Wassily Kandinsky, Composition VII, 1913
Wassily Kandinsky, a Russian painter, painted composition VII in 1913, just a year before the beginning of WW1. Kandinsky was an abstract artist, just like it is evident in composition VII. The painting combines various colors, shapes, lines and forms. From a conventional perspective, especially when one looks at paintings like those of Leonardo da Vinci, people would expect to see realistic forms or even representations of various objects and phenomena such as people, landscapes, and natural features. However, from composition VII, Kandinsky veered from the norm, and probably came up with his own art theory and artistic style. From the painting, the focus seems to be about evoking mood as opposed to aesthetic appeal or trying to represent forms. Kandinsky was a friend of Schoenberg, a classic music composer, and with this style of music, composers usually attempted to evoke emotions. Kandinsky might have been inspired by classic music. Composition VII does not have discernible shapes, forms, or even lines, and the colors used blend to depict some sort of an apocalypse. The conflict of forms also evokes some sort of spirituality from the artist, and perhaps Kandinsky sought to depict the mood at the time; the probability of WW1 happening.
Van Eyck, Portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and his Wife, 1434
Van Eyck’s painting focuses on an Italian merchant, Giovanni Arnolfini and his wife, and the greatest focus of this painter is to depict wealth and grandeur. Therefore, the painter uses intricate details to portray the wealth and richness. For instance, the couples are depicted in fashionable clothing of the time, which might not have been affordable to the ordinary people. Fruits, probably oranges are depicted on the window of the bedroom, where the couple stands as they hold hands. The room is filled with precious objects ranging from a chandelier to mirrors. From the painting, it seems an important event, probably sacred, is taking place because as the couples hold their hands, the mirror shows the presence of other people in the room. The mirror has inscriptions or paintings of Christ on the cross, and this could mean the couples revered religion. Therefore, the event taking place could probably be religious. Van Eyck uses oil painting, and seems to be obsessed with creating contrast between darkness and light. While the floor of the room is dark, the middle of it is well lit through use of lighter hues, which are specifically brighter at the side of the window.
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Jackson Pollock, Number 1A, 1948
In this painting, Pollock simply sprayed paint on canvass which had his hand prints. The artwork is abstract. Pollock simply ignored the convention of using the brush on canvass and took the risk of inventing a unique style of art. The painting looks wild and almost like a mess. The perspective brought about by Pollock is that art is subjective; it is about how an individual feels, and that art is not always about aesthetics all the time. Pollock was interested in subjects such as psychoanalysis and the mind. Therefore, it is likely that he expressed what he thought. The painting is also referred to as action art; creativity and skill is not just in the final piece but it is also depicted in how the artist makes the painting. Pollock walked around the canvass with a split paint bucket or container and skillfully splashed the painting on the canvass. Therefore, Pollock wanted to show that skills in doing the painting are also just as important as the final painting. Summarily, Pollock’s painting depicts that art can also be subjective, and that artists can express themselves through it.
