Regatta At Cowes By Raoul Dufy
The artwork that I chose is the Regatta at Cowes by Raoul Dufy. Painted in 1934, this oil on linen measures up to 32 1/8 X 39 1/2 and can be seen at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC My initial reaction to the painting put me in awe of the colors. It made me feel calm and relaxed. I imagined myself on one of the sailboats enjoying the serenity of the lake. The style of this painting is abstract with simplified and exaggerated aspects. The water and sailboats have all been simplified. The boats that are closer to the front of the painting have been exaggerated more than the others in the distance. There are many horizontal lines within the painting created with the hard, exaggerated brush strokes in the water. These lines are
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There are a number of different hues of blue used in the body of water and also white highlights. The white highlights give implied light since there is no actual light source. Many of the darker hues are behind the boats, creating shadows on the water. The painting mostly consists of primary colors, red, yellow, and blue. Green and orange, secondary colors, can also be seen within the painting. There is an overpowering use of cool colors in the painting as the different shades of blue in the water control the overall mood of the painting. The bits of green used in some flags, boats and an area of the water to the right of the painting help to keep that coolness. The use of the warm red, yellow, and orange colors help to warm up the painting just a bit by adding a bit of “pop” to it. All of the warm colors are very intense and appear to be pure. The monochromatic harmony of the blue water has different levels of intensity as the dark blue has a lower intensity. None of the blues appear to be pure. The lighter blue that was mixed with white has also been dulled to lower its intensity and create value. The warm colors help to immediately draw my eyes into the painting. My eyes move and dance around the painting from left to right with the movement created by the strokes of the water and also the different warm colors in small doses around the painting within the boats and flags. My eyes are also taken around the
There are a number of different hues of blue used in the body of water and also white highlights. The white highlights give implied light since there is no actual light source. Many of the darker hues are behind the boats, creating shadows on the water. The painting mostly consists of primary colors, red, yellow, and blue. Green and orange, secondary colors, can also be seen within the painting. There is an overpowering use of cool colors in the painting as the different shades of blue in the water control the overall mood of the painting. The bits of green used in some flags, boats and an area of the water to the right of the painting help to keep that coolness. The use of the warm red, yellow, and orange colors help to warm up the painting just a bit by adding a bit of “pop” to it. All of the warm colors are very intense and appear to be pure. The monochromatic harmony of the blue water has different levels of intensity as the dark blue has a lower intensity. None of the blues appear to be pure. The lighter blue that was mixed with white has also been dulled to lower its intensity and create value. The warm colors help to immediately draw my eyes into the painting. My eyes move and dance around the painting from left to right with the movement created by the strokes of the water and also the different warm colors in small doses around the painting within the boats and flags. My eyes are also taken around the