This superb portray of the Rock of Hautepierre is an exceptional case in point of Gustave Courbet’s command of landscape portray. Every thing about this painting is organization and as strong as a rock.
The scene of the rock is set in the shade somewhat than in full sun. There is sufficient daylight to see almost everything obviously it just is not immediately in the complete gentle of day. Having said that, there is an edge to this and I believe that that the artist understood complete perfectly what those people intentions have been, that is to use the higher distinction of the placing sun’s rays to accent critical spots on the rock and also the substantial stone lessen and to the remaining in the portray. These spots act as accents to the operate and draw you into it. Courbet has highlighted the big rock to the remaining so as to deliver the total scene fully into the picture airplane. If the afore outlined rock was not highlighted it would struggle to have a put in the perform of art and at some point eliminate it is really position as an anchor for visualization.
The compact farm-household in the base centre is the anchor of the portray and presents the viewer with a sound issue of reference. I do have to get process with the artist in one smaller level and I am self-assured that he was deliberate in his intentions and that is of the lack of shade that should be on the household from the significant tree to the suitable. If you appear very carefully you will see that the sun is shining directly from the correct on the precipices of the mountain and even the large rock on the far remaining aspect of the portray. In next this angle there should be some shadow from the enormous tree on the dwelling, but below is none. In simple fact if you glance underneath the tree to the tiny section of the wall facing the sun it is the brightest tone on the house. Further, the roof of the household that faces the viewer nevertheless not in the direct sunlight is nonetheless in the light-weight of working day with no shadows casting on it. There really should be some shadow from the huge tree on the roof. It is my conviction that Courbet intentionally removed the shadow so that he could get advantage of the offered gentle, I have carried out this type of detail in my have paintings. It must be remembered that an artist is not here to replicate or history a scene and put it on canvas, the job of the artist it to interpret the scene and compose the things to make a work of artwork. To do this you have to alter things that are basically in the scene so as to make artistic perception of it.
Stephen F. Condren – Artist