Art History Project

Artist: Giacomo Balla Completion Date: 1913 Place of Creation: Italy Style: Futurism Medium: Oil on Canvas

Balla’s Speed of a Motorcycle has a very unique composition. This painting is made up mostly of curved lines and spirals. The composition of this piece is a little chaotic. This painting is very abstract, but once the name of the painting is known the content begins to make more sense. There is a large amount of movement in this painting. The piece is supposed to depict a motorcycle moving at very high speeds. Balla attempted to create a painting that looks something like slow shutter speed on a camera but with his own twist to it.

There is unity in the curved lines of this painting. The painting depicts a motorcycle at a very high speed and the curved lines are to represent the movement of the bike. The balance in this painting is created in the background.

The lines are balanced by the negative space which makes up the background.

There is very little color used in this painting. The curved lines are black, brown and grey. The background is a crème color which is very neutral as well as calming. The light source in this painting is not specific. It is probably daytime outside and the light is likely to be coming from the sun, but this is not specific in the painting. The mood of this painting is mixed. The motorcycle creates the feeling of speed and adrenaline where as the background is calm and tranquil.

Over all, the feeling of speed takes over due to the title of the piece and the chaos in the curved lines.

Artist: Giacomo Balla Completion Date: 1912 Style: Futurism Technique: Oil on Canvas Dimensions: 91 x 110 cm Gallery: Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY, USA

Dynamism of a Dog on a leash by Balla is a very detailed depiction of a woman walking her dog. The composition of this piece is made up of a dog and the feet of its owner. The background of this piece is made up of diagonal lines that aid in the paintings portrayal of movement. The movement in this painting is very vivid. It is extremely present in the legs of both the owner and the dog as well as his tail. This painting does not depict a moment in time, instead it depicts a couple of steps. There is unity between to two portrayed in this painting mostly in their feet. Both the dog and the dog-walker have several sets of blurred feet.

Similar to the speed of a motorcycle this painting looks as if it is a photograph taken with a long shutter speed. The two subjects in this piece balance each other out. The piece would not be the same if only one of the subjects had a trail of feet. The meaning of the painting would be completely different. The color in this painting is very minimal. Balla used black to create both subjects and a very light color to create the background. the light in this painting is most likely from a natural source due to the fact that the picture is of a dog being walked which is most probably happening outside. We cannot be sure of this because we are not shown any evidence to confirm this. The mood of the painting is very dark and sad. The painting gives of a depressing feeling. This is due to the main subjects being almost entirely dressed in black.

Artist: Giacomo Balla Completion Date: 1909 Style: Futurism Technique: Oil on Canvas Dimensions: 174.7 x 114.7 cm Gallery: Museum of Modern Art, New York, USA

Street Light by Balla is very different from his other pieces. In this painting Balla magnifies light fragments and blows them up until they are life sized and seen by the “naked eye�. The composition of this painting is created by the light source in the middle of the painting and the light particles flowing from the light.

There is a large amount of movement in this painting. Due to the shape of the fragments of light it seems as though they are shooting outwards from the light itself. There is an extremely large amount of particles exiting from the light and are mostly concentrated around the light itself and seem to spread out as they move further away from the source. The unity and balance in this piece is present in the is present in the light fragments. The unity is present in the fragments that are similar in color and are balanced out by the those that differ in color. Also, the artificial light source and the moon in the top right of the piece can be considered united and the dark circle that borders the piece creates balance. The colors used in this piece are mostly primary colors. There is a large amount of yellow in the middle of the piece surrounded by an area of red light fragments and borders by a dark blue frame. The light in this painting comes predominantly from the light bulb in the center and partially from the moon in the top corner. The mood of this painting is very happy. The light creates a feeling of joy in the viewer. This is because symbolically bright light is used to represent happiness or success.

Artist: Pablo Picasso Created: 1937 Period: Cubism Dimensions: 60 cm x 49 cm Medium: Oil on Canvas

The painting Femme En Pleurs is a very unique piece. The composition of this painting is made up of very geometric lines and shapes. The face of the women is very distorted yet at first glance it is easy to see the woman’s face.

This painting has a one of a kind style and holds true to the Picasso painting style. There is a slight amount of movement in the painting. Firstly, it seems and though there is a tear dripping from her left eye. This represents movement because the tear is about to roll down her cheek. Also, there seems to be movement in the womens face. she seems to be disturbed by something and very distraught. There are choppy lines continuing from her hand to her mouth.

This creates the thought that she is nervous about something and biting her nails. The colors in this painting are similar to those used in fauvism. Although the woman’s face can be made out the colors used are not realistic. There is a large amount of yellow in this painting balanced out by the use of green, orange, and blue. The light in this painting appears to be coming form an artificial source which is relatively strong.

Artist: Pablo Picasso Completion Date: 1910 Style: Analytical Cubism Period: Cubism Technique: Oil on Canvas Dimensions: 92 x 65 cm Gallery: Pushkin Museum of Fine Art, Moscow, Russia

Picasso’s Ambroise Vollard is arguably one of the most interesting portraits ever done. The composition of the painting is made up of many intersecting lines. These lines create a distorted figure of a man and an abstract background.

Although there are no curved lines in this painting the mans face has an oval shape to it. This is due to the way the lines intersect with one another. There is very little or no movement in this painting. The man seems to be very still, almost in a meditative state. The unity in this painting is present in the use of colors that make up the background. They are mostly dark colors with the exception of some light grey areas. The part of the painting that balances this out is the mans face. The use of lighter colors such as brown and light grey for his beard create a balance in the painting. The light in this painting seems to be focused mainly on the mans face. there is glare on the mans forehead and nose that indicate that the light is coming from a source in front of the man. The mood of the painting is very calming. There is a large amount of tranquility in the mans facial expression.

Artist: Pablo Picasso Completion Date: c.1911 Style: Analytical Cubism Period: Cubist Period Technique: Oil on Canvas

Pablo Picassos Woman With Guitar is a very interesting. The composition is mostly made up of squares and rectangles with the exception of a few circular shapes present in the guitar as well as her chest. The painting has an abstract feeling to it yet is very easy to see the image Picasso wanted to portray. This is due to the shading of the squares. If the painting had no shading it would be very abstract and only very few people would be able to see Picasso’s intention with the painting. There is a slight amount of movement in this painting, mostly present in the woman’s hands. It appears as though she is playing guitar which insinuates that her hands would be moving. The unity in this painting is present in the similar color in the squares that create her body. The balance in this painting is present in the change of shading in the background squares in order to show the woman’s figure easily. The color of this painting is mostly created using a light brown or beige as well as the slight use of grey.

The mood of the painting carries a tranquil feeling which calms the viewer of this painting. It almost feels as though we are listening to her play the guitar.

Artist: Gustav Klimt Start Date: 1907 Completion Date:1908 Style: Art Nouveau Technique: Oil on Canvas Dimensions: 180 x 180 cm Gallery: The Österreichische Galerie Belvedere, Vienna, Austria

Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss has a very interesting composition. The piece is made up of mostly horizontal and diagonal lines that move the viewers eye through the painting. Firstly, the woman’s left hand is holding the mans hand.

The mans fingers are pointing towards the woman’s face giving her much more importance in the painting. This is amplified even more by the fact that the mans face is turned in a way that it is only possible to see a partial profile of the man and the woman’s face can almost fully be seen. There is a slight amount of movement in this painting. The subjects look as if they are trying to get as close as possible to each other. The movement is present in the face that the man looks as though he is continuing to pull her closer in. this intensifies the intimacy in the painting. Both the unity and balance in this painting is created by both subjects. The unity is present in both subjects in the fact that they are so closely bonded together. The balance is in the fact that they depend on each other. For example, they are a pair, like shoes, where as if you lose one the purpose of the items becomes inexistent. The colors in this piece are very bright. There is a large amount of yellow in the couples clothes including hints of red and green on the womans dress. The light in the painting is not clearly shown in the painting. It is not certain where it is coming from yet it can be assumed that the source is creating a relatively bright shine on the couple. The mood of the piece creates the feeling of love and togetherness. It can be assumed that this couple is madly in love and share happiness and experiences with one another.

Title: Pendio Montano a Unterach Artist: Gustav Klimt Size: 20X24 inch canvas Medium: Oil on Canvas

Klimt’s Pendio Montano A Unterach is a landscape with a very complex composition. The painting seems to be of a town on the border of a small body of the water. This painting is split into three sections. The sky, the water and the small town and lastly the small field at the bottom of the piece. The texture of the painting becomes less choppy as the viewer moves their eye down the painting.

The top third of the painting has a Van Gogh style brushstroke where as the bottom part is much smoother and realistic. There is very little movement in this painting. It is possible that there is wind present in the piece but this is not evident in the trees or water, therefore is not likely. There is no life present in this piece. No humans or animals are portrayed which creates even less possible movement. The unity in this piece is present in the buildings present in the town. The balance in this painting is mostly evident between the top third and the bottom third. The colors used in this painting are very natural colors. The painting is mostly made up of blue, green and yellow with exceptions of very little white that create the houses. The light in this painting comes form a natural source due to the fact that the piece depicts outdoor scenery. Due to the dark blues used in the sky it can be assumed that this painting depicts a moment in the late afternoon or night. The mood of this painting is relly calm and soothing.

The viewer is placed in the situation of observing nature and is brought back to an experience where this has happened in their life. The painting seems as though it is a representation of a meditative scene.

Artist: Gustav Klimt Completion Date: 1902 Style: Art Nouveau Technique: Oil on Canvas Dimensions: 100 x 100 cm Gallery: Gemaldegalerie Neue Meister, Dresden, German

Beech Forest I by Klimt has a composition made up of mostly vertical lines.

These lines are represented by dense trees in a forest. There is a large amount of depth of field in this painting because the trees are spread out enough for the viewer of the painting to see through the entire forest. There is very little movement in this picture. The only area where this is present is in the leaves falling. The painting seems to depict a moment in the fall due to the orange color of the leaves on the ground. there is also a large amount of green above the skyline at the top third of the painting. The light in this painting is from a natural source due to the fact that this scenery is outdoors. Assuming this is not a representation of a smaller model in the artists studio. The unity in this painting is present in the trees. They fill up the majority of the painting and are all relatively similar in physical traits. There is also a large amount of unity in the orange leaves on the ground. they are very similar in color and size. Both of these united groups create balance to one another due to the chance in color and shape. The mood of this painting is calm and quiet. Due to the fact that there are no signs of life anywhere in this painting there is a feeling of loneliness throughout this piece.

Artist: Wassily Kandinsky Completion Date: 1923 Place of Creation: Germany Style: Abstract Art Technique: Oil on Canvas Dimensions: 140 x 201 cm Gallery: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, USA

In Kandinsky’s Composition VIII the composition is made up of many geometric shapes. There is a large amount of circles present in this painting in different shapes and colors. There are also many squares, triangles, and line segments. There is a lot of movement in this painting. This is mainly present in the curvy lines and circles. The curvy lines seem like serpents and appear to be in motion. The circles in this painting seem to represent planets. They appear as though they are a solar system of a unique kind. There is a large amount of unity and balance in this piece. The unity is created by the similar shapes. The balance in this painting is created by the different colors used in each shape.

There is also balance in the fact that there are different shapes portrayed in the piece. There are many different colors used in this piece including red, blue and yellow as the main ones. The light in this painting is not very clearly depicted. It is uncertain where the light is coming from or even if there is any at all. The mood of this painting is confusion. This piece is very complex and scattered and so are the emotions expelled by it.