LASALLE College: Art Analysis Essay on Visual Elements & Design

This essay presents an art analysis of three distinct artworks: "Portrait Of Song Ong Siang" by Julius Wentscher, "Indian Dhobis at work" by E. Schluter, and "The Scream" by Edvard Munch. The analysis identifies and describes visual elements such as line, shape, color, texture, space, and pattern within each piece. It also explores the use of naturalism, idealism, abstraction, and perspective in creating visual interest and conveying meaning. The essay further examines how artists employ these elements to achieve unity, balance, and emphasis, thereby communicating inner thoughts, emotions, and cultural contexts. The student uses proper citations and a bibliography as required by the LASALLE College assignment brief. Desklib provides students access to similar solved assignments and past papers.

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Art analysis
<University>
by
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<Date>
<Lecturer’s Name and Course Number>

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Introduction
Part 1: “Portrait Of Song Ong Siang”, 1936, oil on canvas, Julius Wentscher
Wentscher, Julius.” Portrait Of Song Ong Siang” 1936, oil on canvas, Dominie Press, p.47
“Portrait Of Song Ong Siang” by Julius Wentscher is a life-size portrait of Song Ong
Siang, who was knighted the highest British honor (Asian Civilization Museum,47). The portrait
shows Song Ong Siang in his evening dress, with a dark coat over his white shirt and dark
trousers. The knighthood badge hangs around his neck and looks striking against the white shirt.
There are other order and medal on his chest. He sits on a black chair which is placed on a
colorful strip of patterned carpet. Behind him, there is a table with the Bible and other bound
volumes. Two strong vertical columns occupy the space behind. Clean straight lines fill the
canvas as the simple columns or the strong, lines of the black chair legs. Light falls from the left
side, causing shadows on the face and reflecting the shine on the shoes. There is a sense of
idealism created with the simple lines and authority of the figure. A pattern can be seen in the
repletion of colorful motifs of the carpet and the lines on the columns or the bounded volumes.
Depth is created by overlapping of shapes in the canvas. The figure in black makes a sharp
contrast with other colours and dominates the canvas. Overall, there is a visual unity and balance
in the painting.

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Part 2: Indian Dhobis at work, 1858, watercolor, E.Schluter
Schluter, E.” Indian Dhobis at work” 1858, watercolour
The artwork shows two Indian workers who are laundry men or dhobis. The two dhobis
occupy the major space of the canvas and are busy in their work as they stand in the river. Their
dark skin contrasts with their red headgear and the white colored clothes they wash and the blue
color of the water around them towards the left, a row of trees e overhang on the river and draw
the attention because of their green foliage. Behind, there are other laundry men busy with their
task. The background of the canvas is filled with the wide open blue skies with white clouds and
mountains and some houses and trees behind. The artist uses different forms in the shape of the
mountains, the river, and its border and naturalism. The trees show a repletion of texture and add
to the visual interest. There is a linear perspective created with the placement of the two dhobis,
the river behind and mountains and sky at a distance. Red and blue are the two dominating and
contrasting colors used in the canvas. Unity is achieved by placing the two dhobis in front and
continuation of the blue color behind them in the river and the sky. The two dhobis and the trees
take the visual weight.

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Part 3: The Scream, 1893, Oil, tempera, pastel, Edvard Munch
Munch, Edvard.” The Scream” 1893, Oil, tempera, pastel, Retrieved from
https://www.edvardmunch.org/the-scream.jsp
“The Scream” is a colorful artwork Edvard Munch done in oil, tempera, and crayon
(EdvardMunch,2011). A person stands on the bridge, clasping his face with an anguished look.
His eyes are strained with a fearful expression while his mouth is wide open as if in a soundless
scream. The end of the path with the balustrade in dark colors cuts across the canvas diagonally.
There are two strolling figures at a distance behind the screaming figure. Behind there is a bright
swirling sky in vivid red and orange hues. There is a striking overall effect because of the
flowing lines in orange, yellow, red that contrast with the blue-green of the lake. There is a
striking overall effect because of the flowing lines through the sky. The geometric precision of
the bridge in the foreground and the curvilinear shapes in the background and create a linear
perspective. Swirling brush strokes create a pattern, rhythm, and rough textures. The focal point
is the ambiguous figure on the bridge with his mouth open in a silent scream. The bright,
exaggerated colors in “The Scream” and simple shapes are expressive of inner thoughts and
emotions. The expressionist painting emphasizes an inner experience as conveys the terrifying
feelings and emotions that need to be felt rather than heard.

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Bibliography
Asian civilization Museum.” The Straits Chinese and Civic Portraiture: Daphne Ang.” Dominie
Press1.1 (2016): 46–47
Edvard Munch.” The Scream, 1893 by Edvard Munch.” Retrieved from
https://www.edvardmunch.org/the-scream.jsp