Analysis Of Oscar Wilde's The Decay Of Lying By Vincent Van Gogh

In his essay “The Decay of Lying”, Oscar Wilde wrote, “No great artist ever sees things as they really are. If he did, he would cease to be an artist.” This prominent playwright believed that the purpose of art stood in distortion and adornment. However, in comparing Point Reyes Country Road by Asha Carolyn Young and Wheatfield with Crows by Vincent van Gogh, I made the conclusion that the Wilde’s statement is false. Many different forms of art exist, and whether it is realistic, abstract, or anything else; all art styles should be recognized as “art”. Although the style is different, the result that they provide to the audience is the same— a reaction in a human sense or emotion. Even at first glance, you can tell that, although the general setting compare similarly, the moods of these paintings are completely opposite from each other. Exploring the two compositions, I experienced the contrasting emotions of despair with heavy hopelessness and contentment with light liveliness that pervaded past the paint on the canvases. The bright, vivid hues of Point Reyes Country Road express hope and energy, but the dark, somber colors of Wheatfield with Crows oozes with depression and ominous vibes. Also, the techniques of the artists resist the similarity of their works. Asha Young used soft and smooth strokes, with varying definitions depending on the place on the canvas to establish depth. On the contrary, Van Gogh painted using rough and stocky

Even though one obviously looks more realistic, and the other seems like a sketch from a child’s creative crayon-filled sketchbook, both of the paintings are excellent artworks because they clearly deliver their content. Both of these are pathways that lead to an unknown future. Through the varying elements in the pieces, we can surmise that one is the start of a life, and the other is the end of a