I have chosen “The Secret of the Grave” by Bas Henan found at the Rubell Family Collection. It strikes me as a very powerful painting despite the lack of color and beauty. On the other hand, the way it was painted seems to make it more intriguing and dark. Another characteristic in the painting that grabbed my attention was the amount of specific details in the picture. This piece of art shows many emotions such as love, depression, and despair.
The way the painter constructed the painting with the emptiness of color brings a certain emotion. It is dark and gritty, giving the feeling of sadness or hopelessness. Bas Henan decides to make a simple but a complex painting. He realizes that by not giving color to the picture he could transmit more energy and feelings. He used different shades of gray to show the importance of some objects. I believe the darker the object is; the more importance it has to the person represented in the painting.
Some specific details also caught my attention, such as the castle the he painted on the back he made it so specific for us to notice what type of building it is. Another detail is the fence which is guarding the cemetery, meaning that this place is sacred and that no one should bother those who are resting there. The most important
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As I continued to stare at the painting I noticed that it was appealing to some of my emotions such as love, depression, and despair. I felt love because given the fact that the man had a big mansion to sleep in he chose to be closer to the person that he loved. He shows his love by sleeping outside and by bringing her flowers. I felt depressed because it's amazing that having a comfortable life is not enough when the most important person in your life is not next to you. I also had the feeling of despair because the man seems hopeless, it seems that he feels that he cannot truly live without the person that he loves or deeply cares