Harvest at La Crau

Compare and Contrast Essay John Sloan’s The Greenwich Village features themes of a rural, spacious land and Van Gogh’s Harvest at La Crau reveals themes of a crowded, fast pace life; it is apparent by juxtaposing these two art pieces that both paintings create a sense of lifestyle. While observing both pieces of art one can understand that they share a common theme of humanism. Sloan’s The Greenwich Village focuses more on the busy city life of midtown New York. This fulfilling painting illustrates lifestyle at that time from every aspect. In plain view you see slightly rundown buildings, and small mediocre businesses. If you look off in the distance, you notice an extremely lit up, and lively part of town. Transitioning to Van Gogh’s Harvest at La Crau the observer can immediately recognize that sense of humanism, but in a totally original way. Van Gogh uses corresponding primary and secondary colors in his painting to put reference on the time of day illustrated. The artwork seems to take place during the late morning or early afternoon when the sun shines directly on top of the landscape. The bright colors depicted give off a sense of warmth and happiness toward the painting, in turn exhibiting a busy and very productive day.

The Greenwich Village unveils a sense of urgency to the viewer. It presents various types of fast paced transportation. Also Sloan puts a large amount of emphasis on the fact that the closer buildings have a dark, lonely, and hectic vibe; whereas the structures in the distance show a bright and inviting way of life. Both lifestyles are in the same city, but located in different parts of it. Harvest at La Crau flaunts its friendly, country side village in such a way as to show the viewer how beautiful the atmosphere can be outside the city limits. This painting indicates a town where everybody knows everybody. These people seem to live off the land, and enjoy doing it; and although the art work looks friendly and care free one can