Activity #4

George Bellow’s Dempsey and Firpo, uses several principles of design. The painting is symmetrically balanced with the action of the objects being focused towards the middle of his art with exception of the ref on the right side. The people also show balance as the spectators are balanced around the focal objects. Bellow’s even has two heads in the back sitting up higher than the rest on each side. The line of repeated spectators also shows rhythm but most obvious example of repetition are the few copies of spotlights above and around the boxer in the ring. The spectators in the back have also been scaled down compared to those in front to show depth and distance. Because the painting is monochromatic, I would think that it would have be unified with grey and black and have no variety. The black background, the darkness of the clothes spectators wear, and gloves/shoes the boxers dominate the picture. But using different shades of gray, Bellow’s is able to create different complexions, flesh tones and hair colors. The best examples of it are the three men to the left of the boxer that got knocked out the ring. Each man has a different skin and hair color. The first man has a darker skin tone but lighter hair than the man next to him and the man to the right seems older because of the grayness seen in his hair. The unity and rhythm is not perfect but can be seen.

The Fall of Phaeton by Sir Peter Paul Rubens also uses several principles of design. The focal point and emphasis is clearly the ray of light shining down and the objects it highlights as when I first viewed this picture, my eyes were drawn to light shining down on the woman with the blue cloth. That blue cloth stands out from everything else that has a complementary reddish orange tone. Next my focus moves to the horses in a counterclockwise circle back to the light. The implied light in the focal point contrasts the darker valued subordinate area around the emphasis circle I explained above. Besides the sun yellow used for the light, the vibrant red and orange colors kept you looking at the other emphasized objects from the horses to the man falling out the chariot wearing a red sash. Those colors are complemented by the blue of the clouds in the subordinate area. There is unity and repetition of the horses and people in a circular fashion as if they were connected by a chain.