Compare and Contrast: Space
/Understanding the Elements of Art using works from the Polk Museum of Art Collection
TSUKIOKA YOSHITOSHI, EXPECTANT: THE APPEARANCE OF A FIREMAN'S WIFE OF THE KAEI ERA, 1848-1854. WOODBLOCK PRINT. Gift of G. E. Robert Meyer
HUMBERTO CALZADA, THE PHILOSOPHY OF PRIVACY, 2010. ACRYLIC ON CANVAS, Gift of the artist
SPACE
the appearance of depth in a work of art
Foreground: the part of an artwork that appears closest to you
Middle ground: the part of an artwork between the background and the foreground
Background: the part of an artwork that appears farthest from you
Big Idea Some artists choose to create a realistic sense of space in their artworks, while others do not.
Discussion 1 How can you tell what is in the foreground and background of each work? (e.g. overlapping of objects as opposed to changes in size, etc.)
Discussion 2 Where do you see checkerboard (or repeating square) patterns used in these two works? How does the artist use this pattern to show perspective? (e.g. pattern changes direction on the woman’s clothes to show 3D effect, checkerboard in Philosophy is diagonal to show depth)
Fast Facts
The artist Tsukioka Yoshitoshi is recognized as a Japanese master of woodblock printing, in which wood is carved to make a stamp and each color is printed one at a time
Yoshitoshi’s Expectant is one of a series called Thirty-Two Aspects of Women, with all 32 works related in theme
Humberto Calzada was born in Havana, Cuba, and his artwork is inspired by Cuban architecture
Calzada’s works are meant to feel dreamlike, and he was influenced by Surrealism