Family

The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit

John Singer Sargent

American

1856-1925

The artists point of view: Through this painting, Sargent has shown us that there are four daughters in the Boit family. Although there is little movement going on, maybe just the girls holding hands, they all seem still. Balance within the painting is found through its colors, coming from dark and getting brighter, as if the two girls in the back are hiding. Who are they? Could they possibly benot the daughters but rather service girls? They are dressed very much alike and we cannot see their faces clearly, while the two girls in the front are much more clear and have a brighter setting. One is playing with a doll while the other young child is standing near the wall. This beautiful painting can be seen at the MFA in Boston, MA. The gorgeous china vases can be seen also, standing next to the painting itself.

The artist creates a repetition with the vases, they are very suttle. Sargent uses a great amount of contrast in this painting, with the light and dark. There is also a big sense of unitiy within the painting, something about an even amount of girls gives it that sense and also the rug gives it that almost home-y feel, making the girls look slightly stiff, but not, just like they are comfortable with being painted at such a young age.

Nighthawks

What I See: In this painting there are many contrasts of light and dark. The paint that the artist uses makes the people pop from the painting rather then hide in the dark, they seem to pop because of the background in the diner is bright, even though their faces are as bright and pale as the background. The artist also has balance and contrast in it, the balance that he uses is asymmetry. The placement is also perfect, over all the artist took much time in planning to make such a magnificent masterpiece. 

What I Have Learned: The painters name is Edward Hopper, the painting Nighthawk is of a diner in the Greenwich Village area of NYC. He had lived there for 54 years, he paints the by passers and customers. They are painted with such perfection and character that it is easy to see their eyes and clothes. 

Hopper creates a sense of unity through his art by the balance of asymmetry. The tertiary colors like the gray and dark forest green. The shapes are simple, as in squares and rectangles, circles and octagons.