We are familiar with seeing figures in motion today because we have cameras and video equipment that capture those images. But in the nineteenth century artists had to study figures very carefully, usually while real people were posing for the painting. It was probably not easy to keep the boat still while the artist painted the figures in this painting called, The Boating Party . These figures show a woman from a front view, a child from the front view, and a man from a back view. Set against a brilliant blue background and the lush yellow curve of the boat, this painting emphasizes the figures.
Mary Cassatt (1844-1926) The Boating Party. 1893-94. Photo Credit: Dover Publications Inc.
In a front point of view (woman), features such as the eyes, nose, and mouth are in full view. In a back point of view (man), these features cannot be seen unless the face is tilted into a partial side view.
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