Introduction to Art - Couverture souple

Dickins, Rosie

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 140958299X ISBN 13 : 9781409582991

Editeur : Usborne catalogue anglais, 2014

A propos du livre

Extrait :

Looking at paintings

You don't have to know much about paintings to enjoy looking at them, but you may find you get more out of them if you do. These pages suggest things to look for and think about in paintings.

What's it ail about ?

One of the first things to decide about a painting is what it's about. Paintings are divided into different groups, or 'genres', according to what they show. The main genres are story-telling scenes, portraits, landscapes and 'still lifes' or arrangements of objects. These are ail explained in more detail over the next few pages. This picture, by Raphaël, is a scène from a story about a knight and a dream he had. The women are meant to be from the dream, not real people.

How is it arranged ?

Scenes are usually arranged, or 'composed', to make you look at them in a certain way. Important figures or objects may be bigger, brighter or more centrally placed, to make you notice them first. So here, you automatically look at the knight first. He lies in the middle of the picture, beneath the gaze of the two women.

What does it mean ?

Artists often put in hidden dues, or symbols, to help you guess what a picture means. Sometimes, the dues represent general ideas. For example, the book and sword in the picture above symbolize learning and action, while the sprig of flowers represents beauty and pleasure. Symbols can also help identify who's in the picture. Well-known characters, such as saints, are often shown with a symbol from their lives, so experts can tell who they are meant to be. You can see some examples of saints' symbols on page 27.

Présentation de l'éditeur :

There is the story of western painting - from Ancient Egyptian tomb decorations to modem art - told clearly and simply, and illustrated with over 160 of the world's greatest works of art. You can also see thousands more works online, via links to selected websites.

À propos de cette édition

• Éditeur: Usborne catalogue anglais
• Date d'édition: 2014
• ISBN 10: 140958299X
• ISBN 13: 9781409582991
• Reliure: Broché
• Nombre de pages: 144