Composition - examples of note

[Mike McCarty]

Actually, it's listed as: 7 x 10 7/8 inches (17.8 x 27.9 cm)

I usually just round them off but maybe I shouldn't in this case.

Shakespeare's sonnet
XXIV.

Mine eye hath play'd the painter and hath stell'd
Thy beauty's form in table of my heart;
My body is the frame wherein 'tis held,
And perspective it is best painter's art.
For through the painter must you see his skill,
To find where your true image pictur'd lies,
Which in my bosom's shop is hanging still,
That hath his windows glazed with thine eyes.
Now see what good turns eyes for eyes have
done:
Mine eyes have drawn thy shape, and thine for
me
Are windows to my breast, where-through the
sun
Delights to peep, to gaze therein on thee;
Yet eyes this cunning want to grace their art,
They draw but what they see, know not the
heart.

[Jeanine Jackson]

Stunning, Mike! The second detail highlights the genius of this overall composition. One has to wonder how he captured this. My guess is that it was at least begun discretely right there in church which would explain the tiny size.

Thank you also for the sonnet. It added another dimension and sweetness to my morning.

[Carlos Ygoa]

I must agree with you Mike. That definitely is a gem. It was common for Spanish painters of the 19th century to produce small compositions like this. Then they also worked large formats (like 6 or 7 meter paintings) in compliance with conditions in their scholarship grants to Rome or Paris. Historical paintings, mostly. I

[Mike McCarty]

Carlos,

What great examples. I especially like the nun's painting. You are right, what better place to paint than a nunnery. I, being an uncloistered heathen, encounter too many distractions.

Hamlet.
If thou dost marry, I'll give thee this
plague for thy dowry: be thou as chaste as ice,
as pure as snow, thou shalt not escape calumny,
Get thee to a nunnery, go; farewell. Or, if thou.
wilt needs marry, marry a fool; for wise men
know well enough what monsters you make of
them. To a nunnery, go; and quickly too.
Farewell.

Ophelia.
O heavenly powers, restore him!

Hamlet.
I have heard of your paintings too,
well enough; God hath given you one face, and
you make yourselves another: you jig, you
amble, and you lisp, and nickname God's crea-
tures, and make your wantonness your ignorance.
Go to, I'll no more on't; It hath made me mad,
I say, we will have no more marriages; those
that are married already, all but one, shall live;
the rest shall keep as they are. To a nunnery, go.


Aaron Shikler's JFKennedy

[Mike McCarty]

This seems appropriate on this - the Ides of March.

Vincenzo Camuccini - Mort de Cesar 1798

Caesar - "Well, the Ides of March are come," and the seer said to him softly: "Ay, they are come, but they are not gone."

Et to, Vincenzo?

[Michele Rushworth]

Interesting overall lighting and movement throughout, but I must admit I had to look and look before I could figure out where Caesar was.

[Tom Edgerton]

Mike--

Tibi gratias agimus quod nihil fumas.

Best--TE

[Mike McCarty]

Tom,

I don't smoke, but sometimes I turn real red!

Perscriptio in manibus tabellariorum est

[Mike McCarty]

Michele,

It does look to be a well thought out composition. It's interesting that Mr. Camuccini chose the Senators who were striking the blows to make in the highest key and Caesar left relatively mutted below. It's also been said that Caesar wore purple. Ah well, compositional compromise, much like Shakespeare's play. And yet the 1798 painting seems pretty true to the facts as they are presented to us today.

This that follows is a historical record of Caesar's death:

The Senators approached Caesar to petition him with various things, but this time, he was approached by 60 men bent on his death. With daggers concealed under their togas, they surrounded Caesar and waited for the signal that would send shockwaves rippling throughout the world.

Tillius Cimber was the man expected to deliver it. He petitioned Caesar to pardon his exiled brother, likely knowing full well that Caesar would refuse. When Caesar did so, the conspirators gathered more tightly around him, forcing Caesar to stand. Cimber then grabbed and pulled Caesar's purple robe from his shoulders, the signal to send the conspirators into action. Publius Servilius Casca, who positioned himself behind Caesar, was the first to strike the mark. He stabbed Caesar in the upper shoulder, near the neck, and Plutarch wrote that Caesar said, "Vile Casca" or Casca what is this? Reacting with the tenacity of a grizzled legionary veteran he apparently grabbed Casca's arm, stabbing it with his own writing pen, probably still completely unaware of the scope of the plot. At this point, the ferocity of the attack was revealed in earnest. The assassins stabbed Caesar relentlessly, each taking a shot at the dictator. The attack was so rapid and vicious that several conspirators wounded each other. Brutus, the great symbol of Republican virtue and freedom for tyranny was wounded in the hand by an errant dagger, as he himself stabbed Caesar in the groin. Though the line made famous by Shakespeare, "Et tu Brute" (translated as "You too Brutus", "You too my son", or "even you Brutus") was supposedly spoken by Caesar as he saw Brutus approach with dagger in hand, this is likely a complete dramatic fabrication. The ancient sources suggest that Caesar said nothing, and this seems most likely, considering the duress he was under. After the initial attack, though many say Caesar fought valiantly in his defense, he likely had little idea where all the shots were coming from.

Despite the overwhelming assault on him, Caesar still had the presence of mind to maintain his dignity for posterity purposed. Resigning himself to the assassination, Caesar pulled the folds of his toga over his head so as to prevent anyone seeing his face at death. In all, Caesar was stabbed 23 times, and inevitably collapsed. At the foot of the blood splattered statue of his old friend, rival and son-in-law, Pompey, Gaius Julius Caesar died at the age of 55, on March 15, 44 BC.

[Mike McCarty]

Out of curiosity I've tried to apply the Golden Section to the above Camuccini painting of Caesar's death. It would appear that some consideration was given to these principles.

Although, with the Golden Section calculations there doesn't appear to be any real guidelines as to where you start or when to finish. My thinking is that as long as you stick to the principles you can create as many sections as you wish and stop anytime. It just depends on how complicated the composition is. This composition having quite a few scattered elements it begged for more than a few of sections.

It's interesting how elements of the painting keep leading you back around and to the center of the action. The arm in the bottom left stops your eye and delivers you up to the statue which then points you to the right and across to the fellows (obviously only able to muster enough courage to flip the finger at Caesar, they're probably demanding a timetable for withdrawal) that again point back toward the action along with those at the bottom right.