Here, a
picture for anyone who has suffered through this winter and current spring…
As we
have seen in previous pictures, the draftsmanship and compositional skills of Gustave Leonard de Jonghe (1829 - 1893) are formidable. As with the previous two paintings we have
looked at, de Jonghe had superb skills of drawing and composition,
strategically placing figures within the painting to create the most dramatic
effect.
Here, however, de Jonghe conveys emotional impact chiefly through
color. The painting Changeable Weather is a series of grays and blacks punctuated with
dots of color to create a somber mood.
The rooms in which our human figure inhabits are washed-out
gray. Wan sunlight through the gauzy
portion of the curtain is diffuse, and even the painting behind the figure is
indistinct. The only significant daubs
of color are the elaborate shawl draped over the chair, upon which rests her
yellow-brown gloves. This lack of color
is accentuated through the blackness of her dress and cape.
The landscape outside the window, too, is washed-out and
somber. Indeed, the simple whiteness of
the subject’s complexion becomes an almost incandescent pallor by
comparison. The white bonnet hangs from
her hand, and seems to comment on the expectant, hesitant look upon her face.
Finally, the window is closed … heightening the sense of enclosure
and compression.
So, yes, as is to be expected, the drawing and composition is
executed with de Jonghe’s usual mastery … but what is interesting and
significant here is that the sense of foreboding and uneasy expectancy is
achieved primarily through color.
A masterful piece of work.
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