Introduction
Painting is a complex medium through which artists can express a wide range of concepts, ideas, personal visions, and emotions. For this assignment, the artwork “The Virgin of Carmel Saving Souls in Purgatory” by an unknown, presumably American, artist was selected (Frank, 2018). Currently on display at the Brooklyn Museum, the oil-on-canvas painting dates to the late 17th century and is an example of the Peruvian Cuzco School of Art (Brooklyn Museum, 2023). The painting is very symmetrical and utilizes curved lines and contrasting colors to draw the viewers in and tell the story of people being saved from purgatory by the Virgin of Carmel.
Description of the Artwork
Visual Elements
The unknown artist employed numerous visual elements to convey their vision of purgatory and the people being rescued from it by the grace of the Virgin of Carmel. For example, in the painting, curved lines are primarily implied. Most of these lines curve upward to guide the viewer’s gaze from the entry to the limbo, to the Virgin of Carmel, and eventually to God the Father.
In the work’s lower half, the wings of the angels escorting people from purgatory and those at the Virgin’s feet form a curved line, with the shape of her cloak echoing it. Similarly, the artists chose to use irregular, curved shapes, with, for instance, the contours of the clouds being very rounded (Frank, 2018). Meanwhile, the Virgin, angels, God the Father, and the baby are examples of biomorphic forms (Frank, 2018). Thus, it can be argued that the painting has a certain unity of lines and shapes.
The mass in the artwork is implied by darker colors, particularly at the bottom of the painting, where the ground is painted in dark brown. Meanwhile, the illusion of space is achieved through the vertical alignment of objects and the negative space being painted with a contrasting dark blue (“Space in art: Elements of art,” 2023). Time and motion are evident in the piece through implied curved lines, which provide a narrative guide to the portrayed events (“Movement in art,” 2022). Light is used to guide the gaze by highlighting the curved lines, with primary, saturated hues employed to add weight and contrast. Furthermore, the combination of light and saturated colors creates the illusion of texture, particularly in the clouds and the Virgin’s skirt.
Principles of Design
In “The Virgin of Carmel Saving Souls in Purgatory,” several design principles are employed to convey the artist’s vision. The painting is highly unified, with certain parts harmoniously mirroring one another. For example, the angels surrounding the Virgin are painted symmetrically. Additionally, symmetry helps maintain balance in the piece. Meanwhile, the Virgin, in particular, her head bearing the crown, can be viewed as the focal point of the work, as it is emphasized through contrasting colors and a pattern of curved lines around her head.
Thus, hues and lines can be argued to be the directional forces of the piece. Shades of blue, brown, red, and white are strongly different, creating contrast and drawing the eye inward (Frank, 2018). Continuity, flow, and direction are created through the repetition of implied lines and natural and biomorphic forms, including the angels surrounding the Virgin. Moreover, the piece presents an interesting example of the use of scale and proportion to help emphasize the focal point, with the Virgin being notably more prominent than the objects around her.
Conclusion
In summary, “The Virgin of Carmel Saving Souls in Purgatory” is an art piece that employs a range of visual elements and design principles to convey a narrative. Curved lines, rounded shapes, symmetrical patterns, and contrasting colors are used in a precise, directional manner to guide viewers’ gaze. The utilization of these elements helps highlight and draw attention to the focal point of the work, the Virgin of Carmel, and offers the narrative with her at the center.
References
Brooklyn Museum. (2023). Virgin of Carmel saving souls in purgatory.
Frank, P. (2018). Prebles’ artforms: An introduction to the visual arts (12th ed.). Pearson Prentice Hall.
Movement in art. (2022). Art in context.
Space in art: Elements of art. (2023). Fine Art Tutorials.