Art Analysis: Down For The Count By Fletcher Martin

Down for the Count is a heavy work that is used to depict the times of the Great Depression. Fletcher Martin was very distinct about what he wanted us to see and how he wanted us to see it. The subject matter is surrounded by supporting details such as the color, light, space, and also the size and scale.
Fletcher Martin painted this using oil paint on a canvas. The painting seems to be layered but not with many colors. The painting itself is very neutral in the sense of color schemes. The most prominent color used in this painting is a gray. The fog gives off an eerie feel to the painting. In this work, gray is a color but could also be seen as a feeling or emotion in this painting. The gray also allows the figures to stand out more. It makes the color on the figures catch your eye first.
This creates a calming factor or cool factor. The painting seems to be placed in a place where it is to be foggy and
If you notice the view of the path, the angle it takes creates an almost never-ending trail, or at least for the viewers it doesn’t seem to end. The path ultimately looks like a triangle and is an important part of this piece because of its size. If you notice the way the figures are made they are triangles as well. This work is not symmetrical by any means, these angles and lines give the illusion that the painting is symmetrical but it really is not. The black figure is completely in the middle of the painting and that makes everything else surrounding him off center. All in all, Fletcher Martin has given us a painting that we can make our own but he helps us with the different techniques he uses to create this work of art. Understanding the subject matter is important to know but if you do not by Martin using color, light, and scale and space, you can come to a conclusion of what he was trying to get his viewers to see. To hear the message that he was trying to