Composition - examples of note

[Mike McCarty]

Thanks for that Carlos. I think I understand your meaning. My daughter is back now and went on and on about Barcelona. She also got to visit some little towns where Dega spent his time. I haven't had enough time to talk to her about it. My daughter is majoring in museum management and curation at her University.

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Here is a two person composition by Wm. Bouguereau. I wonder if the presence of the break through the trees on our right side of the picture had anything to do with him trying to add a third element. It's amazingly close in size and roundness to the shape of the girls heads, and almost at the same height.

Also, here is a Raymond Kinstler composition. I wonder who's set of compositional rules he was reading from. I think the thing is, even when things seem to be scattered and haphazardly placed, they can still follow a set of conventions. This seems to be the case with good abstract art when only shapes and color have to carry the day. I would say that the signature here plays an important role in balancing this composition.

[SB Wang]

A valuable issue, Mike and all, about which I also wrote an article years ago, edited by Cynthia Daniel, submitted to American Artist magazine. Douglas? ' book mentioned this point.

[Mike McCarty]

Hello Schubert, hope things are going well for you.

One of SB's beautiful portraits.

[Mike McCarty]

Instead of adding one to make it three, J.S.S. decided to subtract one to make it one. In matters of design it seems to me that this takes on the same attributes as a single person composition. Of course the young girl doesn't get the same full play as the mother(?), but isn't this the way it should be.

Here is a contemporary artist Allan Banks. Mr. Banks uses the book in this familiar scene, along with some background accompaniment to make this composition look natural. Unlike the flowing gowns of years ago, these are the types of every day scenes we are likely to be commissioned to portray today.

And then there's the occasional two tree requests - father and son.

[SB Wang]

My friend Mike:
You are in Florida! How nice you posted my picture twice! Much obliged! That girl was in Kissimmee, FL. Cynthia likes it, too. I wonder if she looked like that way when in that age. I got this commission from Cynthia Culpeper of Orlando, deceased 5 years ago. I painted a portrait of her husband for a gift.
I suffered political persecution in China. Thank you for your caring.

[Mike McCarty]

Thanks SB, and thanks too for quickly sending the fifty bucks. If you want another posted just use that same PayPal number BR549.

*****

You say there

[Mike McCarty]

It seems that no one liked this two person composition of R. L. Stevenson and his wife by J S Sargent, as noted below:

The first [portrait of Stevenson], an endeavor of 1884, now missing and most likely destroyed by Stevenson

[Mike McCarty]

And another amazing watercolor by JSS.

Here it seems that Sargent worked his composition through the use of il-defined shapes of shadow and light. It's amazing how much we are able read, not so much by an images literal depiction, but in the context in which we find it.

[Mike McCarty]

The thread reads - "Examples of note." I suppose they would be more "of note" to the person who posts them, rather than any definitive measure of greatness. Composition, style, and manner of placement being a subjective matter.

These three (all by Philip Alexius de Laszlo, I've got to get over him and move on) are surely "of note" to me. However, I can see how the very stylistic execution of the first two: Lady and Lord Mountbatten 1924 and 25, might not appeal to everyone. As to the last example: La Contessa Annade Noailles, I cannot imagine how anyone could find criticism with this work of art. It seems perfectly done, the way the eyes and hair burn themselves into the paper keeps me coming back again and again.

[Mike McCarty]

This design stuff is difficult to talk about. It