What exactly does composition mean for the painter? I believe it is the organization of elements in a unified manner that guides the viewer on a visual journey. Not so unlike a movie maker edits and selects scenes to create a reality for movie goers. Great painting is not static. As a student I spent a lot of time copying in museums – I wanted to know why my experience of some paintings seemed so much more powerful than others. Why do we say that guy is a great painter? Although each of us has to find the answer for ourselves to this question, the reality is there in the work – and thankfully, available to anyone who chooses to look for it. These pictures are an attempt to relay some of the questions and answers I have found on my journey.
This painting by Boucher was my first museum copy. I learned a few things then and more in the years since. The first involves the Necker cube and ambiguity. (-> #2)
