3. Arthur Dove, Rising Tide, 1944, oil on canvas
4. Describe the work:
In my eyes, this artworks depicts a serene nature landscape, with a full moon high in the clear, evening sky. The moon is not completely surrounded by black yet, so I can’t say that the piece takes place in the night time. The atmosphere of the piece is calming and peaceful, and the land looks undisturbed. The area painted feels rural, and not a single animal is present. There are dirt and rubble hills bordering on a tiny pond in the bottom left corner. There is no vegetation nearby and the painting overall feels like an abandoned area.
Elements:
The canvas was painted using a mix of earthy and colder ...view middle of the document...
I see this part as the focal point of the painting because the sudden transition from dark, surrounding grays to light browns and yellows, contrasts well and emphasizes the lines inside the circle.
Interpret the work:
As mentioned before, I see this artwork as a representation of an undisturbed paysage, calming me, while at the same time giving me the feeling that Dove is making an environmentalist statement. From this piece, I feel that Arthur Dove was a relaxed, at his own pace, type of man, who had a concern of humanity’s disharmony with the land around us. Perhaps he created this piece, along with this colour scheme, so that he could get his message across - everyone and everything is happier and peaceful when undisturbed. In other words, I think Dove was trying to tell us that we should leave nature be and appreciate its beauty.
Judgement:
In my eyes, Dove was successful in getting point across the piece and his artwork holds a backstory with meaning, which adds just that much more. Personally though, I find the colour scheme a bit drab, and I prefer geometric shapes rather than organic, but there’s something about the blue in the sky that intrigues...
