Visual Elements Part 1

1. Concerning the direction of line, which of the following is true, as reflected in Botticelli's "Birth of Venus" (1486)?

The horizontal line, where water meets sky, is said to be restful

Movement is implied by diagonal lines created by the directional bodies and clothing of the Zephyrs and Springtime

Venus acts as a vertical line, which is assertive and defies gravity

All of the above are true

All are present in this painting, found in the Uffizi, Florence.

Explanation

All are present in this painting, found in the Uffizi, Florence.

2. Concerning shape, which of the following terms best fits Albers' composition "Homage to a Square, Ascending" (1953)?

Geometric

Organic

Amorphous

Biomorphic

Shape is a 2-D area--defined by contour line, color, pattern or texture. Geometric shapes include: squares, rectangles, triangles, circles, etc..Organic shapes have undulating lines. Amorphous shapes are hard to describe as they are highly irregular. Biomorphic is yet another term for organic shapes. This painting is owned by the Whitney Museum, N.Y..

Explanation

Shape is a 2-D area--defined by contour line, color, pattern or texture. Geometric shapes include: squares, rectangles, triangles, circles, etc..Organic shapes have undulating lines. Amorphous shapes are hard to describe as they are highly irregular. Biomorphic is yet another term for organic shapes. This painting is owned by the Whitney Museum, N.Y..

3. In addition to black and white, what type of colors were utilized in Mondrian's "Composition II in Red, Blue and Yellow" (1930)?

Analogous colors

Complimentary colors

Primary colors

Secondary colors

Primary color exist, without mixing. They are: red, yellow and blue. Analogous colors are neighbors of the color wheel--yellow, green, yellow-green. Complimentary colors are opposites on the color wheel--blue/orange, yellow/violet, and red/green. Secondary colors are made by mixing two primary colors-- ie. red+yellow=orange. This painting is owned by the National Museum, Belgrade, Serbia.

Explanation

Primary color exist, without mixing. They are: red, yellow and blue. Analogous colors are neighbors of the color wheel--yellow, green, yellow-green. Complimentary colors are opposites on the color wheel--blue/orange, yellow/violet, and red/green. Secondary colors are made by mixing two primary colors-- ie. red+yellow=orange. This painting is owned by the National Museum, Belgrade, Serbia.

4. What type of line is reflected in Weston's "Knees" (1927)?

Contour line

Line formed by an edge

Actual line

Both contour line and line formed by an edge are reflected

A contour line defines shape. Line formed by an edge is one type of contour line which is formed through differences in color, value, texture, or pattern. Here, knees are clearly defined by value and textural differences and they look as if they have been cut out and pasted on a background. An actual line is a path left by a moving point. Actual line is not reflected in this photograph. This work is owned by SFMOMA.

Explanation

A contour line defines shape. Line formed by an edge is one type of contour line which is formed through differences in color, value, texture, or pattern. Here, knees are clearly defined by value and textural differences and they look as if they have been cut out and pasted on a background. An actual line is a path left by a moving point. Actual line is not reflected in this photograph. This work is owned by SFMOMA.

5. Shown here, Claudio Bravo's "Blue and Green Package" (1995) is an oil painting on canvas. Which of the following terms apply?

Impasto

Implied texture

Trompe l'oeil

Pattern

Both implied texture and trompe l'oeil apply

Impasto is an actual texture created by a thick application of paint. Pattern is a repetitive motif where the scale of elements remain constant and have a flattening effect. Implied texture is artificial, created by the artist. Trompe l'oeil, French for "fool the eye", refers to a photo-realistic rendering. Both implied texture and trompe l'oeil fit this painting. This painting was shown by Marlborough Gallery. N.Y..

Explanation

Impasto is an actual texture created by a thick application of paint. Pattern is a repetitive motif where the scale of elements remain constant and have a flattening effect. Implied texture is artificial, created by the artist. Trompe l'oeil, French for "fool the eye", refers to a photo-realistic rendering. Both implied texture and trompe l'oeil fit this painting. This painting was shown by Marlborough Gallery. N.Y..

6. Concerning space in a 2-D composition, which of the following was used to imply depth in Raphael's "School of Athens" (1511)?

A. linear perspective

B. overlapping

C. changes in scale in relation to placement in the picture plane

D. modeling

E. all of the above were used

F. only b & c were used

One-point linear perspective is reflected in the barrel vaults at the top of the painting, where they recede into space. 2-point linear perspective is reflected in the pedestal in the foreground of the painting. Overlapping is the layering of objects which helps imply depth--utilized with the many figures in this composition. As the viewer's eyes go up the picture plane, elements get progressively smaller--termed diminution. Modeling is the application of value to an object to imply mass and/or volume--used throughout the composition.This fresco is found in the Stanza della Segnatura, Vatican City.

