Art Critique: the Desperate Man

438 Words2 Pages
Jennifer Knudson
Mr. Joseph Dockstader
9-2 Humanities
18 May 2014
Art Critique “The Desperate Man” by Gustave Courbet The romanticism art period is not easily defined; it embraced the exotic, the unfamiliar, and the distant in ways that captured the viewer. The artist of “The Desperate Man”, Gustave Courbet, has painted many different styles and subjects. Including many self-portraits similar to this art piece. This painting was created in 1845. This painting captures a sense of desperation in the wide open eyes and slight blush, it creates a theme of surprise or confusion, and it’s relative to the late romantic time period. Hands arched up. Face, full of anguish and surprise, is framed by the light and crimson-like glow of the wall. The male figure in the painting has tan-ish skin, dark hair, an olden day outfit, and a very crisp-white shirt. Thick lines make details bold. Color is mainly dark besides the shirt which offers bright contrast. His eyes, seem to be a dark color, shining in the light. Over all it is dark and symbolistic. The mood is surprise or astonishment with small bits of desperation or despair. the dark colors hint to the moods because it is shaded into darker, dimmer colors. The red taint on his nose and cheeks gesture to the surprise or embarrassed portion. The theme is anguish and despair. It seems that way because of the dark colors and the facial expression. “The Desperate Man” is, good to the time period because it shows the desperation and mans deeper connections to his emotions and the world around him. The dark colors show the dramatic aspect of the romanticism art period as well. My personal opinion of the painting is good. I like the detail and subject. The eyes, to me, are open to wide but it serves the paintings purpose by showing the mood or theme. Gustave Courbet painted this art piece in the late
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