Thursday, April 13, 2017

David Farquharson



David Farquharson (1839-1907), The End of the Day's Fishing, 56 x 91.5 cm

This oil landscape by David Farquharson (Scottish/English, 1839-1907) has a marvelous sense of scale and depth. 

A few observations:
1. Note the tiny fishermen figures on the right side of the picture.
2. Also, the tiny slivers of light reflecting off the water in the middle ground.
3. The foreground is illuminated and the middle ground is shadowed, the reverse of many grand landscape painters.
4. The corners of the composition are "dodged" or "blocked"—that is, darkened to keep the attention in the middle of the picture.
5. Well orchestrated atmospheric perspective. The dark colors in the extreme distance are lightened and cooled.
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More about atmospheric perspective in Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter


3 comments:

rock995 said...

Wow. I don't know where you find these people but I'm so glad you put these kinds of posts up there because ordinarily, I wouldn't see things like thie! Yes...atmospheric perspective.

John Fleck said...

I didn't know of the term "dodged" or "blocked" but I have certainly noticed it. (and done a bit of it myself)
Inness sure did a lot of it.

TomerF said...

I think attention should also be payed by people as to how long they took to notice the fishermen if they noticed them on their own at all. It could be deliberate.