Elements of Art

 Elements of Art


For this assignment, I have chosen to focus on Miranda – The Tempest by British artist John William Waterhouse, painted in 1916. When I was younger, I worked in a store that specialized in unique gifts, including reproductions of famous art works. Some of the most popular items were reproductions of famous works by Waterhouse, including this painting. 

The Artist

Waterhouse was the son of two English painters and was born on April 06, 1849 in Rome, where his parents were living. He moved back to England in the late 1850’s. He was admitted into England’s Royal Academy of Art and became a full member in 1895.

Many consider Waterhouse a Pre-Raphaelite painter. The Pre-Raphaelites were young Victorian painters that rejected the Royal Academy’s rigid conventions and considered all art after Raphael to be too formalized.

Waterhouse was fond of utilizing famous stories and poems as the inspiration for his subjects including the works of Shakespeare and Arthurian legend.

 

Miranda

Miranda is one of the main characters in Shakespeare’s play, The Tempest. She is the daughter of Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan who was dispossessed by his brother and banished, with Miranda, to a remote island. The painting, painted in England near the end of the artist’s life in 1916, depicts Miranda witnessing the titular storm that is the catalyst for the story’s plot. Shakespeare depicts Miranda as loving, compassionate, kind, and somewhat naïve. However, at several key moments in the play, Miranda shows defiance towards her father revealing an inner strength that is typical of, not only Shakespeare’s heroines, but also of the many female subjects that Waterhouse painted. 

Color & Tone

The first thing that stands out to me about this painting is Waterhouse’s use of color to draw the viewers eye to Miranda. Waterhouse also uses tone to ensure that the viewer’s eyes continue to be drawn to Miranda. The bright blue of her dress and the vivid red of her hair are in stark contrast to the muted earth tones of the background. This immediately establishes Miranda as the subject of this painting rather than the shipwreck she is bearing witness to. The blue dress also serves to characterize Miranda as a calm, intelligent, and peaceful, even within the chaotic events happening around her. However, the brilliant red of her hair reveals the strength and defiance that is at her core. 

Waterhouse also uses tone to provide depth to the painting. Miranda and the landscape in the foreground are painted in darker tones than the background. The faded tones of the background serve to provide a sense of distance and scale. 

Lines & Form

The linework serves to further define the strength of Miranda’s character. Waterhouse paints the cliffs and rocks of the seashore in vertical lines, in contrast to the broken diagonals of the shipwreck and the chaotic lines of the rampaging sea. Miranda is positioned so that the lines of her back and dress are parallel to the lines of the stones and cliffs that surround her. Waterhouse is utilizing these parallel lines to reveal the steadfastness of Miranda’s character. 




Additionally, the linework and form serves to provide depth to the work. The intricacy and detail of the lines lessens as they become part of the background. This loss of detail, the cliffs versus the large rock at Miranda’s feet for instance, serves to create a sense of distance in the piece. 


Texture

Waterhouse also uses texture to help define Miranda’s character. The softness of her dress and hair are in contrast to the jagged rocks around her revealing her kindness. However, her windswept auburn locks shows the viewer that Miranda’s inner tempest is yearning to break free, even as she attempts to control it. 

References

Arty Factory. The Visual Elements. n.d. Web Page. 19 January 2021. https://www.artyfactory.com/art_appreciation/visual-elements/visual-elements.html

Blumberg, Naomi. "John WIlliam Waterhouse." 06 February 2020. Brittanica.com. Encyclopedia. 19 January 2021. https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-William-Waterhouse

Color Matters. "Blue." n.d. Colormatters.com. Web Page. 19 January 2021. https://www.colormatters.com/the-meanings-of-colors/blue




Comments

  1. Kazden HaugenFebruary 1, 2021 at 11:55 AM

    Fred, great work! I don't recall ever seeing this painting before now and I must say your analyzation of the work and the elements made it a great viewing experience. I like how you not only gave some backing to the artwork but to the artist as well. After reading your comments about tone, color, lines, form, and texture I have a better understanding of what an artist may do when trying to draw someones eye using color or suggest new shapes with soft lines. I feel like you applied what we learned this week very well!

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  2. SarahFebruary 4, 2021 at 9:57 PM

    I loved your inclusion of close up photos with lines to explain what you mean in parts of the painting! I particularly enjoyed your comparison with the lines matching Miranda and the ship symbolizing her steadfastness! These details give further insight about why Miranda would be so distraught about how her father shipwrecked the boat and what she saw and gives a new perspective of the scene that a performance or reading the play may not give!

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