Eiffel Tower Analysis
Homage to the Symbolism of the Eiffel Tower through Color
French writer Guy de Maupassant would eat lunch at the Eiffel Tower’s restaurant out of pure necessity, because as he often remarked, “it’s the only place in Paris where I don’t have to see [the Eiffel Tower]” (Barthes 3). Wherever you are in Paris, whatever the weather, the Tower is always there; the only spot in Paris blind to the Tower is the Tower itself. The Eiffel Tower is constantly seeing all of Paris, and in return, being seen by all of Paris. Robert Delaunay’s piece “Champs de Mars: The Red Tower” (Figure 1.) was painted in celebration of the Eiffel Tower’s structure as an engineering and architectural miracle as well as a symbol of modernity in the nineteenth and twentieth …show more content…
A group led by writers Guy de Maupassant and Alexandre Dumas and architect Charles Garnier, lodged an official complaint about the tower calling it, “a gigantic factory chimney whose form will disfigure the architectural harmony of the city” (“Origins and Construction of the Eiffel Tower”). Others, such as painter Paul Gauguin, disagreed and admired the tower’s modernity. Gauguin claimed the, “exhibition represents the triumph of iron, not only regarding machines but also architecture,” (Benton 160). The Eiffel Tower with its modern iron design would become a symbol for avant-gardism and was the subject of many artworks including paintings, woodcuts, and photographs. These artists would use the Tower as an example of popular culture or as an anti-establishment …show more content…
It is a monument for the breaking away of artistic tradition, the industrialization of cities, the urbanization of countries, and scientific progress. In his Eiffel Tower series, Robert Delaunay wished to not only experiment with his theories on color and light, but commemorate the symbolism of the tower as well. He was able to accomplish this goal through color and modern optical theory; he created a balanced, unified, and dynamic piece where all components push the observer’s attention toward the subject, the red
French writer Guy de Maupassant would eat lunch at the Eiffel Tower’s restaurant out of pure necessity, because as he often remarked, “it’s the only place in Paris where I don’t have to see [the Eiffel Tower]” (Barthes 3). Wherever you are in Paris, whatever the weather, the Tower is always there; the only spot in Paris blind to the Tower is the Tower itself. The Eiffel Tower is constantly seeing all of Paris, and in return, being seen by all of Paris. Robert Delaunay’s piece “Champs de Mars: The Red Tower” (Figure 1.) was painted in celebration of the Eiffel Tower’s structure as an engineering and architectural miracle as well as a symbol of modernity in the nineteenth and twentieth …show more content…
A group led by writers Guy de Maupassant and Alexandre Dumas and architect Charles Garnier, lodged an official complaint about the tower calling it, “a gigantic factory chimney whose form will disfigure the architectural harmony of the city” (“Origins and Construction of the Eiffel Tower”). Others, such as painter Paul Gauguin, disagreed and admired the tower’s modernity. Gauguin claimed the, “exhibition represents the triumph of iron, not only regarding machines but also architecture,” (Benton 160). The Eiffel Tower with its modern iron design would become a symbol for avant-gardism and was the subject of many artworks including paintings, woodcuts, and photographs. These artists would use the Tower as an example of popular culture or as an anti-establishment …show more content…
It is a monument for the breaking away of artistic tradition, the industrialization of cities, the urbanization of countries, and scientific progress. In his Eiffel Tower series, Robert Delaunay wished to not only experiment with his theories on color and light, but commemorate the symbolism of the tower as well. He was able to accomplish this goal through color and modern optical theory; he created a balanced, unified, and dynamic piece where all components push the observer’s attention toward the subject, the red