chapter 7 scale and proportion part 1 fundamentals copyright © 2011 thames & hudson
TRANSCRIPT
Chapter 7
Scale and Proportion
PART 1FUNDAMENTALS
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 7 Scale and Proportion
PART 1FUNDAMENTALS
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
IntroductionIntroduction
We perceive scale in relation to our own sizeArt objects created on a monumental scale appear larger than they
would be in normal lifeArt objects created on a human scale correspond to the size of
things as they actually existSmall-scale objects appear smaller than our usual experience of
them in the real world
Usually, an artist ensures that all the parts of an object are in proportion to one another
But discordant proportions can express specific meanings
Chapter 7 Scale and Proportion
PART 1FUNDAMENTALS
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
ScaleScale
Artist and designers make conscious choices about the scale of their work when they consider the message they want to put acrossA small-scale work implies intimacyLarge-scale works can be experienced by groups of viewers
and usually communicate big ideas directed at a large audience
Practical considerations can affect an artist's decision about scale tooCost, time it will take to execute the piece, and demands that
a specific location may place on the work are all factors
Chapter 7 Scale and Proportion
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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Scale and MeaningScale and Meaning
Usually a monumental scale indicates heroism or other epic virtues
War monuments, for example, often feature figures much larger than life-size in order to convey the bravery of the warriors
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Interactive Exercises:
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 7 Scale and Proportion
Scale and MeaningScale and Meaning
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1.126 Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, Mistos (Match Cover), 1992. Steel, aluminum, fiber-reinforced plastic, painted with polyurethane enamel, 68' x 33' x 43' 4”. Collection La Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 7 Scale and Proportion
Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen,Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen,Mistos (Match Cover)Mistos (Match Cover)
Uses monumental scale to poke fun while expressing admiration for the little things of everyday life
Oldenburg transforms the essence of everyday things as he magnifies their sculptural form
Oldenburg believes that the items of mass culture, no matter how insignificant they might seem, express a truth about modern life
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1.127 Robert Lostutter, The Hummingbirds, 1981. Watercolor on paper, 1 ¾ x 5 5/8”. Collection of Anne and Warren Weisberg
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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 7 Scale and Proportion
Robert Lostutter, Robert Lostutter, The HummingbirdsThe Hummingbirds
Lostutter uses small scale to enhance the character of his work
He likes to create his works on the scale not of a human but of a bird
The tiny scale of the work—only one person at a time can see it properly—forces us to come closer
Viewing it becomes an intimate experience
Chapter 7 Scale and Proportion
PART 1FUNDAMENTALS
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Hierarchical ScaleHierarchical Scale
Hierarchical scale refers to the deliberate use of relative size in a work of art, in order to communicate differences in importance
Almost always, larger means more important, and smaller means less important
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Chapter 7 Scale and Proportion
Hierarchical ScaleHierarchical Scale
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1.128 Relief from the northern wall of the hypostyle hall at the great temple of Amun, 19 th Dynasty, c. 1295–1186 BCE. Karnak, Egypt
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Hierarchical scale
A
B
C
PART 1FUNDAMENTALS
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 7 Scale and Proportion
Hierarchical scale: Relief from the Hierarchical scale: Relief from the northern wall of the hypostyle hall at the northern wall of the hypostyle hall at the great temple of Amungreat temple of Amun
In the art of ancient Egypt, the king, or pharaoh, was usually the largest figure depicted because he had the highest status in the social order
This scene depicts the military campaign of Pharoah Seti I (figure A) against the Hittites and Libyans
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1.129 Jan van Eyck, Madonna in a Church, 1437–8. Oil on wood panel, 12 5/8 x 5 1/2”. Gemäldegalerie, Staatliche Museen, Berlin, Germany
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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 7 Scale and Proportion
Jan van Eyck, Jan van Eyck, Madonna in a ChurchMadonna in a Church
Uses hierarchical scale to communicate spiritual importance
In his effort to glorify the spiritual importance of Mary and the Christ child, van Eyck separates them from normal human existence Van Eyck has scaled them to symbolize their central
importance in the Christian religion
Chapter 7 Scale and Proportion
PART 1FUNDAMENTALS
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Distorted ScaleDistorted Scale
An artist may deliberately distort scale to create an abnormal or supernatural effect
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Chapter 7 Scale and Proportion
Distorted ScaleDistorted Scale
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1.130 Dorothea Tanning, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, 1943. Oil on canvas, 16 1/8 x 24”. Tate, London
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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 7 Scale and Proportion
Dorothea Tanning, Dorothea Tanning, Eine Kleine NachtmusikEine Kleine Nachtmusik
Dorothea Tanning was a Surrealist artist The sunflower seems huge in relation to the interior
architecture and the two female figures standing on the left By contradicting our ordinary experience of scale, Tanning
invites us into a world unlike the one we know Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (“A Little Night Music”), is
borrowed from a lighthearted piece of music by the composer Mozart, but ironically Tanning’s scene exhibits a strange sense of dread
Chapter 7 Scale and Proportion
PART 1FUNDAMENTALS
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
ProportionProportion
The relationships between the sizes of different parts of a work make up its proportions
By controlling these size relationships an artist can enhance the expressive and descriptive characteristics of the work
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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 7 Scale and Proportion
ProportionProportion
