When you find yourself sitting beside a bubbling brook in the springtime sunshine, or pausing to admire a magnificent brilliant sunset, you get a certain feeling. You may feel tranquil or contented, or simply fulfilled. That is part of what art is supposed to do. Perhaps not exactly make you feel tranquil or fulfilled, but definitely it is supposed to incite some emotion in you.

Consider one of the old master's paintings. Let us take, for example, Sandro Botticelli's "Birth of Venus". This beautiful painting depicts Venus as a woman standing on a pink seashell. The colors are cool and soft, and there is a lot of activity going on in the painting. Two angel-like figures (supposedly Zephyrs) are blowing the Venus figure across the waters and she is being received by a Horae who wishes to mantle Venus in a flowery garment. The picture has the calming water element in it, the peaceful forest trees, flowers floating in the air, and golden sunshine in the background, not to mention the beautiful serene face of the Venus figure itself. The brush strokes are even and blending. Even with just this slight description of the painting, you may be able to get the feeling from it.

Next let's consider one of Auguste Rodin's sculptures, "The Kiss". This life-sized piece is carved out of marble and depicts two lovers wrapped in an embrace. The silky white carved marble figures are sitting on a rough-cut marble pedestal. Their arms are entwined and everything appears light and smooth. Of course, the figures represented are kissing. Here the use of the medium (in this case the marble) tries to portray a dual feeling with the smoothness of the figures against the roughness of the marble they are sitting on. Perhaps with this description, again you can get the feeling of the piece.

A more modern art representation like the famous "Girl Before A Mirror" by Pablo Picasso uses strong bold colors and a vibrant red-gold patterned background. The painting depicts an interpretation of a girl looking at herself in the mirror. The girl-images are not exact life-like figures, but more a representation of what the artist was thinking of. The features in the face are separated and disjointed and the mirrored image is darker in tone and feeling. The lines of this painting are simple and strong. Here again you may be able to get a different feeling when you look at this painting.

With just the brief descriptions of these three artwork examples, you can see how the artist has strived to bring out the emotion of the viewer in their pieces. They used color, subject matter, texture and imagery. You as the viewer must look deeply into all aspects of the art to embrace what the artist is trying to achieve. Quite simply, the artist is trying to make you feel something emotionally and is attempting to touch your inner soul by what he has created.

Whether it be modern art or one of the old master's pieces, art is for the soul. What you personally prefer to look at and choose to display in your surroundings surely makes you feel something emotionally. The ability to make those emotions come to the surface when you view their art is what makes a true artist great.

Learn more about this author, Denny Phillips.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

---

Add your voice

Know something about Attempting to define art?
We want to hear your view. Write now!