Cortot

What first catches the viewer 's eyes are the vivid colors used in the painting. Ultimately what jumps out the most is the man on the right 's red robe. The artist intended this for a reason, discussed later. The room where the men are standing is front lit. Also the atmosphere is

The six trees are very evident when you first look at the painting more often than not it will be the first thing that catches your eye. There are multiple rivers around the painting nevertheless they are all connected in some way. One of the other main focal points that grabs the eye is the white

While the painters after the Impressionism period were collectively called the “Post-Impressionists,” the label is quite reductive. Each artist had their own unique style, from Seurat’s pointillism to Signac’s mosaic-like divisionism, Cezanne, Émile Bernard, and others. These artists were all connected in that they were reacting to the aesthetics of Impressionism. Two of the more influential painters from this movement were Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin, who aimed to connect with viewers on a deeper level by access Nature’s mystery and meaning beyond its superficial, observable level. However, each artist’s approach to achieving this goal was different. In close examination of Vincent van Gogh’s Self-Portrait (Dedicated to Paul Gauguin) and Paul Gauguin’s Self-Portrait with Portrait of Émile Bernard (Les misérables), one may clearly see the two artists’ contrasting styles on display.

It is almost a reflection of the man’s trident. That same pitchfork shape also appears in the window of the house that sits in between both figure’s heads. Repetition can also be seen in the dotted pattern of the woman’s outfit, which also appears in the material of the curtain that hangs in the house’s window. The echo of verticals in this painting is also strong. The faces and bodies of the figures seem to be stretched, and narrowed. The pitchfork’s slender prongs and the green stripes on the man’s shirt also add to the elongation of their frame. The copious amounts of vertical wood boards that make up the house and the barn, keep the viewer’s eye moving up and down the picture plane. Wood’s use of verticality in this painting is overwhelming.

The question of beauty has been asked since the beginning of time and yet there is still no precise answer. When discussing this same question and applying it to works of art a number of answers could be as large as the population. Henri Matisse and Francis Bacon have both inspired artists for generations and are considered to be opposite sides of the coin. Matisse created paintings with bright, happy colors mixing in patterns and showed life as it was viewed from the outside, leading to the idea that he created pretty paintings. On the other hand, Bacon produced intense paintings which included rich, dark colors that expressed the agony that can only be viewed from within oneself. When the viewer immerses themselves in both styles of painting it will be clear that art does not need to “be pretty”.

Beauty is a subjective idea that focuses on the characteristics preferable to a single species that gives an advantage over another and at the cost of another species survival. Humans have created astounding empires with beautiful cities and monuments because they were the most progressive species that are able to do so because of their capacity for violence. Some empires fear for their survival, so they must eliminate any threat whether it be humans or other animals. The poem, “Thanks” by Yusef Komunyakaa, it symbolizes how humans can become single minded only driven by their own personal desires at the sake of anyone else. Humans naturally commit ugly atrocities to progress their own beauty, or at least idea of, and they instinctively oppose nature because mankind is the dark side of nature.

Beauty is an incredibly subjective thing; what might seem appealing to one’s eyes may be horrendously ugly in the eyes of another. However, the status of “beautiful” or “ugly” can be assigned rather objectively when art is examined from the perspectives of different philosophies. The beliefs and values of different philosophies can be used to find meaning and beauty in various art forms, allowing for a more straightforward determination of beauty. Because of the many layers of meaning most paintings entail, they are a perfect example of an art form that can be analyzed by numerous philosophical viewpoints to find meaning and beauty, and Ma Yuan’s painting Walking on a Mountain Path in Spring, which comes from the Song dynasty of Chinese and depicts a sole figure standing in a natural surrounding, is no exception. Ma Yuan’s painting is beautiful because it represents the ultimate achievements for the Buddhist, Daoist, and Confucian philosophies.

