Art 101 Draft Final Exam Museum

Edward Steichen created the two art pieces that I choose "Scarlet Poppy", 1920, oil on canvas and "The Sunflower", 1920, tempera and oil on canvas. Although the pieces are created by the same artist and both have the same mediums they are also very different. “Scarlet Poppy" lines are curvy and dark. It had implied lines also which everything looks connected. The colors used are opposite on the color wheel. Using red and blue both colors stand out complimenting each other and grabbing the attention of the viewer. Texture of the painting is bumpy. Steichen used space; the colors are not only used on the flower and the bowl but also the surrounding area. "The Sunflower" though created by the same artist and medium has a very different usage of design elements. The lines are thin, energetic, and solid. The line color is light compared to "Scarlet Poppy." More colors are used in the painting. The colors that compliment each other are also closer together. The colors now give the painting a brighter look. The texture is smoother than the "Scarlet Poppy." The two paintings in comparison both give the viewer's eye complimentary colors to catch the attention.
Works of art all have appearance, come from an Era, and biological background. The appearance refers to representational, abstract, or abstract expressionist. Movements and style are also definitions in art. Movement can be described as a succession of styles in art. Movement’s shorter spans that period which didn't exist until after the French Revolution around 1799 associated with modern periods.
Scarlet Poppy created in the 1920's during the Modern Period the Avant-Garde at the time. Avant-Garde is a French term used to say the newest, advanced, latest art. Scarlet Poppy which medium is oil on canvas style was wavering contours, dark base, and light values. The movement was Expressionism linked with Fauvism. Expressionism describes any style where the artist’s subjective feelings take precedence over objective observation. Developed in Germany spelled with a capitol E. Fauvism a part of Expressionism lasted only three short years. Being that Expressionism was developed in Germany, this is also the culture. Representational which means descriptive of a work of art that depicts forms in the natural world, is the appearance.

The Sunflower created also during the 1920's in the Modern Period same as Scarlet Poppy. The style of painting is three-dimensional and coherent. Style relates to the appearance of art and its specific visual characteristics or group of characteristics that the viewer recognizes as constant, recurring, or coherent. The appearance is abstract expressionist. Abstract expressionist is an American movement of mid-20th century characterized by large scale and nonrepresentational imagery. An outgrowth of surrealism, Abstract Expressionism emphasized the artist's spontaneous expression as it flowed from the subconscious, which it turn was believed to draw on primal energies. Cubism is the movement which was created by two artists in Paris. Although, developed in Paris the culture is Spain because of the artist Pablo Picasso who was a young Spanish painter. Although the two paintings are created during the same period, they have more differences than similarities.
Scarlet Poppy, Edward uses a different variety of design principles such as Variety, unity, emphasis, balance, and scale. This creates an outstanding painting to catch the viewer’s attention.
The artist uses the rose as emphasis in the center of the picture to catch the viewer’s attention to draw them into the painting. Using unity and variety, a sense of oneness and providing interest, the rose is the unity and the bowl that the rose is in and the similar colors in the variety of the background shows the ususage of the elements. There is also balance by placing the rose to stand out weighing evenly around the central axis. Scale is also used in the painting with the rose being in relation to the size a viewer will expect to be normal. Also the bowl is in scale.
The Sunflower uses unity and variety, symmetrical balance, and proportion.
Steichen uses in this painting unity and variety by using shapes and colors to attract the viewer’s attention. Using about 12 colors, different shapes and simple curves. Symmetrical balanced is used to correspond the shape and size. Proportion is used in relations to the parts between parts of a whole. The shapes are used in proportion being different sizes. The different principles are used to create a painting to attract the viewer’s eye.
Both paintings you realize are by the same artist and were made during the same period. Made during the Modern Period, the paintings have few comparisons. Both have the similar mediums although The Sunflower has tempera oil on canvas while Scarlet Poppy is just oil on canvas. Both have colors that compliment however, Scarlet Poppy uses two basic colors red and blue while the Sunflower uses about 12 different colors and have different lines and texture. Similar design principles using unity and variety in both paintings. However, Scarlet Poppy also uses emphasis, balance, and scale while The Sunflower has symmetrical balance and proportion. With all the information learned about the two paintings I understand why I chose them and what stood out to me. When I seen both of the paintings it didn’t take long for me to decide that I wanted to use them. The Sunflower bright colors and shapes which attracted me to the painting. I just couldn’t figure out why I loved the painting so much. Now I’ve learned what I was looking at was the design principle unity and variety. I was attracted to the Scarlet Poppy because though the colors were dark there was still a light I noticed and the flower stood out. Learning new things in this class taught me all along that the light I could still see was a dark base with light values. The rose was emphasis in the painting. Now when I’m asked what I like about the paintings I can give factual educational reasoning without saying “I just do.”