern, which is more square and simple, yet the coloured walls are still very neutral which helps make the artwork pop out from the walls and the white plinth, that the sculptures are on, also creates them to stand out more. As this is a room that hasn’t got any windows, the light is still bright and almost natural with the help of spotlights on the ceiling and skyline styled lights on top. I will defiantly be taking the idea of neutral wall colours and bright lighting into my exhibition build design. This will help my selected paintings, that are quite dark and tonal, stand out from the background, clear for the visitors to view.

Art Exhibition Analysis My next exhibition analysis is of the MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) which I quite similar, in comparison, to the Tate Modern on the previous page. The walls are all neutrally painted with an off white colour which, again, helps the paintings and other artwork stand out and wont get lost in the background.

The flooring is also light and unified with the pillars in the top right picture which unifies the whole interior together. These bright yet not too bold colours don’t overwhelm the visitors as well as it creates a natural lighting feel with the spotlights on the ceiling above. Moving onto the height of the walls, the ones on the right side of the picture are very tall and are useful for large artworks to be displayed on, and on the other side, with the balcony on top makes the room feel less intimidating as this balcony sections off the layout. This is a very clever way to make the layout design of the gallery, which is tall and spacious, into a warm unified space where artwork is perfectly placed.

MOMA, New York

Here is another room from the gallery which is a similar size than above, however, the use of the long wall space with a large scaled painting on it and the seat placed opposite creates a smaller space so no of the space is wasted with nothing. The giant window on the left side creates natural light which, I think, is needed in a gallery so you can see the artwork in natural light with their real colours and materials instead of bright lighting which gives the surrounding artwork a fake light atmosphere. This gives the artwork a different colour/ tone then when viewed in natural light. Therefore, I will try and add as many windows as I can to create natural light within the gallery.

Art Exhibition Design

Taking inspiration from the previous galleries I’ve analysed I’ve taken many elements into consideration to create my final exhibition design I’ve created on the computer. Below are various screenshots of the final build of the exterior and interior.

These three images show my final gallery design from both side views and a close up of the front. I’ve used a grey coloured theme with element of black and white to create the effect of tonal which is my overall chosen theme. As you can see by the doors, my poster is displayed showing the visitors this is there right place.

Art Exhibition Design

Moving on to the interior, the first two images show the simple yet unified entrance foyer which then leads off to the left (image 3) where a small gift shop is located, offering books, t-shirts and other merchandise.

Room 1 show my first three paintings which I have analysed in the first section of this project. I have created two arch ways for an easy flow through one door and out the other. I’ve made the walls a very neutral colour scheme which helps make the artwork stand out from the background its on.

Art Exhibition Design Moving onto room 2, which is also on the ground floor, like room 1, that depicts and next three paintings I have analysed at the beginning too. To close up the big space in each room I incorporated two simple, tonal (black and white) seats for visitors to relax and take in the paintings surrounding them.

Finally, going upstairs into room 3. This is where the remaining four paintings are displayed and where the room is filled with natural lighting from the windows on the opposite wall. This helps show the colours and chiaroscuro in the artworks show clearly. Again this room is very spacious, therefore, I added another two seats, of the same colour, to unify the whole building as well as from the viewers to sit and view all the paintings in this room.

Art Exhibition Map

After I had finished with my gallery layout and build all that's left is to create a floor plan/map of my entire exhibition. Below you can see both levels of the gallery with room 1 and 2 on the ground floor as well as the information desk, gift shop & entrance, and room 3 being on the first floor. I thought adding a little image of the artwork would help the viewers understand where about it's located in the art gallery without getting lost or confused.

First Floor Ground Floor

Information Desk/Audio Toilets

Gift Shop Stairs

I will be incorporating this map into my leaflet design so the visitors can have a copy when the walk into the exhibition. Inside my leaflet I will be adding a key so the viewers can understand what the symbols around the gallery represent.

Existing Ticket Analysis

On this page, I’ve gathered a selection of existing tickets that I will analysis for ideas and help to create my very own ticket stub for my exhibition on Tonal. On the next page I will show what ideas and inspiration I’ve carried through from this page.

On the right hand side, is a bold ticket that catches the viewers eye immediately and shows, without reading, what this event might be about. The title is shown at the top/middle which is clear for the viewers with all the information needed in white, easy to read font at the bottom and on the tear off section. This tear off section is a really popular design on most tickets which I will definitely incorporate into my ticket design. However, the background is a little to busy, therefore, I will use a less busy yet still effective background that will appeal to viewers.

