the Feldmans Method

Reviewing Grant Wood and Jan Van Eyck

Describe

1. Grant Wood, Parson Weems

Fable, 1936, Oil o Canvas
2. Parson Weems Fable depicts the
author himself pulling back a curtain
to show a scene from his famous
story of George Washington chopping
down a cherry tree. In this scene,
George Washington, with a body of a
child, holds an ax while his father
scolds him for cutting into a cherry
tree. Two cherry pickers pick cherries
off a neighboring tree in the
background. What looks to be a
plantation house surrounded by
rolling hills filled with rounded trees
make up the rest of the background.

Space cont- George, his

father, and the cherry tree
in the mid-ground, and
finally the cherry pickers
and plantation make up the
background.

3. Color - A limited color pallet of

complimentary colors red and
green make up a majority of the
piece with the exception of
Georges blue tights.
Space - 3 dimensional space is
created by the figure of the
author and curtain in the
foreground;

Shape - The trees are

simplified to uniform
geometric shapes which is
also mirrored in the buttons
on Weems jacket and
George Washingtons
fathers coat as well as the
details on the red curtain.
The house is also made up
on uniform rectangles as
well.

Emphasis - The limited pallet of red and

green coupled with singular use of blue draws
the viewers eye straight to child George
Washinton, the subject of the painting. The
use of the curtain, pulled back so that we may
see the scene as well as Weems pointed
finger also add emphasis to George
Washington.

Repetition - The uniform shapes

of circles and rectangles repeat
throughout the painting; circles
make up the cherry trees, the
buttons on jackets, and the
tassels on the curtains.
Rectangles make up the form of
the house and its windows.

Analyze

Movement - Wood uses the gestures and forms of his subjects to

move your eye through out the piece. First with the figure of
Weems himself, pointing to Georges ax which leads us into the
foreground. His fathers outreached arm directs our eye to the
bowed cherry tree which points to the cherry tree pickers in the
distance. Finally our eye follows the patterned greens up the
rolling hill to the sky and out of the frame.

Woods use of the curtain and figure of the author tell us that the
intent of this painting is to tell a story or teach a lesson. The
simplified figures and environment as well as the simplified color
pallet let us know that this image is fictional despite its main
character being an actual person from our history. The intent
behind painting the face of George Washington, the father of
our country, that we know so well also might perhaps invoke
feelings of patriotism in American viewers, especially during the
time it was painted in the mid-1930s.

The feeling is a playful one. The use of bright and complimentary

colors signifies a light hearted subject matter while the oversized
figure of Weems in the foreground adds a layer of seriousness to
the piece as well, reminding viewers that a lesson (either in
patriotism or environmentalism) is to be learned from it.

Interpret

1. Jan Van Eyck, Arnolfini Wedding,

1434, Oil on Oak Panel
2. Arnolfini Wedding depicts a man
in dark musketeer-like robes and a
pregnant woman in a green gown and
white headdress holding hands in a
bed chamber. A small dog stands
before their joint hands, and a circular
mirror hangs on the wall behind their
joint hands.
3. Color - A limited color pallet
comprised of neutral tones, red, and
green make up the painting. The bed
covering and drapes red, the
womans gown green, the mans
robes a purple grey, and the rest of
the room made up of different values
to brown.

Describe
Space - A 3 dimensional
space is created with the
placement of the dog in the
foreground, the couple in the
mid-ground, and the bed, wall,
and chandelier in the
background.
Form - The use of different
values and shapes help give
form to the figures in the
painting. Their faces a round
and plump and the woman is
believably with child, her hand
resting on her rounded
stomach.

Balance - Radial balance is created through the

placement of the figures and objects in the room
which radiate outwards from the joint hands, drawing
your eye about the piece.
Contrast - The use of the bright green of the
womans extravagant gown paired with the vibrant
red of the bedding brings contrast to the piece when
paired with the dark fine robes of the man and the
simple desk and window behind the man.
Movement - The use of color and form gestures
guide your eye through out the piece starting from
the joint hands and working your up up either arm to
the objects surrounding them up the folds of their
clothes and back.

Analyze

Taking into consideration the time in which the painting was

made, this was most likely a commission of the married couple as
a wedding portrait as was often done by the wealthy during this
time period. The extravagant clothes, bright colors, and
placement of the figures hands also suggests that this couple is
holy as well as noble. This painting would have most likely been
used as a way to promote the couples wealth and station within
society.
The feeling is a reserved one, the man blank faced along with his
dark clothes and position of his hands echo the idea that he is a
pious man and perhaps even relates himself as christ-like. The
woman in turn, equally blank faced and gentile, is depicted much
like the virgin Mary. The cements the idea that this marriage was
more of duty and righteousness rather than love again serving
the idea of the painting being one made of function and
seriousness rather than anything else.

Interpret

Judge Part I
Both artists use a limited color pallet and movement to direct
the viewers eye throughout the piece. Both Wood and Van
Eyck use the color red as a guide through the piece as well
as the gestures and positions of their figures.

Both artworks differ greatly in the way they use emphasis and space.
Woods space is unrealistic, more like an actual play (curtain giving way
to a made up scene) in comparison to Van Eycks bed chamber which
resembles much of what noblepersons rooms would look like at the time.
Wood uses emphasis to direct the viewers eye to the subject of the
painting while Van Eyck uses emphasis as a means to show off the wealth
and holiness of the couple.

Both artworks differ greatly in terms of fuction.

Woods image is a playful retelling of a famous
piece of history, most likely in hopes of inspiring
a patriotic feeling within his viewers during a time when fascism was on the
rise in America. This is evident in his simplified forms, bold colors, and
placement of his subjects. Meanwhile, Van Eycks painting functions as a
symbol of wealth and propriety for the couple depicted as evident in the
extravagance of the room, their clothes, and the posture in which they stand
which is reminiscent of images of the Virgin Mother and Christ.

Judge Part II

I think both artists are successful in

how they use a limited color pallet
and movement to direct the viewers
eye about the piece. I also think both
images serve their functions well
though they are entirely different.