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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 7 Scale and Proportion
1.131 Examples of how proportion changes on vertical and horizontal axes
Foot
Lip
Hip
A B C
WidthHeight
Chapter 7 Scale and Proportion
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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Human ProportionHuman Proportion
Carefully chosen proportion can make an art object seem pleasing to the eyeThis goes for the human body, too
The ancient Egyptians used the palm of the hand as a unit of measurement
The ancient Greeks sought an ideal of beauty in the principle of proportion
The models used by the Greeks for calculating human proportion were later adopted by artists of ancient Rome, and then by Renaissance artists
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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 7 Scale and Proportion
Human ProportionHuman Proportion
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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 7 Scale and Proportion
1.132 Ancient Egyptian system using the human hand as a standard unit of measurement
6 palms = 1 cubit 4 cubits = 1 man’s height[24 palms]
4 fingers = 1 palm
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1.133 Nigerian Ife artist, Figure of Oni, early 14th–15th century. Brass with lead, 18 3/8” high. National Museum, Ife, Nigeria
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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 7 Scale and Proportion
Nigerian Ife artist, Nigerian Ife artist, Figure of OniFigure of Oni
The Oni is the most powerful and important figure in this culture
The head is large in proportion to the rest of the body; the Yoruba believe that the head is the seat of a divine power
Many African sculptures exaggerate the head and face as a way to communicate status, destiny, and a connection to the spiritual
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1.134 Raphael, The School of Athens, 1510–11. Fresco, 16’ 8” x 25’. Stanza della Segnatura, Vatican City
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Chapter 1 Art in Two Dimensions: Line, Shape, and the Principle of Contrast
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Gateway to Art:Gateway to Art:Raphael, Raphael, The School of AthensThe School of AthensScale and Proportion in a Renaissance MasterpieceScale and Proportion in a Renaissance Masterpiece
Raphael’s sensitivity to proportion reflects his pursuit of perfection
He indicated the importance of his masterpiece by creating it on a magnificent scale
He composed the individual figures so that the parts of each figure are harmonious in relation to each other and portray an idealized form
Double emphasis on the center brings our attention to the opposing gestures of two famous Greek philosophers, Plato and Aristotle
Chapter 7 Scale and Proportion
PART 1FUNDAMENTALS
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
The Golden SectionThe Golden Section
The Golden Section is a proportional ratio of 1:1.618, which occurs in many natural objects
Real human bodies do not have exactly these proportions, but when the ratio 1:1.618 is applied to making statues, it gives naturalistic results
The proportions of Ancient Greek sculptures are often very close to the Golden Section
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Chapter 7 Scale and Proportion
Golden Section & ProportionGolden Section & Proportion
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Chapter 7 Scale and Proportion
1.135 The Golden Section
Golden Mean1:1.6180337...
1:1.6180337...
1
1.618
Fibonacci Sequence1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, …
Root 5 Rectangle
13
85
3 211
1/2
1.618…
2.236…
2√5
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1.136 Poseidon (or Zeus), c. 460–450 BCE. Bronze, 6’ 10 1/2” high. National Archaeological Museum, Athens, Greece
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1.137 Diagram of proportional formulas used in the statue
1.618
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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 7 Scale and Proportion
PoseidonPoseidon
As a Greek god, Poseidon had to have perfect proportions The sculptor applied a conveniently simple ratio, using the
head as a standard measurement The body is three heads wide by seven heads high
Chapter 7 Scale and Proportion
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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Proportional RatiosProportional Ratios
“Golden Rectangles” is a technique based on nesting inside each other a succession of rectangles based on the 1:1.618 proportions of the Golden SectionThe shorter side of the outer rectangle becomes the longer side of
the smaller rectangle inside it, and so onThe result is an elegant spiral shape
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1.138a Henry Peach Robinson, Fading Away, 1858. Combination albumen print. George Eastman House, Rochester, New York
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1.138b Proportional analysis of Henry Peach Robinson’s Fading Away
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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 7 Scale and Proportion
Henry Peach Robinson, Henry Peach Robinson, Fading AwayFading Away
Henry Peach Robinson was a great photographic innovator
This image shows Robinson’s attention to the coordinated ratios in artistic composition
Notice how the right-hand drape divides the photograph into two Golden Rectangles, and how the spiral draws our eye to the dying young woman
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1.139 Iktinos and Kallikrates, Parthenon, 447–432 BCE. Athens, Greece
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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 7 Scale and Proportion
Iktinos and Kallikrates, ParthenonIktinos and Kallikrates, Parthenon
By applying the idealized rules of proportion for the human body to the design of the Parthenon, a temple of the goddess Athena, the Greeks created a harmonious designThe proportions correspond quite closely to the Golden
SectionThe vertical and horizontal measurements work together to
create proportional harmony
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1.140 The use of the Golden Section in the design of the Parthenon
Pediment
Triglyphs
Chapter 7 Scale and Proportion
PART 1FUNDAMENTALS
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
ConclusionConclusion
When proportion conforms to scale, all the parts of the work look the way we expect them to
Scale and proportion are basic to most works; size choices influence all the other elements and principles in the design
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Chapter 7 Scale and Proportion
This concludes the PowerPoint Slide Set for Chapter 1.7
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts By Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson