Successful artists have the ability to invoke thought and emotions through their work. A picture possesses the ability to express a complete story without the use of a single word. These narratives may induce despondency, pleasure, hope, or several other emotions in an individual. However, this is only the case if the viewer takes note and pays attention. If they are successful in doing so, they will be aware of, or feel, what the artist is trying to convey. Jervis McEntee was able to achieve this effect through his work. More specifically, I felt similar emotions while looking upon the painting, Evening Landscape. In a room where landscape paintings decorated the walls, this one stood out. Unlike the others, it had a gloomy, or an eerie tone to it. The mood surrounding the painting immediately captured my …show more content…
My gaze concluded towards the middle of the painting, where I noticed two figures. While one was in dark blue clothes, the other was in gray. It seemed to lack meaning until I looked upon the footnote, which stated the men were dressed in uniform. One was wearing a union uniform, whilst the other was wearing a confederate uniform3. Jervis had placed two adversaries nearby each other in seemingly unperturbed positions. Due to my knowledge of the Confederate and Union soldiers, I believed this was strange. Furthermore, I evaluated the color. There is a hint of yellow in the dark sky, suggesting the sun will soon set. Considering the artist intends to pant every detail for a reason, a deeper meaning is created. The sun setting could indicate an ending. In other words, the end of peace and the beginning of a dark period. I feel as though the men are sitting in an unobtrusive place, in order to hold on to that moment of concord before it fades, or perhaps avoiding conflict altogether. Whatever the case, a narrative could be