The two paintings in this essay are Taking the Census by Francis William Edmonds, an oil painting created in 1854 that depicts a scene of a family with children taking participating in the census-taking process of the 19th century. The next painting is Le café de nuit (The Night Café), a painting by Vincent van Gogh, created in 1888, depicting the inside of a café in Arles, France. The comparison between Taking the Census by Francis William Edmonds and Le café de nuit (The Night Café) by Vincent van Gogh is relevant because it highlights the different ways in which artists can use visual elements and design principles to convey their messages and create unique works of art. By analyzing and critiquing the differences and similarities between …show more content…
The painting is an oil painting on a canvas. The painting depicts the interior of a café in Arles, France, where van Gogh lived for some time. This art piece serves as a reflection of the artist’s personal life experiences and provides clues into the artist’s emotions, projecting the human condition and passions of humanity. The visual elements of art depicted in the picture are line, color, shape, and texture. First, Van Gogh used thick, heavy lines throughout the painting to define objects in the room. These lines are very visible where the colors overlap. This leads to color in the picture. The color scheme in the picture is bold and vibrant. The reds, yellows, and oranges of the chairs and walls create a lively and warm atmosphere. The use of green on the floor and ceiling and blue on the walls and furniture adds contrast and balance to the composition. Next, many different organic and geometric shapes are found in the painting. All these shapes create a sense of movement in the painting. Finally, there is texture in the painting. With a thick brush, singular brush strokes throughout the painting, especially where the light is, give the painting a sense of movement and depth. The principles of design in the painting are balance, rhythm, scale, and proportion. The balance in the painting is slightly skewed but balanced. With heavy furniture on one side, the other side was balanced by a group of people. In addition, the use of primary and warm colors creates a sense of balance, with warm colors dominating the composition but balanced by cool colors on the floor and ceiling. Next, there is rhythm in the painting. The painting has a strong sense of rhythm created by repeating shapes, such as lines on the chairs or around the light, and colors throughout the composition. The strong depth, proportion, and scale in the painting are caused by overlapping