Describing Line: the Study of Canaletto’s Use of Line
Describing Line: The Study of Canaletto’s Use of Line
The purpose of this journal entry is to discuss the way Canaletto uses line in his work The Maundy Thursday Festival before the Ducal Palace in Venice. Also, it will compare the accuracy his work to that of a modern photograph of the same location. How do they differ? Line is used in nearly every aspect of art, whether it is an actual mark on the page or simply implied.
Canaletto uses line to show the audience the boundaries in his art. He uses line to differentiate parts of the building. Canaletto’s use of line also creates a boundary between the building and its surroundings. He uses line to show us where the buildings end and the gray sky begins. We all know the building and sky are not joined as one object but his outline of the building shows definition between the two. Just like in the photograph, there is some degree of definition between the building and sky. Canaletto’s work, however, does not hold the same vibrancy as the modern photograph so he needed to accentuate boundaries more instead of just having an implied boundary.
While his work may not hold the same vibrancy, it did hold more details. Canaletto’s use of line makes the details on the building’s façade stand out substantially. At first I missed the diamond pattern of the building in the photograph. Canaletto’s drawing seems more intricate when it comes to detail work. It is simply astounding what an artist can capture. We can see all of the smaller details of the building and spectators in his drawing versus the photograph. Canaletto captured more of the building’s essence than the photograph. The building is gorgeous but the attention to detail Canaletto gave it makes it even more so. He gave a two dimensional piece of art a third dimension. There is greater sense of depth to his drawing than the photograph itself.
His use of line gives a sense of depth. The way the crowds of people and buildings are placed gives you a visual sense of
The purpose of this journal entry is to discuss the way Canaletto uses line in his work The Maundy Thursday Festival before the Ducal Palace in Venice. Also, it will compare the accuracy his work to that of a modern photograph of the same location. How do they differ? Line is used in nearly every aspect of art, whether it is an actual mark on the page or simply implied.
Canaletto uses line to show the audience the boundaries in his art. He uses line to differentiate parts of the building. Canaletto’s use of line also creates a boundary between the building and its surroundings. He uses line to show us where the buildings end and the gray sky begins. We all know the building and sky are not joined as one object but his outline of the building shows definition between the two. Just like in the photograph, there is some degree of definition between the building and sky. Canaletto’s work, however, does not hold the same vibrancy as the modern photograph so he needed to accentuate boundaries more instead of just having an implied boundary.
While his work may not hold the same vibrancy, it did hold more details. Canaletto’s use of line makes the details on the building’s façade stand out substantially. At first I missed the diamond pattern of the building in the photograph. Canaletto’s drawing seems more intricate when it comes to detail work. It is simply astounding what an artist can capture. We can see all of the smaller details of the building and spectators in his drawing versus the photograph. Canaletto captured more of the building’s essence than the photograph. The building is gorgeous but the attention to detail Canaletto gave it makes it even more so. He gave a two dimensional piece of art a third dimension. There is greater sense of depth to his drawing than the photograph itself.
His use of line gives a sense of depth. The way the crowds of people and buildings are placed gives you a visual sense of