Visual Analysis 1

Visual Analysis 1

I will use Itten’s principles to analyze Picasso’s Guitar on Mantelpiece. 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/artexplorer/5065661567/

On page 38, Itten begins to address the principles of light and dark tonal values. He begins with contrast between white, black and grays. In the guitar piece we notice that a black outline is given to the mantle. This provides a border to the whole of the composition.  Picasso uses a contrast of dark to light. The brilliance of tonal shifts is muted and gradual on the left border. This gives the space defined implied recession. On the left the muted brilliance of blue from the shift of black provides a sense of warm. The color blue is a cool color and should have the opposite effect, but when darkened towards black the appearance is warmer. This effect is advanced with the addition of the warmer red on top of the cool muted blue. Itten states, “all colors are equal in darkness to blue”; perhaps this is the reason for the black border between the blue and warmer red. Notice at the top of the composition the blue and red are adjacent to each other and seem to blend. The blending becomes more pronounced by adding an overtone of black on top of the red in the upper left corner. Notice the absence of dark overtone on the portion of red that borders the blue. This pronounces the blend and is equivalent to the black border by providing a border of contrasting brilliance. This contrast further extends down edge of the black as well. Since, “all colors are equal in darkness to blue”, the overtone contrast is necessary to define boundaries between blue and red. The red blue color contrast is one of the most severe but is muted by the similarity in brilliance. Itten states; “Equality of light-dark relates color to each other, tying or bracketing them together.” The opposite is occurring in the hearth of the mantle. Blue is selected as the color to portray both the mantle and the hearth. The light-dark principle acts to contrast instead of linking colors together. A lighter grey overtone is applied upon the hearth distinguishing it from the mantle. The same is occurring between the back of the fireplace and the hearth. A lighter grey is applied on the back of the fireplace. This also cools the blue even more and brings it forward on the composition.

On the right we see the direct contrast between the black and white with no grey overtone. This is also evident in a linear vertical fashion moving up the right side of the mantle. There is contrast between black and white then the guitar is portrayed in a lighter tone contrasting against the mantle and darker shadow area to the right of the mantle. Then above the guitar is the illuminated break in the mantle. This contrast is severe with shadow overtones portraying this area as recessed behind the mantle. Itten states, “Cold colors seem transparent, weightless.”  This is evident in the contrast between the mantle and background where the mantle appears to float above the warmer red.