What do you see going on in this work of art? Is there a story depicted?

The artwork utilizes chiaroscuro to portray the beauty of the Americas pre colonization but the looming reality of colonization. The bird in the sky emphasizes the sheer size of the landscape.

What different visual elements (ie: line, color, light, proportions, scale, composition, media type etc.) do you notice, and how do they help you make sense of the artwork?

First thing to note about this painting is how big it is. The scale I think plays the biggest factor in the painting because it takes up the entire wall. There are vast lighting differences present, with the rocks glistening on one end and then the darkness covering the bear on another end.

What choices do you think the museum made about the object’s display?

Ilike how the museum dedicated an entire wall to one display, I feel like it emphasizes the scale and real captures the attention of the viewer. I also think they accentuated the sites with the thick layer of framing around it. They have lights going directly onto the painting urself.

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