Activity #5

"The Corinthian Maid, 1782-1784," by Joseph Wright, oil on canvas

"The Houses of Parliament, Sunset, 1903," by Claude Monet, oil on canvas























The Corinthian Maid, 1782-1784, by Joseph Wright, oil on canvas gives you a more Human experience theme, while The Houses of Parliament, Sunset, 1903 by Claude Monet; also oil on canvas has an Art an Art theme.

In the painting The Corinthian Maid, the young girl traced her sleeping lover’s silhouette onto the wall casting a shadow by producing an afterimage (99). That image moves our eyes to the clothing worn on both the boy and girl, which are of primary colors with monochromatic harmonies (97). Wright then brings our attention to the dog lying comfortable alongside his master as if he knew that there was going to be a long journey ahead. The dog color is somewhat of a mixture of black and white (gray), opposite of the hue on the color wheel (96). This painting is also executed thinly, smoothly, and precisely, with drier, thicker highlights. Monet on the other hand has taken a more Art an Art theme. The beautiful London city with its fog and fiery sky has a calm soothing feel. Those cool colors, because of their association with the sky, water, shade, and so on make the painting a work of art (95). Looking into the water we can see a figure that looks like a man rowing a boat, but the shadows on the waves doesn’t allow us to focus on that, rather we see the sky and the formation of buildings. This backlit effect is very captivating and we can explore varieties of delight, the natural, instinctive pleasure in the everyday experience of looking (79).