Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Art Daio 2, View of Heidelberg

Ms. Wieringa
Drawing I
11 October 2007



Art Daio: View of Heidelberg





This work of art, the View of Heidelberg, was drawn by Jan Brueghel. The pen and brown ink drawing with blue and brown washes was completed in ca. 1589. In the foreground, there is hard, bareness land and what appears to be a cliff, in the middle ground there is a lake with a boat, and finally in the background there is a castle and a bridge with a large mountain located behind them.



By analyzing this piece, it is discovered that many elements and principles of art were used in its creation. Space, for example is an element of art. Space is seen in this drawing by the distance between the land and the boat, and finally, from the boat to the land. Line is also another element used throughout this drawing. Line is seen in the way that the boat, bridge, and castle are outlined. The lines in the castle, boat, and bridge define the edges of the objects. Harmony, a principle of art, is the last thing present in the drawing. Harmony is achieved in this drawing by the way that similar elements are used to create an uncomplicated feel to the work.



Although this piece, the View of Heidelberg, is quite simple, many interpretations can be drawn from it. Could it possibly be a stately castle standing majestically on a hill? Or is it a vast and large city? Many variations are possible, for example, maybe the boat symbolizes oncoming enemies or someone that just fled the quite remarkable castle. Even this piece in all its simplicity could have many different meanings and variations depending on the viewer’s opinion.


This painting, the View of Heidelberg, is one of Brueghel’s drawings that reside in Metropolitan Museum of Art. In my opinion, I believe this painting is okay, it’s not the greatest I’ve seen, but it’s not the worst either. Some portions of the painting are very simple and almost too washed out by the lack of color and shading. I do not think that this painting was very successful because of the lack of striking color and contrast. The piece itself is not strong enough to catch the viewer’s eye or to stand alone.


Work Cited


Brueghel, Jan. View of Heidelberg. 1588-1589. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. 9 Oct. 2007 <http://www.metmuseum.org/Works_of_Art/viewOnezoom.asp?dep=9&zoom%20Flag=0&viewmode=0&item=1995%2E15>.

1 comment:

arrielle said...

Hey there, i really like your daio. i agree with you in your opinion on how its ok but you have seen better.
So what is your favorit thing about the picture?