Lesson 2
Look at Parallel Rhythm
Rhythm in a work of art is a repeated element of art: line, texture, shape, form, value, or color. It is like a repeating beat in music. Just as rhythms in music can be quite different and affect how we feel when listening, the rhythms in art can also be quite different. A rhythm creates a steady flow across the painting. These are controlled movements used to direct our eyes over a work of art and control the speed at which they travel. Here the artist uses vertical and diagonal lines. We feel a quiet, rhythmic calm as we look at this painting. Looking out over the bridge, the man sees another bridge. This was made during the industrial age and bridges were a monument to invention and man’s ability to control nature. This made them worthy subjects for painting.
Gustave Caillebotte, Le pont de l’Europe ; 1877. Photo Credit : Dover Publications Inc.
Vertical lines are shown in blue. Diagonal lines are shown in green.
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