The Daily Painting: Bonaparte, Calm on a Fiery Steed, Crossing the Alps

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Bonaparte, Calm on a Fiery Steed, Crossing the Alps

(click to enlarge)

Jacques-Louis David

(French, 1748-1825)

Bonaparte, Calm on a Fiery Steed, Crossing the Alps, 1801

Oil on canvas

I don't know whether to laugh or be awed . . .

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Questions to ask about a painting

What is the subject of the painting? Does the title add to your understanding of the painting?

What's the main color scheme? Why do you think the artist chose these colors? How do they make you feel?

Where do you look first? What do your eyes follow around the painting? What seems most important in this painting?

Is the painting organized, or jumbled? Chaotic or peaceful?

Consider what it all might mean: What does the painting tell you? What is the artist trying to say about the subject matter? What feeling does the painting evoke? How did the painter achieve this effect?