Sunday, August 19, 2007

This Week's Sidebar Art

This week's sidebar art is a figure study by Raymond Delhaye. If you click on the photo to the left, you can see the study full size. Unlike last week's sidebar art, this art nude is a much more typical of the genre. The model's face is not shown at all (while last week it was), the focus is on the model's body (while last week it was on the model's eyes), and the pose -- rather than the model's expression -- is what holds our interest.

It seems to me that what makes this work interesting is without doubt the pose. The lighting, the slight soft focus, the use of light and shadow to define the model, and the positive and negative spaces are all secondary at best to the drama of the pose. But what do you think?

4 comments:

Unknown said...

To me, the visual impact of the pose is interesting because of its emotional ambiguity. Is the figure defeated? In pain? Learning an unusually uncomfortable style of yoga? Submitting voluntarily?

I particularly like the way in which the model's dark hair echoes the dark "negative space" defining her body.

Anonymous said...

I noticed the shape of the limbs and muscles. There is a roundness, and definite concentration on musculature that puts me in mind, subtly, of michelangelo's portrayals of the human body.

Paul Sunstone said...

Hi David! Welcome! I too am drawn to the model's rich, dark hair. You make a good point about the emotional ambiguity of the pose. Thank you!


Hi Amuirin! That's a very very interesting comparison to Michelangelo!

Anonymous said...

Paul,
This picture underscores the role of beauty in art form showing the human body. If this were replicated with a 300 pound model, would this be considered a work of art, or rather an arty fart?!
:-)