Analysis of a drawing for art his class
Analysis of 'Chance Meeting' by Martin Lewis 'Chance Meeting' is a dry point etching print by Martin Lewis and was created in the early 1930's. The subjects are two figures, male and female, who have happened upon each other in the setting of a public sidewalk at the entrance of a storefront. It may be a dichotomy in terms to call the piece, "Idealized Urban Realism," though Lewis' work does harmonize well with the Urban Realist movement surfacing in this period with artists such as Edward Hopper. It also has a very idealized and stylistic quality not unlike the work of artists like Roy Liechtenstein in a much later time period. At a glance, 'Chance Meeting' is a simple work intended to tell a story with minimal detail and it is difficult to distinguish any definite pattern in the composition. With careful inspection however, the viewer can discover an order in the placement of objects, the existence of symmetry, and perhaps a much deeper meaning to the piece through the interpretation of symbolism.The palate used in the piece is simply black and white, with the exception of the illusion of shades of gray created with the shading technique, cross-hatching. This intensifies the use of light and shadow in what definite
His hair appears to be somewhat disheveled. Draped lengths of cloth suspended from the canopies of the shops seem to lean into the upper inward sloping angle, While the subjects themselves fit into the geometry of the lower angles. The female subject forces her hip out to one side and tilts her head a bit, posing in a way that might have been considered attractive for a young woman in the early 1930's in America. The symmetry of these angles almost frames a point between the two main subjects, where in addition to a sign advertising newspapers, perhaps a sort of understood emotional magnetism is rooted. The placement of this light source almost mirrors the vanishing point on the opposing side. An extreme variety of lighting techniques can be found, as some objects are lit from the side, and others are almost completely backlit, creating more of a silhouette than a distinguishable three-dimensional shape. The presence of a single, intensely bright directional light creates areas of extreme contrast that could be called tenebrism. Both figures are clothed in what was probably considered very casual clothing for the era. The glass in one of the structures is evidently glossy as the reflections of street lamps and automobile headlights can be seen in its surface. The male subject looks somewhat relaxed and is shifting his weight a bit into a stylized variation on the classical contrapposto pose. The Male figure's collar is unbuttoned and his sleeves and pant legs are rolled up. At this point we can see that several other objects in the scene also conform to this diamond shape. All of this meticulous attention to detail aids in creating a sense of realism in the print. From a literal perspective, one might draw the conclusion that this second couple represents the popularity of the concept of meeting one's mate and, "falling in love".
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Acceptance Essays
