Landscape with Poplars Paul Cezanne

Kaimana Kuwada Period 2 Due Date: 2/3/12 Kumu: Mr. Nakamura

Description of the Elements Subject matter: There is a house in the middle of the painting on what appears to be a farm or a field. There are trees on both the left and right side of the house, with an open field on the bottom of the painting and a sky on the top of the painting. Behind the house there appears to be hills. Line: One of the major axis lines in the picture are the trees on the right side. The lines start from the top left and move to the bottom right, hinting at a slight breeze. The painting is painterly because it doesnt emphasize the contour lines and instead focuses on the strokes of the paint brushes. Color: The colors in the painting are green, yellow-green, and bluegreen. These colors are analogous colors and are found in the trees, fields, hills, and the house. The painting is made up mostly of cool colors, while there are a few warm colors in the sky. The painting is low intensity with a lot of darker colors. Space: Space in my painting is shown by overlapping the house with the hills, the trees with the hills and the house/fields. Depth is also shown by the positioning of the trees in relation to the house. The base of the trees are closer to the bottom of the picture than the base of the house, showing that the house is further back than the trees. Shape: The geometric shapes in the picture are rectangles, squares and tireangles, all of which are found in the house in the middle. All the other

shapes, such as the trees and the grass in the field and hills, are all organic shapes. Value: The painting is mostly darker shades which helps to show that the painting takes place mostly during the evening. Visually, it emphasizes the sky because it is a little brighter than the rest of the painting while it also emphasized the house in the back because its darker than the rest of the painting. The darkness of the painting creates a more relaxed feeling. Texture: The simulated texture is shown in the trees, the grass, and the sky. The illusion of the texture on both the trees and the grass is shown by thin brush strokes going in the same direction, while the openness of the sky is shown by broad strokes with little visible lines. Form: The objects in the painting are depicted as three-dimensional objects while other objects are depicted as flat, two-dimensional shapes. The three-dimensional objects, such as the trees, are shown to be threedimensional from the shading around the trunk and on the right underside of the leaves/branches. The rest of the picture is all two dimensional with no apparent form. Analysis of the Principles Balance: There is asymmetrical balance in my painting. The balance is achieved by the big tree and most of the house on the on the left side of the painting with the skinny trees on the right side of the painting.

Emphasis: The focal point of the picture is the house in the middle of the painting, which is created by the axis lines from the threes and grass as well as the difference in colors compared to the rest of the painting. Also, the house is the only geometric shape in the painting while the rest of the shapes are all organic. Movement/Rhythm: Movement is shown by the repeated direction of the brush strokes in both the trees and the field. The alternating vertical/diagonal lines give the illusion that the wind is blowing. Variety: A variety of elements is shown by the different brush techniques, different colors, different shapes, and different lines. For example, the sky has smooth brush strokes while the trees and grass has more jaggedlike brush strokes. The house is a geometric shape while the trees are organic shapes. The differences in the lines used also shows variety, with contour lines on the trees help define exactly where the trees are, while the blurriness and lack of contour lines in the trees help show the illusion that the wind is blowing the trees. Harmony: Harmony in the elements isnt really shown except for the color scheme. The rest of the painting shows mostly variety. Proportion: The proportion in the painting is natural because the size of the house in relation to where its supposed to be with the trees and the hill in the back are all about the same size one might see it in reality.

Gradation: Gradation is shown in the grass and trees, where the darker shades of both objects helps to create the illusion of depth. Unity: The painting does create unity. Two of the principles that work together well in the painting is the balance as well as the movement. The balance of the painting mimics reality while the movement helps give the painting a sense of calmness. The two principles together, with reality and calmness, helps add to the peaceful mood of the painting.