DAO! oct. 10

Rachel Snack
Mrs. Wierenga
DAOI
10 October 2007

Jan Brueghel: View of Heidelberg

Jan Brueghel’s drawing of the View of Heidelberg created in 1588, is a simple drawing of a town sitting atop a hill next to a wide river. In the background there are blue clouds. They are smooth, peaceful, and simple; and they almost look like they could be the vague shape of mountains. Also in the background is the city, and main focal point of the picture. It is drawn in sepia colors and is sketched lightly. A bridge connects the city to another strech of land on the other side of the river. In the middleground is the river, which takes up most of the drawing. It is lightly tinted blue but looks calm and simple, just like the sky. Also in the middleground is a boat, the only one in the river and it looks like it might be a fishing boat, because of the net on the back of the boat. Looking at the foreground, you can see a small strech of land, a bank on the side of the river that keeps the river from dominating the page. It is also drawn in like sepia colors and some greens.
To me this looks like a fantasy world. Something you might see in Lord Of The Rings. It is quite and simple and reminds me of a medival setting, with wide open areas and tall castle like structures. There is little texture or variety, everything is simple and light. However the light color contrasts Brueghel uses creates movement and variety in the picture. That alone makes the picture unique and stunning.
I think that this might have been Brueghel’s escape. It could have been his imagination, or perhaps a real place; it was beautiful and calming. Maybe the boat in the picture was Brueghel’s or he lived in the city. Maybe he simply wished it to be real. Whatever it was, I think anyone who saw it would have been inspired to paint.

I love this picture, which was one of the reasons why I picked to report on it. Its so calming and so beautiful, I get caught up in it. In my opinion this work is successful because Brueghel made me feel the mood of his paitning, which I think for any artist is the hardest thing. He was talented and used his skill to provide an escape not only for himself but for anyone who saw his painting. No doubt about it, Brueghel had a beautiful mind.

Brughel, Jan. Works of Art: Drawings and Paintings. Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2007. 10 Oct. 2007 .