Composition - examples of note

[Enzie Shahmiri]

Dear Mike,

I had come across his work before and just love the vibrancy of the colors. His work also reminds me of that of illustrators, there is a narrative in each and every one of them.

Thanks for digging these delightful images up!

[Mike McCarty]

When I first came upon these images I was struck by how small they were. The Preening Peacock is only 18x15. But it was the mocking nature of the subjects that really got me wondering. As is said above - during most of history (even now in some parts of the world - I recall some recent cartoon figures) you could easily loose your head having authored these images.

Could these be the precursors to the painting of the virgin Mary that caused such a commotion a few years back. It's hard to imagine a further decline from there.

It's easy to get involved in the narrative, but putting the politics aside they are some stunning images.

Here are a couple more from Jihan Georges Vibert. Notice how much volume is given above the subjects in each of these paintings:

1- Tea for the Bishop 24x18
2- The Sick Doctor 1892

There are some nice large images of his work on the ARC web site here:

http://www.artrenewal.org/asp/database/art.asp?aid=134

The Fortune Teller, which doesn't come across very well here, is particularly worth the visit.

[Mike McCarty]

A passage from the book - Little Lord Fauntleroy,
by Frances Hodgson Burnett:

"And; indade," said Mary to the groceryman, "nobody cud help laughin' at the quare little ways of him--and his ould-fashioned sayin's! Didn't he come into my kitchen the noight the new Prisident was nominated and shtand afore the fire, lookin' loike a pictur', wid his hands in his shmall pockets, an' his innocent bit of a face as sayrious as a jedge? An' sez he to me: `Mary,' sez he, `I'm very much int'rusted in the 'lection,' sez he. `I'm a 'publican, an' so is Dearest. Are you a 'publican, Mary?' `Sorra a bit,' sez I; `I'm the bist o' dimmycrats!' An' he looks up at me wid a look that ud go to yer heart, an' sez he: `Mary,' sez he, `the country will go to ruin.' An' nivver a day since thin has he let go by widout argyin' wid me to change me polytics."

Pierre-Auguste Cot, 1837 - 1883

Little Lord Fountleroy - oil on canvas

[Enzie Shahmiri]

Why do you think there is so much space above the figures in "Tea for the Bishop"and "The Sick Doctor"?

I can see how the extra space helps to employ the darkness (almost like fog entering the room in Sick Doctor) as a tool to make the other colors pop, without loosing the details of the room interior. The extra height over the figures also adds a sense of atmosphere to the room .

Of course, the boring explanation would be, back then rooms had very high ceilings....

I am curious to know what others think about all that space above the figures.

[Mike McCarty]

I am curious to know what others think about all that space above the figures.

I would say that first of all these are not portraits per se, but narratives, story telling. Also, it may be in keeping with his want to portray these people in a negative way, to illustrate more fully the grandeur and pomposity of their surroundings.

[Tom Edgerton]

Mike--

It'd be interesting to see the golden section applied to these last two genre pieces.

My guess is the heads (and the screen in the "Tea..") would hit somewhere just about there.

--TE

[Mike McCarty]

Tom,

I think I've got one represented below.

400w x 520h each multiplied by phi .618

The vertical blue line creates the first golden mean relationship from the horizontal perspective. The red line creates this relationship from the vertical perspective. The white line then creates two more rectangles from the golden section on the bottom right.

If my phiguring is correct I think that each of the phive resulting rectangles would be considered a golden section. It would seem that compositionally this painting would hold up pretty well in this regard.

[John Reidy]

I agree with Mike. Careful not to place any of todays concepts in yestrday's time frame, I believe that the size of the room shows opulence without shouting about it.

Not being familiar with the works and concious of the limits of photography I also trust that there is detail in the upper portions but it reproduces too dark to see.

[John Reidy]

WOW! I am late with the above comment and way to simple. Thanks Mike and Tom for the enlightenment.