Visual Analysis Of Gustave Moriset Chair And The Orange Trees

Melvin Williams

Arth 1381

Professor Zalman

13 November 2014

Visual Analysis

The painting, The Basket Chair c.1885 by Berth Morisot, and the painting The Orange Trees c. 1878 by Gustave Caillebotte, are both magnificent and interesting pieces that I got the opportunity to see. The paintings are both wonderful pieces and their composition overall is very impressive. Both paintings have different aspects in the way the artist displayed modernism, formal characteristics, class and gender, and the subject matter of the painting itself. These are great distinctions between Berth Morisot’s The Basket Chair, and Gustave Caillebotte’s The Orange Trees, but both paintings have their own distinctive style and sense of modernism that inspired the painters’

Berth Morisot was a French paintmaker and painter, who was associated with impressionism. Born into a family of a government official who was supportive of the arts she was able to openly practice her passion to paint. Through her painting The Basket Chair, she demonstrates her remarkable style of rough to light brush strokes that create a sense of realism in this piece. She was one of the few female painters of her time. The subject matter of her piece is not as interesting as that of Gustave Caillebotte’s The Orange Trees, due to the gender inequality and male superiorism. Women at the time didn’t have as much freedom as men, and couldn’t express as much as they wanted to without being provoked. Generally women at all times had to be accompanied by a man at all times otherwise they would be views as a prostitute. At the time men were only able to be a flanuer, but if a woman was seen attempting this position they would be offered for sex. Due to these strict restrictions is very remarkable how much detail Berth Morisot creates in her

The brilliant hues of greens, purples, reds, and yellows that are strategically brushstroke on the piece give of a sense of impressionism. The characteristics of this piece capture the modern them of leisure activity. Caillebotte’s young cousin Zoe and brother Martial are depicted in this piece through the two characters. Both characters are dressed relaxed and have middle to upper class attire. The painting contains element of modern style through the scenery and garden. The heavy brushstrokes seen in the red flower bushes represent a feeling of realism. It’s as if you could physical touch the flowers. His details are more precise than Berth Morisot’s The Basket Chair, and show how more open male artist could be with their artwork. The scene seems to be during summer with the sun radiating off the garden gravel. The light change in the artwork from dark to light, displays a feeling from relaxation to adventurous and excitement. The male figure I the piece has a calm mood to him and wears a straw hat while reading a newspaper that demonstrates a sense of modernism. According to the Museum of Fine Arts of Houston (MFAH) Web site, “Capturing the specific light effects of midday, Gustave Caillebotte contrasts the cool colors of shade with the dazzling, flattening effects of direct sunlight” (2014, para. 1) Caillebotte creates a diagonal line that moves from the lower left