Project 2: Albright Knox

A.)

Claude Monet 

Chemin de halage à Argenteuil (Towpath at Argenteuil, Winter), 1875-1876

oil on canvas

support: 23 5/8 x 39 3/8 inches (60.0075 x 100.0125 cm); framed: 32 1/2 x 48 1/4 x 4 inches (82.55 x 122.555 x 10.16 cm)

The texture and muted colors have a strong impact on me. It makes the painting look soft. The difference of the smooth water and the rough land is aesthetically appealing to me and has an interesting balance.

Vincent van Gogh

La maison de La Crau (The Old Mill), 1888

oil on canvas

support: 25 1/2 x 21 1/4 inches (64.77 x 53.975 cm); framed: 32 3/4 x 28 3/4 x 3 1/2 inches (83.18 x 73.02 x 8.89 cm)

I also love the texture of Gogh's painting. I feel like I can run my hand over the landscape and it would feel real even though it is not a realistic interpretation of a building. I like the use of the horizon; it gives the painting depth.

B.)

Salvador Dali

The Transparent Simulacrum of the Feigned Image, 1938

oil on canvas

support: 28 1/2 x 36 1/4 inches (72.39 x 92.075 cm); framed: 33 7/8 x 41 3/8 x 2 1/2 inches (86.04 x 105.09 x 6.35 cm)

I've always felt a connection with Surrealist artwork and I'm not entirely sure why. Maybe it's because of the detailed and realistic art that is not visible in our daily lives. Dali's beautiful detail with the folds in the fabric and the hidden face in the mountain demands to be seen. The dreamlike landscape just draws you in.

Roy Lichenstein

Head - Red and Yellow, 1962

oil on canvas

support: 48 x 48 inches (121.92 x 121.92 cm); framed: 49 1/8 x 49 1/8 x 2 1/4 inches (124.78 x 124.78 x 5.72 cm)

Lichenstein's pop art reminds me of my favorite stickers. I love the bold and solid quality of the painting's lines and it isn't until I'm up close that I notice the detailed dots that make up the shade of her face. I like comics and pop art which has become popular again. I have stickers that resemble Lichenstein's painting.

C.)

Georges Seurat

Étude pour "Le Chahut" (Study for "Le Chahut"), 1889

oil on canvas

support: 21 3/4 x 18 1/2 inches (55.24 x 46.99 cm); framed (artist frame): 26 5/8 x 23 x 1 inches (67.63 x 58.42 x 2.54 cm); frame: 30 7/8 x 27 3/8 x 2 7/8 inches (78.42 x 69.53 x 7.3 cm)

I find Seurat's painting to be very beautiful and I'm interested in the process of it's creation. It feels very soft to me. I'm curious about what went into creating the texture and movement of this work. The information provided by the gallery says that Seurat used a grid for the painting and even painted the frame. 

Camille Pissarro

Paysans dans les champs, Éragny (Peasants in the Fields, Éragny), 1890

oil on canvas

support: 25 3/8 x 31 5/8 inches (64.45 x 80.33 cm); framed: 34 1/8 x 40 5/8 x 4 1/2 inches (86.68 x 103.19 x 11.43 cm)

I love Pissarro's detail that creates texture. The soft horizon line between the mountain and the sky is almost the same color, yet they are distinct from each other. I'm interested in the process of creating such a detailed work.