Karyn McCoy
A DAY AT THE MUSEUM
I have found that the definition of Art may be interpreted in many forms. It may be a painting, a sculpture or literature. I attended the Texas Civil War Museum in Ft Worth, Texas. The collection of pieces was absolutely extraordinary. The tour started with an informational video on the Texans involvement in the Civil War. The exhibits were then open to view. They included many artifacts, pictures of the soldiers and uniforms that were actually worn by the soldiers including the bullet holes. I found the blood stained flags moving and the exhibit of the women’s clothing worn during the Victorian time incredibly beautiful. The paintings that were displayed were few and quite guarded.
I chose the portrait of Varina Anne “Winnie” Davis. The painting was displayed in a very special place in the museum. It was corded off in a corner of the museum as though the viewer had just entered a living room and Ms. Davis was waiting for a visit. She was born in the Confederate White House in 1864. She made numerous appearances with her father Jefferson Davis and became known as the “Daughter of the Confederacy”.
The painting defined the time. The lines that are in the picture are thick and vertical, it makes the picture appear larger than life and the subject appears as though she could stand up and walk out of the room. Her hand is resting on a diary and it draws your eyes to the writings. The artist placed her in the foreground to emphasis her importance, unlike the women of the time she is not dressed in fancy clothing but instead of casual dress. The placement off her hand on her hip shows that she was not demur but instead strong willed. The objects in the painting are few. She is sitting at a table with only a vase of flowers. The room is well lit, no curtains and the view draws the viewer to look outside the windows. Each window is framed. They could each be a separate but the emphasis is on her. The colors used in the painting are not intense. The viewer is walking into the past. As though the day was foggy and it was unclear as to what would happen to those on the losing end of the Civil War. Her jacket and belt are black and the dress shows the worn colors of yellow. It is as though the dress had been yellow at one time. The painting is an oil painting and it looks aged. It is smooth and rough in some areas giving the viewer the feeling that she is a real person.
The painting is balanced by the use of color and light. The artist uses black to place the non importance of the items in the painting. Light is used to place emphasis on her face and lighter colors are used for the background and dress. It is as though the viewer is drawn to her importance and then the eye wanders to the background to see what is going on outside. She is centered to show that she is the focal point. There is repetition in the picture as there are four different pictures in the foreground. Each one is defined by lines but each background is different. As the viewer looks from left to right in the background it is though it is a panoramic picture that is telling a story. The painting is dated 1913, fifteen years after the subject died. Her youth was captured in the oil painting. There are parts of the painting that are darker which may or may not indicate that it was touched up. Most of the strokes are rough, but there are some areas that are smooth. The black in the
I have found that the definition of Art may be interpreted in many forms. It may be a painting, a sculpture or literature. I attended the Texas Civil War Museum in Ft Worth, Texas. The collection of pieces was absolutely extraordinary. The tour started with an informational video on the Texans involvement in the Civil War. The exhibits were then open to view. They included many artifacts, pictures of the soldiers and uniforms that were actually worn by the soldiers including the bullet holes. I found the blood stained flags moving and the exhibit of the women’s clothing worn during the Victorian time incredibly beautiful. The paintings that were displayed were few and quite guarded.
I chose the portrait of Varina Anne “Winnie” Davis. The painting was displayed in a very special place in the museum. It was corded off in a corner of the museum as though the viewer had just entered a living room and Ms. Davis was waiting for a visit. She was born in the Confederate White House in 1864. She made numerous appearances with her father Jefferson Davis and became known as the “Daughter of the Confederacy”.
The painting defined the time. The lines that are in the picture are thick and vertical, it makes the picture appear larger than life and the subject appears as though she could stand up and walk out of the room. Her hand is resting on a diary and it draws your eyes to the writings. The artist placed her in the foreground to emphasis her importance, unlike the women of the time she is not dressed in fancy clothing but instead of casual dress. The placement off her hand on her hip shows that she was not demur but instead strong willed. The objects in the painting are few. She is sitting at a table with only a vase of flowers. The room is well lit, no curtains and the view draws the viewer to look outside the windows. Each window is framed. They could each be a separate but the emphasis is on her. The colors used in the painting are not intense. The viewer is walking into the past. As though the day was foggy and it was unclear as to what would happen to those on the losing end of the Civil War. Her jacket and belt are black and the dress shows the worn colors of yellow. It is as though the dress had been yellow at one time. The painting is an oil painting and it looks aged. It is smooth and rough in some areas giving the viewer the feeling that she is a real person.
The painting is balanced by the use of color and light. The artist uses black to place the non importance of the items in the painting. Light is used to place emphasis on her face and lighter colors are used for the background and dress. It is as though the viewer is drawn to her importance and then the eye wanders to the background to see what is going on outside. She is centered to show that she is the focal point. There is repetition in the picture as there are four different pictures in the foreground. Each one is defined by lines but each background is different. As the viewer looks from left to right in the background it is though it is a panoramic picture that is telling a story. The painting is dated 1913, fifteen years after the subject died. Her youth was captured in the oil painting. There are parts of the painting that are darker which may or may not indicate that it was touched up. Most of the strokes are rough, but there are some areas that are smooth. The black in the
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