Analysis Of The Burial Of General Fraser By John Graham

The purpose of this paper is to present a personal and multidimensional reflection on the observations of a significant work of art. Herein, the art under evaluation is “The Burial of General Fraser” that was published by John Graham in 1794. This discussion entails an elaboration of my first impressions of the portrait, and an evaluation of its form, context, and style. The first aspect of the portrait that I noticed was its size. Hanging neatly in its position it appeared monumental and prodigious immediately drawing my full attention. From my perspective, it utterly overshadowed all the other works of art in the gallery and stirred up nostalgic childhood memories from back when my grandparents and I would visit art galleries all over the country. The piece oozed a seductive sense of 18th century art

However, from these first impressions, I could not fathom how Benjamin West’s masterpiece could be hanging almost forlornly although triumphantly in an almost empty hall in the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, given its importance and buzz. Graham demonstrates his skillful painting techniques by creating an illusion of optical texture. The portrait demonstrates an awe-striking verisimilitude in the painted subjects and their weapons. The highly emotive burial scene is effectively captured by Graham’s prudent use of bold lines, balanced color, and complex drawing. To depict the sensitivity of the emotional moment with a balance between economy and indulgence evidences the artist’s mastery of the power of line as not only an expressive force but also as a means of suggesting the intensity of the scene. Further, the artist uses a linear perspective in the creation of an illusion of space