Select A Single Work Of Art From The Featured Collection ✓ Solved

Select A Single Work Of Art From The Collection Featured Below To Form

Select a single work of art from the collection featured below to formally analyze for your critique paper. Be sure to read the format and writing requirements carefully. You will choose one of these paintings to write on in your critique paper: Peter Paul Rubens' The Raising of the Cross (Oil on canvas, 15 2 x 11 2, Antwerp Cathedral); Diego Velázquez's Las Meninas (The Maids of Honor) (Oil on canvas, 10 5 ¼ x 9 ¾, Museo del Prado, Madrid); Henri Matisse's The Joy of Life (Oil on canvas, 5 8 ½ x 7 9 ¾, The Barnes Foundation, Merion, Pennsylvania); Ansel Adams' Mount Williamson: Clearing Storm (Photograph, 1944); Sandy Skoglund's Fox Games (Photograph of installation, 1989); Edvard Munch's The Scream (Tempera and casein on cardboard, 36 x 29, Munch-Museet, Nasjonalgalleriet, Oslo).

Sample Paper For Above instruction

The selected artwork for critique is Edvard Munch’s iconic The Scream, created in 1893. This powerful piece is rendered using tempera and casein on cardboard, measuring 36 by 29 inches. Munch’s The Scream is widely recognized as a masterpiece of Expressionism, capturing raw emotional distress and existential angst. Understanding this artwork involves exploring the artist’s background, analyzing its visual elements, and interpreting its emotional and cultural significance.

Edvard Munch, born in 1863 in Norway, was profoundly influenced by his personal experiences of psychological trauma and the death of loved ones. His work often explores themes of anxiety, death, and human existence. Munch’s artistic style evolved through various phases, but he is best known for his emotionally charged imagery and innovative use of color and composition to evoke mood. His influences include Symbolism and Post-Impressionism, which contributed to his focus on subjective experience and emotional expression (Reed, 1996).

The Scream depicts a figure standing on a bridge under a tumultuous, swirling sky, with agonized expression and open mouth, embodying a visceral reaction to existential despair. The composition is centered around the figure, whose distorted form and wide-open mouth dominate the scene. The swirling sky above and the undulating landscape below emphasize the emotional turbulence, creating a sense of chaos and inner turmoil.

Two prominent visual elements of art in The Scream are color and line. Munch employs vivid, unnatural colors—such as the fiery reds, oranges, and blues of the sky—that heighten emotional intensity and create a disturbing atmosphere (Berman, 2016). The swirling, undulating lines that outline the sky, the water, and the figure contribute to a sense of movement and instability. These lines are expressive rather than realistic, emphasizing the psychological state of the figure and the overall mood of the painting.

In addition to color and line, Munch’s use of space and emphasis plays a crucial role. The figure, placed centrally, immediately draws the viewer's attention, serving as the focal point and symbolizing human vulnerability amidst chaos. The expansive sky, sharply contrasting with the figure’s form, accentuates feelings of isolation and dread—principles of emphasis and contrast that deepen the emotional impact. The composition’s balance between chaos and order underscores the profound psychological themes that Munch explores.

The principles of design at work in The Scream include emphasis and rhythm. The emphasis on the screaming figure is achieved through its size, position, and stark contrast in color and form. The rhythm is conveyed through the repetitive swirling lines of the sky and landscape, creating a visual flow that guides the viewer’s eye across the painting and immerses them in the emotional landscape.

In conclusion, Edvard Munch’s The Scream exemplifies a masterful use of color, line, and composition to evoke profound emotional experiences. Munch’s background as an artist deeply committed to expressing psychological truth informs this work’s raw intensity. The painting’s evocative elements continue to resonate with viewers, making it a poignant symbol of human anxiety and modern existential thought. Observing this piece invites a reflection on the universal human condition—its fears, vulnerabilities, and search for meaning in a turbulent world.

References

• Berman, M. (2016). Emotional Expression in Art. ArtHistory Publishing.
• Reed, B. (1996). Edvard Munch: The Complete Graphics. Yale University Press.
• Burke, P. (2001). Beauty and the Beast: Art, Science, and the Growth of Munch’s Style. The Art Journal, 60(2), 14-23.
• Ferguson, M. (2018). The psychology of color in painting. Journal of Visual Arts, 24(3), 45-59.
• Flink, P. (2012). The influence of Symbolism on Expressionism. European Art Review, 33(4), 371-385.
• Hansen, T. (2015). Expressionism and Human Emotions. Oxford University Press.
• Klein, W. (2019). The psychological themes in Munch's Artwork. Art Therapy Journal, 36(2), 22-29.
• Smith, J. (2014). Understanding Modern Art. Routledge.
• Johnson, R. (2017). The role of emotion in visual narration. Journal of Aesthetic Studies, 21(1), 55-69.
• Anderson, L. (2020). Art and Anxiety: Cultural Perspectives. Cambridge Press.