How Did J. M. W. Turner Painting Set Free
Art Criticism and Formal Analysis
A current exhibition at The Getty Center in Los Angeles is J. M. W. Turner: Painting Set Free. The name of the artist is Joseph Mallard William Turner and the name of the painting I am analyzing is “The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons, October 16, 1834”. The artwork is a European painting. It is oil on canvas and the dimensions are 36 1/4 x 48 1/2 inches. The artwork was created in 1834. The painting portrays a national tragedy which was the burning of the houses of Parliament in London. This historical event specifically happened on October 16, 1834. In the painting you can see thousands of people standing by the Thames River which runs under the Westminster Bridge which also appears in …show more content…
There were grays and blues that appeared in the sky, river, and bridge. The people on the bottom of the painting were also dark grays, black, and dusty browns. One of the most obvious shapes in the painting is the rectangular shape which is the bridge. There are also vertical and horizontal lines that show the scale of the bridge which appears to be exaggerated. It looks massive at the right side and then on the opposite bank it seems to plunge into the burning blaze. There is a line that curves down at an angle towards the left towards the direction of the flames which suggests the bridge had collapsed. One of the textures is the stones on the bridge that look a lot like large bricks. You get the sense that the bridge was very heavy and sturdy. There is a lot of fire and smoke in the background, but you can see the sky off to the top right of the painting which is a light blue and dark gray color. It appears that the sun has already gone down because there is still light in the sky but it is starting to fade to dark. I estimate that the time is around 7pm because that is the time the sun usually starts going down in October. The overall mood of the painting is dramatic. There are a lot of people helplessly watching as these buildings burn
A current exhibition at The Getty Center in Los Angeles is J. M. W. Turner: Painting Set Free. The name of the artist is Joseph Mallard William Turner and the name of the painting I am analyzing is “The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons, October 16, 1834”. The artwork is a European painting. It is oil on canvas and the dimensions are 36 1/4 x 48 1/2 inches. The artwork was created in 1834. The painting portrays a national tragedy which was the burning of the houses of Parliament in London. This historical event specifically happened on October 16, 1834. In the painting you can see thousands of people standing by the Thames River which runs under the Westminster Bridge which also appears in …show more content…
There were grays and blues that appeared in the sky, river, and bridge. The people on the bottom of the painting were also dark grays, black, and dusty browns. One of the most obvious shapes in the painting is the rectangular shape which is the bridge. There are also vertical and horizontal lines that show the scale of the bridge which appears to be exaggerated. It looks massive at the right side and then on the opposite bank it seems to plunge into the burning blaze. There is a line that curves down at an angle towards the left towards the direction of the flames which suggests the bridge had collapsed. One of the textures is the stones on the bridge that look a lot like large bricks. You get the sense that the bridge was very heavy and sturdy. There is a lot of fire and smoke in the background, but you can see the sky off to the top right of the painting which is a light blue and dark gray color. It appears that the sun has already gone down because there is still light in the sky but it is starting to fade to dark. I estimate that the time is around 7pm because that is the time the sun usually starts going down in October. The overall mood of the painting is dramatic. There are a lot of people helplessly watching as these buildings burn