Comparison Of Horace Bundy's Girl With A Dog

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The two pieces of work that I thought were very eye catching was Girl with a Dog by Horace Bundy and Dodo and Her Brother by Ernst Kirchner. Bundy was incredibly captivating with his use of an oval shaped canvas. It really contrasted with the structured form within this portrait. The Girl with a Dog is oil on canvas painted in 1852. This type of portraiture is very unique and is quite modern compared to the standard portraits that contain one subject matter and direct gaze. However, Dodo and Her Brother stands tall as an almost life size portraiture. Kirchner painted this piece from 1908- 1920; this painting again is oil on canvas that depicts the livelihood of two family members. Kirchner is very expressive with his stokes and captivates a specific mood that contrasts that of Bundy’s work. Through their use of subject matter and composition the two works are able to create a narrative …show more content…

During this point in history, women were to be very conservative and reflect proper manners within society. The portrait of the Girl with a Dog shows that these traits were instilled in her upbringing. Her facial expression is very controlled and collected; she does not show the mannerisms of a child, but acts like an adult. The conservative placement of her hands and the direct eye contact within the portrait make the viewer question the child’s mentality as well. Dodo and her Brother has less detailing within the facial details but the parallel positioning of her and her brother create a sense of a hierarchical composition as well. Since Dodo is standing in the foreground, we can assume that she was the commissioner of this portrait. The attire is very explanatory about the subject’s stature and makes the viewer aware that they wanted to be envisioned as a put together family. Portraiture was always about projecting a certain image or reputation that one wants to