Look and Look Again

First Look

 

• A collection of warm and inviting colors towards the middle, surrounded by a trimming of darker material colors
• Clearly defined textures and varieties of cloths/furs
• The sisters are shown looking almost directly into the eyes of the painter, with a direct focus of view
• The brush strokes transfer great detail: strands of curly hair, wrinkles in the dresses of the female characters, contrast and softness of skin, glassines in the eyes of the girls
• It is almost eerie the way their eyes focus, staring so intently, it is as if they watch you whenever as you move, tracking your eyes as you watch theirs

 

Second Look

 

 

• There is a clear sense of color, the dark blacks, deep reds and luxurious golds, but a closer look shows green of deep emerald (towards the bottom left)
• There is a paintbrush in the first sister’s hand, and the paint palette shows those same green colors, as if she was painting and was caught off guard- or staged to look so by the painter
• There is a whimsical and soft look from both of the sisters, but a slight curve is seen in the lips of the second (maybe younger) sister whereas a more “maternal” feeling is portrayed through the eyes and the facial feelings of the first sister
• These sisters exhibit an almost “Siamese twin” vibe, due to their similarity in appearances; as well as the illusion of them almost being connected in body- as if this painting was slightly expressing one person with two heads and two personalities.
• It is almost as if the sisters are trying to discern what you are thinking about them, as you do the same with respect to them

 

 

 

 

Cartonnage of Nespanetjerenpare

This piece was of a mummy’s coffin. My first impression of the coffin was that it was very intricate. The coffin was covered in tiny hieroglyphics. The hieroglyphics showed images of birds, knives, and bowls. Aside from the head

of the main figure, there were also images of people all over the coffin. It is not hard to tell that someone spent a lot of time and efforton this particular piece. Hints of orange stood out from the white-brown background.

My second impression of the piece was pure fascination. I got to thinking about what the purpose of a coffin actually was back then. Not only were coffins used to preserve the dead bodies but they were also used to show wealth and power. It was  fascinating for me to see how people put so much effort into how they present themselves even after their life is over. King Nespanetjerenpare made it clear that he wanted it to be known that he was a prestigious, well-respected person of his time period. But it was interesting to me because no matter how lavish someones lifestyle was, their body still ends up in the same place. The corpse could be covered in a beautiful coffin buried in the Egyptian pyramids but at the end of the day it’s still just a corpse. Theres nothing special about it. Life hasn’t changed hundreds of years later. Some people still demand this kind of attention and power. Despite the time difference, certain people still demand to be seen as powerful and almighty, similar to the kings in the coffins.

I was walking in the “Arts of the Americas” gallery when I stumbled upon this piece. It is a ceramic sculpture titled Making Babies for the Indian Market, created by artist Roxanne Swentzell. At first glance, I was intrigued by the children surrounding the figure: what were they doing? Why were they there? After reading the description, I learned the answers to these questions as well as the deeper meaning behind the sculpture as a whole. In this piece, we see a black pot atop the sitting Pueblo woman’s head. This was intended to give the audience the impression that making pots and making babies are of equal value, and that the Native Americans themselves were treated poorly and seen as a commodity by non-natives. Analyzing the artwork for the second time, I was able to see the message that Swentzell was trying to project. (Also, I discovered that the face of the Pueblo woman is that of Roxanne Swentzell!)

 

The piece of art that grabbed my attention the most was a painting called A Storm in the Rocky Mountains, Mt. Rosalie by Albert Bierstadt. At first, this painting caught my attention mainly because of its enormous size. In a room with very lightly colored walls, it was hard to miss a painting that big. My first impression of it was that all the colors are what made it so mesmerizing. However, when I took a moment and looked at it again, I realized that I missed out on so many other details. For instance, the painting had a lot of depth and dimension to it. The mountains looked so real that the painting looked almost like a photograph. I also realized that it was an oil painting which may have contributed to the vivid and realistic view. The length of the mountains was slightly exaggerated to make them the focal point of the painting. The painter also seemed to be paying a lot of attention to the weather. Even though the clouds looked ominous, there was a beam of sunlight shining through the middle almost as if it represented hope or freedom. There were also other details that the artist added to make it more intricate such as tiny trees, ponds, and animals, which really completed the painting as a whole. Overall, my appreciation for this piece along with other paintings increased whenever I took some time to analyze because it allowed me to pinpoint the significant details.

 

-Zenab Jamil