Scale and Proportion
Like repetition, the element of scale and proportion is a planning tool artists use to add an attractiveness that commands the attention of the viewer. Read this discussion.
Scale and proportion show the relative size of one
form in relation to another. Scalar relationships are often used to
create illusions of depth on a two-dimensional surface, the larger form
being in front of the smaller one. The scale
of an object can provide a focal point or emphasis in an image. In
Winslow Homer's watercolor, A Good Shot, Adirondacks,
the
deer is centered in the foreground and highlighted to ensure its
importance in the composition. In comparison, there is a small
puff of white smoke from a rifle in the left-center background, the only
indicator of the hunter's position.
Scale and proportion are incremental in nature. Works of art do not
always rely on big differences in scale to make a strong visual impact. A
good example of this is Michelangelo's sculptural masterpiece Pieta
from 1499. Here Mary cradles her
dead son, the two figures forming a stable triangular composition.
Michelangelo sculpts Mary on a slightly larger scale than the dead
Christ to give the central figure more significance, both visually and
psychologically.
Michelangelo, Pieta, 1499, marble. St. Peter's Basilica, Rome
When scale and proportion are greatly increased, the results can be
impressive, giving a work commanding space or fantastic implications.
Rene Magritte's painting Personal Values
constructs a room with objects whose proportions are so out of whack
that it becomes an ironic play on how we view everyday items.
American sculptor Claes Oldenburg and his wife Coosje van Bruggen create works of common objects at enormous scales. Their Stake Hitch reaches a total height of more than 53 feet and links two floors of the Dallas Museum of Art. As big as it is, the work retains a comic and playful character, given in part to its gigantic size.
Saylor Academy Knowledge Check
Source: Christopher Gildow, http://opencourselibrary.org/art-100-art-appreciation/
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.