Lauren's Art Exploration Blog

Impressionism The painting shown below is Poplars  by Claude Monet. This work was done in 1891 with oil on canvas.  The painting measures by 93x74.1 cm. It was painted in Giverny, France in the Epte River.  This work is beautiful. The colors Monet uses are stunning and it adds visual interest to the piece, as we are well aware poplar trees are not pink. But because of this color choice, it lends information to the viewer about this very specific frame of time the artist may have been painting it. We see through Monet's eyes at this momentary glance. The composition is quite engaging too. There are 3 trees off center to the left. My eye is drawn to the bottom right corner initially, and then dragged up across the 3 trees. I also think it is interesting because the number 3 has long been considered a symbol of luck and fortune. The quick and airy brushstrokes here are very evident of the impressionist art style.    The painting shown below is The Bellelli Family b...

The painting shown below is  The Swing  by  Jean-Honoré Fragonard. This painting was done in  1767 using oil on canvas. It measures 81 x 64.2 cm. This painting above is from the Rococo period. In it, we see a well dressed woman on a swing, front and center. Behind her a man pushes the swing. Below, in the bushes in front of the woman, is a man looking up at her as she lifts her legs in order to show him under her skirt. As you can tell, the painting shows well dressed, wealthy people in a very playful, sexualized manner. Although there is no skin bared in the image, the action being portrayed is very lustful and cheeky. In this image, our focus is pinpointed directly on the woman in the swing. The bright pink and white of her dress stands out amongst the blue and greens of the forest surrounding her. Her dress looks very fluid with the movement of the swing. The shape and color of the dress remind me of a rose, which could be associated with love. Below the swing, th...