Explanation

One-point linear perspective is reflected in the barrel vaults at the top of the painting, where they recede into space. 2-point linear perspective is reflected in the pedestal in the foreground of the painting. Overlapping is the layering of objects which helps imply depth--utilized with the many figures in this composition. As the viewer's eyes go up the picture plane, elements get progressively smaller--termed diminution. Modeling is the application of value to an object to imply mass and/or volume--used throughout the composition.This fresco is found in the Stanza della Segnatura, Vatican City.

7. Concerning implied movement and the passage of time, which of the following is not reflected in Bernini's "Apollo and Daphne" (1625)?

Use of diagonal lines

A sense of movement from spiraling torsos

This work is kinetic

Daphne's figure morphing into a tree

Diagonal lines imply movement. Daphne'''s changing figure implies that time is ongoing. This sculpture is marble and it is static-- it does not actually move.This disqualifies the term kinetic, as kinetic sculpture actually moves. This is found in Galleria Borghese, Rome, Italy.

Explanation

Diagonal lines imply movement. Daphne'''s changing figure implies that time is ongoing. This sculpture is marble and it is static-- it does not actually move.This disqualifies the term kinetic, as kinetic sculpture actually moves. This is found in Galleria Borghese, Rome, Italy.

8. What type of line is completed by the brain-- a gaze line, directional pointed object, or a series of dots and dashes. This type of line can be found in Osborn's painting, "Nameless and Friendless" (1857).

Actual line

Organic line

Implied line

Contour line

A line which is completed by the brain is an implied line. This includes dotted lines, lines of sight, and objects that read as line, pointing towards other objects. This painting is owned by the TATE collection, U.K..

Explanation

A line which is completed by the brain is an implied line. This includes dotted lines, lines of sight, and objects that read as line, pointing towards other objects. This painting is owned by the TATE collection, U.K..

9. What type of line is reflected in Le Witt's "Lines from Four Corners to Points on a Grid"(1976)?

Actual

Organic

Analytic

Implied

Both actual and analytic

Actual line is a path left by a moving point. An analytic line looks as if it was drawn with the aid of a ruler. Organic lines, which undulate, are not reflected here. Implied lines, completed in the mind and eye of the viewer, are also not reflected here.

1976 detail of Painting belongs to Whitney Museum, N.Y.

Explanation

Actual line is a path left by a moving point. An analytic line looks as if it was drawn with the aid of a ruler. Organic lines, which undulate, are not reflected here. Implied lines, completed in the mind and eye of the viewer, are also not reflected here.

1976 detail of Painting belongs to Whitney Museum, N.Y.

10. "Which of the following terms best fits I.M. Pei's "Louvre Pyramid" (1989)?

Mass

Volume

Implied mass

Mass is a term that pertains to weight, density and bulk of an object. (The Great Pyramids reflect solidity.) The Louvre Pyramid is open inside, reflecting the term volume-- a 3-D area, enclosed by a boundary. (Correct answer) In 2-D art, mass and volume can be implied through modeling. Louvre Pyramid is located in Paris, France.

Explanation

Mass is a term that pertains to weight, density and bulk of an object. (The Great Pyramids reflect solidity.) The Louvre Pyramid is open inside, reflecting the term volume-- a 3-D area, enclosed by a boundary. (Correct answer) In 2-D art, mass and volume can be implied through modeling. Louvre Pyramid is located in Paris, France.

11. Which type of color palette was utilized by Chia in "Incident at the Tintoretto Cafe" (1980)?

Monochromatic

Analogous

Complimentary

Open

Monochromatic color palettes consist of variations of a single hue-- ie. light blue, dark blue, warm blue, cool blue, etc.. Analogous color palettes reflect neighbors on a color wheel--ie. red, violet, red violet. Complimentary color harmonies reflect the pairing of opposites on the color wheel-- ie. blue and orange. An open palette does not limit color choices and can represent much of the color wheel. Closed palettes are more restrictive and include: monochromatic, analogous, and complimentary color harmonies.

Explanation

Monochromatic color palettes consist of variations of a single hue-- ie. light blue, dark blue, warm blue, cool blue, etc.. Analogous color palettes reflect neighbors on a color wheel--ie. red, violet, red violet. Complimentary color harmonies reflect the pairing of opposites on the color wheel-- ie. blue and orange. An open palette does not limit color choices and can represent much of the color wheel. Closed palettes are more restrictive and include: monochromatic, analogous, and complimentary color harmonies.