The essay is devoted to the visual analysis of the painting Assembly at Wanstead House. The painting was created by the British artist William Hogarth and refers back to the time period approximately from 1728 to 1731. Wlliam Hogarth is a famous British painter who lived during the period of 1697 – 1764. While Hogarth is most widely known as the painter, the works he created contribute to the understanding of his creation through the prism of social criticism and pictorial satire. During his life, the painter managed to create a wide range of various works, starting with the realistic portraits and to the comic-strip-like images series.
William Hogarth was born in a family of a poor school teacher who later was prisoned for debts. Since his
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The inclusion of this element in the painting helps to deliver an idea about the widely spread practice of gambling in England of the 18th century. Gambling was so common a feature of daily life that it can be included in conversation portraits such as Assembly at Wanstead House without any hint of the scandal (Richard 3). It is also crucial to note that everything occurs in a calm atmosphere and does not express signs of passion, which may also be viewed as an attribute of the higher society. The guests are gathered there playing cards and drinking tea, which appears to be a common practice for England of respective time. It is important to note that the events seem to take place in the evening, and it is signified through the view outside and the fact that chandelier is lighted. Such parties were not uncommon among the representatives of the class of nobilities, and the grand parties were usual practice for the aristocrat like the Lord, and the account of one of such parties could be found when he was elevated another rank in peerage and became Earl Tylney (Marks 5). Hence, the painting provides the viewers with a clear account of the life of the richest people of England during the 18th
This paper can analyze the context within which the work of art, "Death on the Pale Horse" was created. The discussion also will determine the medium that the creator selected still as highlight a number of the additional fascinating aspects of this Benjamin West painting.
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.
Just as in Poe’s, this story places significance upon the appearance of the house and its surroundings. The Dorsets host parties for each generation of children in their neighborhood. Enhancing further the evidence of gothic style found in Taylor’s story, the parents’ curiosity is overcome by a feeling of horror concerning the types of events that unfold during those parties. The parties also act as points of isolation for the children and the Dorsets. Except for the people who attend the party, no one knew the explanation or the necessity for the annual event. The presence of curiosity and secrecy help to support the gothic basis for this story.
The three most significant art principles I found in this painting are the contrast of the light and dark areas, the focal point being his aunt, and the sense of unity conveyed. The contrast of colors shows the natural cast of shadows within an
While observing this painting, several questions came to mind, like a bulb became lit. Questions about the sky, the dress, the sun, the reflection in the door, and the rooftop water tank were formed in my mind. I even wondered where Williams was while observing.
There is also a mirror placed on the table allowing the viewers to link with space beyond the frame. Also in the far back right of the painting you can see a young man talking to an elderly. The artist created an very old or old-fashioned look by using opposing colors, red and green. “The second half of the fifteenth century in northern Europe saw an expansion of genre
Already hearing the Mr.Beaufort raising his voice at Mrs.Struthers asking where the Countess was, Ellen Olenska knocked on the door with compunction. Mrs.Struthers answered the door and was already slightly intoxicated. Mrs.Struthers pushed her in and Ellen was immediately engulfed by the grandeur of Mrs.Struthers’ party. Massive chandeliers hung low from the ceiling, live music surrounded the house, and luxurious food was being enjoyed by Mrs.Struther’s party guests: the Duke and Mr.Beaufort. They offered her a seat and she declined, but Mr.Beaufort was importunate, and so she sat. After Mrs.Struthers’ servants gave Ellen her elegant food and a drink, they immediately plunged into conversation about the social codes and customs of this “close-minded”
As some parts of background are closer to the light source than the front, they are applied with brighter hues, high in value. In addition, Millet places things like haystack, trees and farmhouse in the back, and peasant women in the front. Hence. On the basis the positions of objects, the principle of line perspective, and the relative distance to the viewer, three gleaners visually appear within a larger proportion on the painting. In other words, the front figures’ sizes are bigger than the back objects’.
The background plot for the painting was borrowed from the Corneille’s play, Horace. The approximate symmetry of the painting becomes more prominent in the case when the viewer knows the story of the Corneille’s play. It is essential to refer to the fact that there is a difference between the right and left sides not only in terms of physical composition, but more than that, various emotional connotations are depicted by each ones.
The artwork of William Hogarth is influenced greatly by social factors and the culture of eighteenth century England. In many of his works, Hogarth satirizes English society, rich and poor alike. His paintings and engravings depict the society of which he lived, with the costumes and ways of life of the times all shown in his work. Much of the time he is being satirical, exaggerating some of the faults of the people, other times he is being bitingly realistic in his views. It seems no-one is safe from his caricatures, from the lords and ladies, to slaves, servants, prostitutes, criminals and the poor.
In the top story of one the buildings fortunate to still be standing, is a man who has hung himself from the rafters. Willaim Hogarth used all these startling scenes to grab the attention of the viewer and give them an insight on London at its lowest. Through “Gin Lane,” Hogarth expressed the ravenous effects gin had on the people of London and how it affected the living environment as well.
‘Oh! Yes- Do let the portraits of your uncle and Aunt Phillips be placed in the gallery at Pemberley. Put them next to your great uncle the judge. They are in the same profession, you know; only in different lines. As for your Elizabeth’s picture, you must not attempt to have it taken, for what painter could do justice to those beautiful eyes’ (46).
The shapes of the figures are sharply defined and the objects such as the table, book, and string instruments. There are diagonal rhythms throughout the painting in which it creates movement. The light source in the upper left allows the source light to have a more natural appearance throughout the painting. The shadows at the right-hand corner and the men wearing green in the middle contrast the main object with the most sources of lighting. The objects shadows and lighting create dimension and a vivid sense of more contrast. There are areas in the making with more contrast and the sharp contrast that creates movement in the painting. The shadows and the lighting throughout the painting show gradations and the highlights create more depth. Staring from the upper-left hand corner with the first figure of a gentleman wearing a hue of blue and yellow, the left side of his face and garment shows the source light in right above him. The source light above the
This painting is divided into three equal parts by the arches in the background and the characters correspond to each of these arches (TV12). The father is in the middle portion of the painting. The lines of perspective created by the tiled floor, draws our attention to the swords that the father is holding and the vanishing point lies just behind the handles of the sword. Our angle of vision is such that we are looking directly at the main figures groups, particularly the father. A single light source from the left of the picture illuminates the characters and also focuses our attention to the father holding the sword. This creates a ‘theatrical’ effect. The background is simple and stark so our attention is focussed on the figure groups in the painting. The painting has a wide tonal range that makes the composition logical and balanced. The colours used in this
Gabriel Conroy and his wife, Gretta Conroy, attend a party held by Gabriel’s aunts, Kate Morkan and Julia Morkan. The mood of the party is intentionally festive. It’s an annual event – “the Misses Morkan’s annual dance” (1227). But parts of the evening turn out to be quite nostalgic. The nostalgia comes from certain guests attending the party who are