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Maya Pringle

ENG101 Honors – MWF 11-11:50

Professor Kardell

12 October 2018

Visual Analysis Essay

Portraits generally contain six essential elements; a focal point, objects, gesture, facial

expression, clothing, and setting. When analyzing a portrait, one must take these six elements

into consideration to aid the process. The first portrait in question portrays a beautiful, Caucasian

young woman, whom is the focal point of the portrait. She has short brown hair, which parts

down the middle, and piercing green eyes. She appears to be wearing makeup, as she has very

rosy cheeks and crimson lips. The woman is posing on a couch. The couch is an off-white crème

with a strip of brown across the top, which is likely a piece of the wooden frame. There is a deep

purple blanket draped over the couch, with flowered detailing in a crème color, accompanied by

leaves which are green. The woman seems to be laying propped up on the couch, with a pillow

between herself and the arm of the couch. She sits with her left arm draped along the back of the

couch, and she uses her right arm to prop herself up, bending her wrist to rest her hand on her

shoulder. Her body is turned to face the artist of the portrait. She looks very relaxed, but serious

at the same time. She is wearing a teal button-down blouse and matching loosely-fitted trousers,

with a navy coat atop which has yellow and baby pink detailing. Her shoes are simply black and

close-toed. This woman is also wearing jewelry, a bracelet on her right wrist along with multiple

rings, a necklace, and a lone ring on her left hand. The background is quite simple; a sand brown
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wall, with an almost tropical-looking plant set against it. The leaves of the plant are a deep forest

green. This portrait is rich in visual details.

The second portrait in question portrays the same woman, however this time she is in a

different setting. She seems to be in some type of studio; the background is a simple white wall.

In this image she is standing, holding a parrot. She holds the bird away from her body with both

hands. She is wearing a long, loose-fitting dress, which seems to be made of a tulle-like fabric

with luminous, possibly gold or silk, detailing. The dress is accompanied by a dark colored scarf

- made of the same fabric - wrapped around her head and then draped over her arm. The shoes

she is wearing seem to be white close-toed heels, which look to be about one or two inches. It is

difficult to tell exactly what colors this young woman is wearing, as the portrait is shown in a

gray-scale.

Using all the information gathered from visual clues within these two portraits, it is

possible to formulate a hypothesis on the kind of person this woman might be. First off, this

young woman likely comes from a background of wealth. One of the first indicators of this is her

clothing and jewelry. In the second portrait she wears a dress that seems to be embellished with

silk, which is a very expensive fabric. In the first portrait, the young woman is shown adorned in

jewelry. She wears a bracelet, necklace, and many rings. It is also reasonable to assume she is

married, as she wears a ring on her left ring finger. Her husband could very well be the

foundation of her wealth. Reflecting on the setting of the first portrait, there was a purple blanket

draped over the couch. Historically, purple is associated with wealth and royalty. Not only is she

wealthy, but she seems to be confident. This is suggested by the way she holds herself, her facial

expressions, and even her choice of clothing in the first portrait. The way she holds herself when

lying on the couch and standing tall when holding the bird suggests confidence. Her facial
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expressions are very serious and soft all at once. In the first photo, she wears a teal button-down

blouse and matching loosely-fitted trousers, with a navy coat atop which has yellow and baby

pink detailing. Since this woman chose to wear trousers instead of the traditional dress or skirt, it

suggests the possibility that she was a feminist.

From analyzing these two portraits, it is reasonable to assume the young woman pictured

is a wealthy, married woman. It is likely she is living in the early to mid-1900’s, when women

were still considered to be the inferior gender. To live in this time-period and convey such a

sense of confidence and empowerment suggest this woman was possibly a feminist. She was not

afraid to defy cultural norms and she refused to be suppressed simply because she was a woman.
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Work Cited

Henri, Robert. Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney. 1916. Inexhibit, www.inexhibit.com/marker/new-

york-ready-new-whitney-impressive-grand-opening/. 1 October 2018.

Baumann Studio. American sculptress and art patron Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney holding a
parrot. 1914. Marie Antoinette's Siblings jeannedepompadour.blogspot.com/2013/04/a-
few-style-icons.html. 1 October 2018.
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Maya Pringle

ENG101 Honors – MWF 11-11:50

Professor Kardell

12 October 2018

Visual Analysis Essay – Honors Part Two

The Phoenix Art Museum is filled with a wide variety of different styles and forms of art.

From sculptures made out of random objects found on the street, to an intricately detailed

painting, the museum has just about anything one could imagine. This art is meant to attract

attention, be thought provoking, and convey emotion in the observer. One piece in particular that

is described as a head-turner was found on display labeled as Untitled Anxious Drawing by

Rashid Johnson.

This piece of art is an oil painting on a cotton rag. It was created recently, in 2016. The

background of this piece is a simple white cotton rag. The oil that is used to create the image is

black. At first glance, this painting seems to be a disorganized blend of scribbles, however upon

further analysis it is discovered that there is much more to it. When an observer is to look deeper

into the painting, it begins to look like the scribbles make a face with two large, black eyes,

staring back at the audience. It is hard to determine where the lines begin and end; it all seems to

have been created without the artist lifting their brush. Due to the bold black coloring and the

disorganization of the scribbles, it is not difficult for the viewer to feel intense, anxious emotion

when viewing this piece. This piece is on display in a gallery of well-organized art, where most

of the other pieces seemed to blend together and host similar elements. This piece stands out like
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a sore thumb. It immediately attracts attention and conveys an unsettling feeling of anxiousness

before the observer can even approach to read its title.

The artist of this creation, Rashid Johnson, is an African-American artist from Chicago,

Illinois. Growing up, Johnson’s parents were divorced which made everyday interactions even

more difficult than they should be. Rashid claims to have struggled with mental health for most

of his life, and art was always his outlet. He says that when he was feeling anxious or could not

explain how he felt, he would draw or paint. His emotions can clearly be seen in his work, as this

painting was even called Untitled Anxious Drawing. Johnson also likes to incorporate things into

his work that he feels represent his Afrocentric culture and viewpoints, therefore he chose to use

a cotton rag as the canvas for this piece.

This piece by Rashid Johnson is meant to attract attention, be thought provoking, and

convey emotion in the observer. It attracts attention by being different than every piece it is

displayed with. It is thought provoking in the way that it gets the observer to think about the

purpose behind the painting and the materials used. Lastly, it conveys the emotion of anxiety

within the audience. It is important to remember that things are not always as they seem on the

surface, there is almost always a deeper meaning, especially when it comes to art.
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Work Cited

Johnson, Rashid. Untitled Anxious Drawing. 2016, Phoenix Art Museum.