“La Venise Verte,” Raphael Toussaint, oil on canvas, 1990
Although the style of this artist is my favorite part about
this painting, I think the tonal range Toussaint is able to achieve throughout
this painting makes it its most extraordinary aspect. More specifically, the
tonal range gives the painting depth and realism. For example, Toussaint uses
darker shades of green in the foreground indicating a large shadow from the
canopy of leaves hanging over the river. He contrasts what is in the foreground
with lighter shades of green and yellow for the tress and the sky. I find this
tone change interesting, for most people tend to darken the background to
illuminate the foreground, though the opposite is true in this case. This
deliberate tonal decision illuminates the background and gives the whole
painting great depth.
“Mujer de Pueblo,” Susana Rojas Torres, oil on canvas, 1996
I believe that Torres’ use of lines in this painting achieve
a remarkable emotional quality and directs the viewers’ eyes towards the most
emphasized part of the painting: the subject’s body language. The focus of this
painting is in the bottom right quadrant, within the folds of fabric in the
woman’s sweater and on her delicately folded hands. The woman’s right arm is
viewed diagonally and parallels a crease in the wall. Her other hand layered
beneath is also in parallel with the lines of her legs and the chair, forcing
the reader to focus on her hands and frumpy fabric. The fact that this woman’s
face is not the focus of the painting, but her simple outfit and patient hands
are, evokes a unique emotional quality that allows the viewer to connect with
the portrait from a universal position (via emphasis on body language as
opposed to a specific woman’s face).
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