Cityscapes Take 5 Lesson

CITYSCAPES

ELEMENTS OF DESIGN:                            PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN:

                                      Color                                                                   Unity

                                        Line                                                                 Balance

                                     Value                                                                 Contrast

                                   Texture                                                          Rhythm and movement

                                  Shape/form                                                   Dominance or Emphasis

                                     Space

 Romare Bearden, American 19-14-1988, Pittsburgh Memories, collage on board
[Discussion questions: What shape do you see repeated? How does this repetition make the picture seem organized, unified? What else has been repeated throughout? Where are most of the warm colors? Why do you think the artist used this contrast between the inside and the outside of the building?Is the space deep or shallow? While many of the shapes seem flat, others show textures. Can you find them? What message do you receive about the artists's feelings for his black friends in this Pittsburgh neighborhood?

George Wesley Bellows, American, 1882-1925, Cliff Dwellers, oil on canvas

[Discussion questions: Why do you think the artist chose this name for his painting of a New York City neighborhood? What clues can you find to show that many people lived near where they played and worked? Where is the center-of-interest in this painting? Where, if anywhere, do your eyes come to rest? What kind of colors did Bellows use? Why do you think people who were used to art that showed pretty subjects painted in clear, light colors, called the artists who painted these scenes of New York life the "Ashcan School"? Does this subject matter or way of painting seem extraordinary today? Why or why not?]

 Charles E. Burchfield, American 1893-1967, Rainy Night, watercolor
[Discussion questions: Where do you think the artist may have been when he did this painting? How do you know aside from the title, that this picture is of a rainy night? How do you know this painting was dne in the 30's? What is the mood of the picture? What colors has the artist used to achieve this effect? What shapes have been repeated and what is the effect of such repetition? What is your interpretation of what Burchfield has expressed?

 Francesco Guardi, Italian, 1712-1793, Grand Canal with the Rialto Bridge, oil on canvas
[Discussion questions: What do you see first in this picture and why? What is happening in the picture? What information does the bridge give us? What kinds of buildings line the canal? How does the color enhance the subject of the painting? Is the space shallow or deep? What part of the painting seems to be the center of interest? Speaking horizontally, is the painting balanced? Would you have wanted such a remembrance of this city?]

Gene Steffen, American, New York New York, 1977, photograph

[Discussion questions: What is the basic color of this photograph? What kind of line predominates? Horizontal, vertical, diagonal, curved ...? What about the shapes? Do you see any contrast? What do you think the photographer wanted to communicate about the city of New York? What mood do you feel as you look at this work?]

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