It is unfortunate that we live in a society that places such a great emphasis and consideration towards the aesthetics of beauty. What is more

The painting Square at La Trinité (Le Square de La Trinité) (1875) by Pierre-Auguste Renoir is located at the RISD museum in Providence, RI. This is an oil painting on canvas, surrounded by an ornate gold frame. Square at La Trinité is a pastel colored landscape scene with nature, figures and buildings in the background. The main focus of the painting is the two people in the right-hand corner, one a female and the other a male who are strolling through a lively garden. During the 19th century impressionist artists wanted to capture life as they saw it happening. Another artist who had a similar style to Renoir was Monet who painted works such as Beach at Trouville (1870) where he painted his wife sitting on the beach taking part in middle-class leisure. Renoir’s work demonstrates the impressionist technique important to the 19th century, evident by the way he captured middle class leisure in a modern subject matter.

When discussing beauty and applying it to works of art the number of answers would be as large as the population. Henri Matisse and Francis Bacon have both inspired artists for generations and these artists are on opposite sides of the coin. Because Matisse used bright, happy colors mixing in patterns and showing life from the outside it has led to the idea that Matisse created pretty paintings. On the other hand, Bacon produced intense paintings from the emotions within oneself, including rich, dark colors that expressed the agony and turmoil. When the viewer immerses themselves in both styles of painting it will be evident Matisse painted what society aspires to become and Bacon painted how individuals feel; proving that art does not need to “be pretty”.

This painting shows how close and codependent humans and nature were. How well humans worked together with one another and their world. How peaceful those that are close to nature are, which is why it (nature) must be celebrated and appreciated.

Monet's Water Lily is displayed at the l'Orangerie in Paris. This Water Lily room was built by the French state as Monet gave the painting to them. Monet created this painting later in his life, after his wife and his son had die, and the oval shaped pavilion with the light from above has created this sense of solemnity that you would expect in a religious context. Monte devoted huge amount of his lifetime to plant the water lily gardens and then he translated them on to the canvas to preserve that sense of momentary. Monte use of color intensity and its harmony reflect more beauty than reality. There’s something sublime in the paint this Water Lily of Monet. He was able to create a sense volume on the 2-dimensional surface of the pond which

Beauty sets standards for society through appearance, especially in younger generations due to use of social media and picture editing. “Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder” is a saying that has been around for ages (Plato, n.p.). It is an accurate phrase because of contrasting views within particular individuals. Beauty is present in the good deeds of community members as well as the unity exhibited through dreadful events. It is a flower bud breaking through the dirt into the fresh, spring air. To clarify how beauty is viewed, it is often times the exposure of evil accounting for the new appreciation of something beautiful. After recognizing the privileges we acquire, the existence of beauty is revealed and expressed more easily. In current society, appreciating beauty is substantial to

Matisse was influenced by Cézanne's method of analyzing and pulling apart his subject matter. Like Paul Cézanne, Matisse believed that everything could be broken down into simple shapes and painted that way (Matisse, Bonheur de Vivre, n.d.). In Bonheur de Vivre the broken down figures accurately represent the human form and living scenery. The figures in The Large Bathers emit a feeling of calm while the scene depicted in Bonheur de Vivre is a place full of life and love and freedom. Unlike the paintings by Cézanne, Matisse's work does not depict forms that recede in the background and diminish in scale. In Bonheur de Vivre, the scale of the figures in the foreground and the middle ground is badly skewed (Matisse, Bonheur de Vivre, n.d). Matisse brought exploration of vision through space by incorporating shifting perspectives. As a result, the viewer relates differently to the painting and is required to "enter" the scene. Matisse's painting is perhaps the first canvas to actually further the elder master’s ideas.

Claude Lorrain was able to portray the world around him in a unique way and for him “This landscape was the constant inspiration of his art, and he revealed the beauty and grandeur of its changing light, its glittering seas, its distant plains and majestic trees as through seen for the first time.” , giving the viewer the opportunity to look at the world around them in a new and exciting way. Proust’s belief that art is powerful because it gives one the opportunity to regain their appreciation for life is depicted by Lorrain in his Pastoral Landscape with the Ponte-Molle (Figure A). This landscape is based off of the Timber Valley, with the Ponte Molle accurately pictured in the background, even though it is not a topographically accurate work because Lorrain’s top priority was to capture the natural beauty of the scenery. The sun is shown low on the horizon to emphasize the soft lighting, accentuating the ambience of the tranquil setting. Lorrain’s placement of the sun allows for a soft light to illuminate the entire piece and the overlapping of colours in the skyline creates a sfumato effect that adds to mystical feel of the overall