Art history Visual & Performing Arts Essay Research

Analyzing the Painting Techniques of Four Famous Painters   The Large Bathers by Paul Cezanne
The Large Bathers by Paul Cezanne depicts a group of women around a body of water, grooming each other relaxing, and bathing. The picture has a calm mood, such that the painted people appear to be in a state of freedom and without a care in the world. This piece is actually a big painting at about 2 meters in height and width. The date of creation was in 1906 which means that oil paint was the most popular mode of painting. Oil paint takes a lot of time to dry which gives an idea how the artist manipulated and blended color in a skillful manner. The painting features depth which highlights the scenery of the bathers. At the background, a church tower is drawn, adding to the calm atmosphere of the picture, as with the large fields around it. The trees form a shape of triangle which somehow directs the attention of the viewer towards the blue of the pool of water and the sky, divided by the contrasting fields at the middle. Another key element to this painting is the implied movement of the characters in it. Even with the stillness of the setting, the people depict motion through their poses and it also gives a sense of interaction among the women. The subject of the sky, the women, nature, the fields, and the church tower all blend into a picture of tranquility and freedom. It is especially highlighted by the nakedness of the women, which gives the sense of a life without fear of judgment or embarrassment, and being as they are in the moment.
Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going?
This work by Gauguin is a masterpiece imbued with the artist’s own experience and journey in life. The painting is made with oil paint on canvas and the size is about a meter tall, and about 4 meters in length. This painting is big and is full of symbolism. The painting consists of different subjects such as people, animals, and scenery. The setting of the landscape depicts the island of Tahiti, featuring in the background volcanic mountains and the ocean. The elemens of nature depicted in the work somehow showcases the timelessness of nature and the impermanence of life. The background also shows a flowing bodies of water which can symbolize time as it goes. The people are one of the main symbolism used in the painting, such that an old woman can be seen in the left, and an infant on the right which gives the concept and value of age. Men, women, elderly and children, are present in the picture, symbolizing differences of human nature, belonging in a single environment. The painting has a deep emotio...