Composition in drawing By Alexander Cherkov, from the book Introduction to the World of Art "Sculpture, painting, drawing and more"
Format, object, background
When creating a composition, the artist deals with three elements:
פורמט. Definition of the type and style, as well as the size of the composition created. In this aspect, it is the size dimensions that interest us.
Object. In other words - the theme of the work, which in most cases is reflected in the title of the work.
background. All the things that fill the format, except the object. Used as a means of increasing the expression of the object.
In the three examples of the female image in the painting shown below, there are different relationships between the three elements:
Composition in the painting "Mona Lisa"
In the picture of Leonardo da Vinci, The size of the object exceeds the size of the format and allows the viewer to "continue the drawing beyond the frame". The distant Italian landscape, which is the background, emphasizes the scale and significance of the female image.
Composition in the painting "Mrs. Mona"
Claude Monet's painting has no background. According to the name, we see three objects, of which only one object - the artist's garden (not every garden!), Extends beyond the boundaries of the format. The other two objects, Mrs. Monet and the girl, which are in front of the painting are not dominant in relation to the garden. To me, the image expresses the artist's love for his home, for harmony and serenity.
Composition in the painting "Lilac"
Mikhail and Rubel, set the lilac flowers that go beyond the format, as his painting object. The frightening and perhaps mystical female image that serves as a background, has also disappeared beyond the format. Here the background emphasizes the sense of sadness and melancholy that emanates from the artist. Verovel's contemporaries described him as "a man cut off from life."
Subject
I would now like to discuss the fourth component of the composition, which is actually relevant only for the viewer:
Subject. The artist's attitude to the object of the work. As a result, the image format expands by including motifs from other works of the artist. An example of this I would like to present as a continuation of my impression of the painting "Lilac" the painting of Mikhail and Rubel "The Sitting Demon".
Essentially, the subject does not constitute a conscious element in the composition designed by the artist. But he will certainly appear, if the artist is honest with himself and honestly conveys his thoughts and feelings in his work.
