Visual Art Perception: Analysis, Comparison, and Contrast of The Abduction of the Sabine Women and a Hunting Scene
Two paintings on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art are, The Abduction of the Sabine Women, 1633-1634, by Nicolas Poussin and A Hunting Scene, 1462-1522, by Piero Di Cosimo. Both are early European works, one from France and the other from Italy. These portraits have many related aspects, and similar subject matters. Although this is true, the executions of the paintings diverge drastically. The content of both artworks have to do with the inhabitants of the towns reactions to major turmoil and the chaos that’s occurring. Poussin’s portrait is executed a lot more realistically in reference to the appearance of the people and the palette used. Cosimo’s A Hunting Scene displays humans mutated with animal body parts. He also uses a more restricted and unrealistic palette.
In The Abduction of the Sabine Women, vertical lines are most projected. The columns and straight edge of the buildings give the painting a sense of order and organization although there chaos is supposed to be proposed. The vertical and straight lines contribute to the painting being realistic rather than simple and abstract. Many of the figures are looking and pointing upward also creating diagonal lines. Poussin used outline as a method to define his figures. There is implied line in the portrait as well. A man with a red tarp stands to the far left above everyone else attempting to call order, creating a point. One-third of the figures are facing his direction. Where the building to the far right is positioned it creates another point. Another third of the figures face that direction. The location of the babies on the ground, front and centered creates the last point constructing an implied triangle. This gives the painting a closed composition creating a focal point. The Hunting Scene also uses a series of vertical and straight lines. The trees tower straight up in the sky. The figures stand upright and tall. With a few characters facing the direction of two openings, focal area is
In The Abduction of the Sabine Women, vertical lines are most projected. The columns and straight edge of the buildings give the painting a sense of order and organization although there chaos is supposed to be proposed. The vertical and straight lines contribute to the painting being realistic rather than simple and abstract. Many of the figures are looking and pointing upward also creating diagonal lines. Poussin used outline as a method to define his figures. There is implied line in the portrait as well. A man with a red tarp stands to the far left above everyone else attempting to call order, creating a point. One-third of the figures are facing his direction. Where the building to the far right is positioned it creates another point. Another third of the figures face that direction. The location of the babies on the ground, front and centered creates the last point constructing an implied triangle. This gives the painting a closed composition creating a focal point. The Hunting Scene also uses a series of vertical and straight lines. The trees tower straight up in the sky. The figures stand upright and tall. With a few characters facing the direction of two openings, focal area is