What is a pictorial work
When doing the comment on a work of art It is important to be clear about the basic concepts of art and follow some guidelines to analyze it. With regard to pictorial works, art historians consider that painting was the first form of artistic expression, prior to oral and written expression.
The paintings It is defined as a visual stimulus that produces an aesthetic impact on the viewer and transmits a message, in addition to capturing its historical and cultural context. In this lesson of unPROFESOR.com we tell you what is a pictorial work and examples of famous and relevant paintings.
A pictorial work is a work of art embodied on any type of support and according to a variety of genres, from portraits to still lifes, murals, frescoes, landscapes, etc.
The pictorial works are classified into:
- Figurative pictorial works: they are works that reflect reality by capturing objects, landscapes and people. A painting that shows reality more or less objectively.
- abstract pictorial works: what is represented does not allude to reality or does so vaguely. Colors and shapes are reflected in an abstract way.
Now that you know what a pictorial work is, we are going to analyze the elements that compose it and that guide us to comment on a pictorial work. They are the following:
- Title of the pictorial work, location and data as if it is a miniature, parietal or easel painting.
- Author and chronology
- History of the work, from the production process, restorations, conservation, versions, etc.
- Content or theme of the work
- Social context
Techniques used
The techniques used should also be analyzed. These can be:
- Tempera
- Oil painting
- Watercolor
- Charcoal
- Acrylic paint
Materials or supports
- Fresco painting, that is, on a wall or wall
- painting on canvas
- painting on wood
- painting on paper
formal analysis
- Figuration and abstraction
- Dimensions
- proportions
- Line
- Colour
- Light and Shadows
- Space and perspective. Perspective gives depth and creates a notion of space. There perspective can be knightly, linear, faded, atmospheric or aerial.
- Composition
We are going to review pictorial works over time. So we will see its origins and evolution. A review of the history of pictorial art with examples that are very clear.
prehistoric art
The oldest examples of pictorial works date back to the prehistoric art, specifically to rock art. These paintings were made on the walls of the caves and the "artist" had a magical-religious objective. Animals are represented in a naturalistic way, taking advantage of the reliefs on the walls.
The paintings would facilitate the hunting of the animals represented. These paintings reach a great concentration of examples in southwestern Europe, the Magdalenian culture (15,000-8,000 BC). One of the great examples is Altamira, the Sistine Chapel of cave art.
The Mona Lisa by Da Vinci
Egyptian paintings, mural paintings from the Cretan period, those from the Roman period, the Byzantine ones, the Romanesque mural painting and the pictorial works on panel of the Gothic are examples of how painting evolved over the centuries until it reached one of the most emblematic pictorial works in the history of the Art: The Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci.
The Mona Lisa It is famous for its composition. A portrait with a contemporary frame and with optical effects that create the illusion that the Gioconda's eyes follow us from any position. A work admired and studied for its mysteries and the application of techniques such as sfumato.
The Last Supper by Da Vinci
Another of the emblematic works in the history of painting is The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci, an oil on plaster mural painting that has also aroused admiration and study due to the numerous enigmas that are hidden in its composition.
Las Meninas by Velazquez
Las Meninas by Velazquez is another of the best examples of pictorial works. It is a reference for generations of artists of all times. This large-format oil painting painted on canvas in 1656 blurs the boundaries between what is painted and reality, with the painter also appearing within the work.
The starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh
The starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh It is also a groundbreaking pictorial work by showing a night view using the impasto technique, showing a vibrant and disturbing night landscape.
Guernica by Pablo Picasso
Another example of pictorial works of great importance due to the impact of the subject matter, the cruel bombing of the town of Gernika during the Spanish civil war, is the Guernica by Pablo Picasso. A work that has become a symbol against war. A large cubist painting in black and gray tones that conveys all the horror and senselessness of war.
