-Exhibition-
Perseph's begonia, like it's inspiration piece Rubens Peale with a Geranium, seeks to combine a love of art with a love of horticulture. Prominently featured and balanced in the image are the figure and the plant, taking up the same amount of space and focus in the piece. title- Perseph's begonia size- 1700 pix by 2000 pix medium- digital date of completion- 3/22/02 |
Inspiration
Rubens Peale with a Geranium was painted by Rembrandt Peale in the year 1801. Rembrandt depicts his brother proudly holding a geranium. This piece stood out to me because it combines these two brother's passions, painting and botany. He was influenced by neoclassicism, a movement from 1760 to 1830 that emerged as a reaction to the over the top and excessive ornament of the baroque and rococo styles. This more plain style of painting depicts a less cluttered scene, in which the focus of the piece is clearly between the face and the plant. Many of Peale's works are portraiture of presidents, mostly George Washington, and this was his rise to fame. However, this just makes Rubens Peale with a Geranium stand out more. The composition with the plant taking up half of the frame and Ruben taking up the other puts an equal importance on both of them, showing a value for his brother and his brother's work. |
Planning
I wanted to keep the composition mostly the same in my piece, since that's what drew me to the piece. I have a passion for both art and horticulture and the love of both is clearly displayed in the original piece. Taking a reference photo of myself is the first order of business, I sort through my plant collection to find a plant of good size and shape to fit the composition. I don't have a geranium, but even if I did it would be quite unoriginal and also not have the same significance to me that it did to Rubens. I considered my begonia and pothos. |
There was also the outfit and pot to consider, the original piece is heavy with dull browns, black, and white, but I wanted to incorporate lighter colors to give the piece more life. I decided to keep the outfit dark, but keep my light hair, surface, and background as well as and the bright colors of the plant to really stand out. |
There is a clear difference in the purpose of these different images. One serves as the original reference for pose and colors, and the other is clearer in composition with the removal of soft boundaries and changing colors.
I wanted to make a sketch tracing over my reference image taken of myself so that I could have a better understanding of the shapes and flow of the piece. Breaking down the important features really did a lot to help me with direction, starting with just the photograph would have been difficult since it was mostly taken for composition and the lighting is not consistently bright. The overall quality of the photo meant that I needed a guide to see where features were and where they ended, giving a clearer guideline to go off of when starting the coloring process.
Once I got into the coloring I realized that the style is so much more detailed then I had originally thought. As I worked I noticed more and more about the original piece, and my appreciation for the work grew. As the colors start to come in you can see they are warm tones of yellow, tan, and brown. |
Critique
Differences
-the major compositional difference between the pieces is that my piece splits the canvas horizontally while the original is split vertically. There is still equal focus between the plant and central figure but the arrangement is unique.
-the original piece is composed mostly of muted colors, browns, black and white. My piece incorporated lighter colors, white in the background as well as the pot of the plant.
-the medium is also quite different, one being hand painted and the other done in a digital medium, exemplifying the separation between different centuries.
Similarities
-the props and featured are also quite similar, the plant front and center with the glasses in the resting hand.
-The pose is very close to the original, the composition is what I was most inspired by going into this piece.
-The clothing also ended up being very similar, a light colored turtle neck under a darker coat.
-the major compositional difference between the pieces is that my piece splits the canvas horizontally while the original is split vertically. There is still equal focus between the plant and central figure but the arrangement is unique.
-the original piece is composed mostly of muted colors, browns, black and white. My piece incorporated lighter colors, white in the background as well as the pot of the plant.
-the medium is also quite different, one being hand painted and the other done in a digital medium, exemplifying the separation between different centuries.
Similarities
-the props and featured are also quite similar, the plant front and center with the glasses in the resting hand.
-The pose is very close to the original, the composition is what I was most inspired by going into this piece.
-The clothing also ended up being very similar, a light colored turtle neck under a darker coat.
Reflection
In conclusion the art style is a lot more detailed then I thought, and very difficult to replicate. I liked the colors in my piece but found the overall look to be dissatisfying. The facial proportions look inaccurate. There is definitely a lot of improvement to be made with shading, since the piece ended up looking quite flat. |
ACT
1.) Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause-effect relationships between your inspiration and its effect upon your artwork:
I feel Rubens Peale with a Geranium was painted by Rembrandt Peale is clear as an inspiration to my piece. With the heavy reliance on composition to catch the viewer's interest.
2.) What is the overall approach ( point of view ) the author ( from your research ) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
passion is an integral part of life, and everyone has different paths in life, that shouldn't stop them from connecting.
3.) What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I really prefer to work in a digital medium, I feel it's more forgiving to mistakes. I would like to work digitally for my next choice piece.
4.) What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
Art is a piece of yourself and what you care about, so as an expression of yourself it depicts those things.
5.) What kind of inferences ( conclusions reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning) did you make while reading your research?
Good, detailed shading really makes a difference in the tone and feel of a piece, my inspiration had very particular shading that I failed to properly integrate.
I feel Rubens Peale with a Geranium was painted by Rembrandt Peale is clear as an inspiration to my piece. With the heavy reliance on composition to catch the viewer's interest.
2.) What is the overall approach ( point of view ) the author ( from your research ) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
passion is an integral part of life, and everyone has different paths in life, that shouldn't stop them from connecting.
3.) What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I really prefer to work in a digital medium, I feel it's more forgiving to mistakes. I would like to work digitally for my next choice piece.
4.) What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
Art is a piece of yourself and what you care about, so as an expression of yourself it depicts those things.
5.) What kind of inferences ( conclusions reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning) did you make while reading your research?
Good, detailed shading really makes a difference in the tone and feel of a piece, my inspiration had very particular shading that I failed to properly integrate.