This second ticket is much simple than the ticket design above, for example the background is not busy in anyway, its very pleasing to view. The title of the event is also clear and centrally positioned. All the information is given clearly around the ticket for the viewers with the most important part slightly bigger and easier to spot like the price.

This simple background used is something I might try in my own design, although, I may carry my poster design onto my ticket to unify all elements of my exhibition event.

Ticket Design

Looking over at existing tickets, I have collected ideas to make my own ticket stub design. Using my poster and leaflet, I will carry through elements to keep these all unified and similar. As you can see below, I’ve used the same drapes from a Caravaggio painting which I have used on my poster and leaflet which unifies all three parts of the exhibition components.

Tickets £4.50

8th - 14th June 2017 10 am – 4pm

Existing Leaflet Analysis On the next couple of pages, are a variety of existing leaflets I’ve collected from various events/exhibitions that I will use for ideas in creating my leaflet. Both designs have their own unique theme and layout, including floor plans, artworks on display, with information, and general details about the exhibition/gallery.

To the left is the front and back pages of the leaflet which shows, on the front, a simple artwork that is perhaps displayed in this exhibition, as well as the exhibition title in big eye catching font and the gallery's logo in the top right hand corner. On the back page is a clear labelled map of the exhibition with key elements the audience needs to make their way around the exhibition.

On the right is one of the first pages in this leaflet. On this page shows the information need for room 1, which contains a brief description of the artwork and a image as well. This is repeated for each room in the exhibition and all pages are similar as well as unified.

The last page in the leaflet consists of this page, a general information section. This page shows the audience everything they need to know, including; prices, times, dates, gift shop and cafĂŠ/restaurant information, linking websites and finally upcoming events in the gallery. This would be a perfect page to add into my leaflet to make my gallery and exhibition realistic and full of information for viewers to come back for.

Existing Leaflet Analysis

This purple themed leaflet is simple yet appealing to the viewers eye which helps attract an audience to the exhibition. Top left, is the front and back cover of the leaflet which includes the exhibitions poster on the front, therefore, the audience will understand what this leaflet is all about as they would’ve seen the poster.

The front and back pages are very simple with not a lot of detail around, which is something I don’t want in my leaflet because this will make the audience not want to pick it up and read it. However, on the first inside page is a floor plan/map of the exhibition which is clear for the readers, especially as it includes a key of what is displayed in each room.

On the other page, opposite the map, givens a run down introduction of the whole gallery and the exhibition. This gives the audience an understanding of theme which the artworks all link to.

Moving on, the two pages on the left give a brief run down of an artist and their painting/s that are located in this exhibition including an image and numbers that refer to the numbers on the map. I will use this idea to make clear to the audience where each painting is shown. Finally, the last pages of the leaflet, demonstrated on the right, is some information linking to other company's that helped with this exhibition and also a poster showing the next exhibition which will be coming soon.

Leaflet Design

Looking over previous leaflets from gallery exhibitions, I have gathered inspiration to create my own leaflet design. Using my poster as my front cover, making every page have a similar layout and creating a unified leaflet are all elements I need to show in my design for it to work efficiently and look appealing to the viewers eye.

These four pages, above, show the front cover, the inside front cover and the next two following pages. I have used my poster as the cover, which will help link my components together and make clear to the viewers this is all part of the same art exhibition event. Page 2 depicts a content page to guide people where everything is in this booklet, including an exhibition make and a run down of what is in each room of the galleries exhibition. Moving on, page 3 has a brief introduction to The National Gallery of Swindon as well as incorporating what this exhibition is about and page 4 shows a simple yet helpful map of where the information desk, each room, gift shop, toilets and stairs are all located, therefore, the visitor wont get lost.

Leaflet Design

These are the next three pages of the leaflet, containing the artwork and details of each piece in room 1, room 2 and two from room 3. I’ve continued the use of Caravaggio’s curtain at the top of each page, making the entire leaflet unified and linked to my theme of tonal. I have incorporated a small image of the paintings in every room so I can show the viewers a brief description about all the artworks when they are in the exhibition looking at the painting in person.

Leaflet Design

Finally, these are the last three pages of my leaflet. I’ve included the last two painting, from room 3, onto another page so all the information is spread out clearly and not squished together. Again, I wanted to carry through the curtains at the top, as well as including information on the inside back cover of everything the visitors may need, for example; photography, exhibition shop, café’s/restaurants and upcoming events that people maybe interested in. Onto the very last page, I left this blank, using the same colour background as on the front cover, to keep the whole leaflet contrasting and quiet.