Essay #1

Comparing and Contrasting 

Visiting to the Metropolitan Museum of art was a great experience. We started with the Egyptian displays and was immediately impressed and blown away. My favorite part was the modern collection, but there is so much to say about the countless exhibits and incredible artwork spanning thousands of years. It was really hard for me to select two artworks because there were too many choices. I was just surprised.

The name of the first painting is “The Adoration of the Magi” by Giotto di Bondone” Dating to about 1320, showing the life of Christ. The second painting is called “Friedland” by Ernest Messonier, dating 1861. Those two paintings are more than 500 years apart from each other. There are many similarity and difference between two artworks.

First of all, they are similar in some ways. If I talk about the forms of art or mediums, I can see both are 2D painting. Both are bounded by an edge, has a length and a width. There are positive and negative spaces in both of the works. In the first picture the negative spaces are most visible between the angels in the top of the roof and in the second panting middle of the two groups and so on. Two paintings have value, means the range of lights and darks is exist and here it is suggested. In the first painting, the light is shining from the right side behind of the roof. In the second painting the artist brought brightness in the front but it looks gloomy in the left corner. Both painting have majority of organic shapes. In the first painting human, goats, angels are in organic shape. In the second picture horses, people, sky, grass all represent organic shape. I can see some geometric shape in the first painting such as the roof looks like triangle.  Textures of both paintings are implied.

Secondly, those two painting are different in many ways. In the first picture Bondone used where Messonier used oil in canvas tempera on wood. The visual elements are different. In the first painting the artist used worm colors and in the second picture the artist used both warm and cool colors. Furthermore, in the second painting I see unity and variety. There are the repetition of horses and people, but everyone is in different position.  In the sky the artist established achromatic uses of color. The subjects of two paintings are different. They represents different time place. In the first painting artist showed religious pattern. People look helpless. They only hope the grace of god in their bad time. They do not want to change their position by themselves. On the other hand in the second painting is more realistic. People are aware about their rights. They are desire to change their poor condition.

To conclude, any artwork is the expose of talent of an artist. An art does not happen accidently. Art is a creation. In those two paintings are very worthy. Artists made those very carefully with their brilliant head and creative head.