Madeline Green
ARTS209
July 1, 2022
Art Analysis Paper
Rousseau was the most influential contemporary philosopher despite being the least
academic. His thoughts heralded the end of the European Enlightenment (the "Age of Reason").
He paved the way for new political and ethical perspectives. His reforms altered taste, first in
music and then in other arts. He had a significant impact on people's lives; he inspired parents to
take a new interest in their children and educate them differently; he advocated emotional
expression rather than polite constraint in friendship and love. He popularized the cult of
religious sentiment among individuals who had given up on religion. He opened people's eyes to
nature's splendors and made liberty a practically universal ideal (Duignan, Brian and Cranston,
Maurice).
My thesis was inspired by Jacques Rousseau's artwork Perspective of Gardens. It is
housed within the Versailles Palace. In Versailles, France. My initial reactions to this work of art
were awe, wonder, and happiness. The level of detail in this work of art is incredible. When I
look at the artwork, I feel as if I am in it, and because of the depth, my initial thought is that it
goes on forever. This piece of art is wonderful.
From the start of the painting, the marbled brown and grey ionic columns with gold
spirals and ornaments on the top and bottom of the columns are evident. The second thing to
notice is the carving on the top of the wall. Women in this sculpture are washing the feet and
holding the hands of a "monarch," while men stand behind him. Another thing to notice is the
attention to detail on the floor. The floor is grey/tan and green, with squares of green tiles in a
line with different symbols inside them such as diamonds, circles, and ovals. A burnt reddish-
brown stairway rises from the floor and splits to the left and right, flanked by statues of females
in togas. Following the stairs is a tunnel that continues to a line of trees and clouds, giving the
sense that the picture goes beyond what the naked eye can see. In the tunnel, there are other
columns, but they are tan with a texture that appears like they were pipped with an icing piper
rather than brown and grey. The roof of the tunnel is tan and gold, with numerous
embellishments. There are squares and half circles centered on a little gold circle within the gold
squares. This sequence is repeated until you reach the tunnel. Returning to the sculpture with the
women washing the feet and holding the "monarch's" hand, there are rails above it that look to be
constructed for a bridge. As a result, the image represents an inside perspective of a palace on its
way to a garden. In addition, the palace courtyard is either square or rectangle in design.
This piece of artwork contains several elements, like straight lines, symbol repetition, and
a color scheme, and the value and shape of the artwork may be described using these elements.
The lines in this artwork are generally straight due to the floor design and tunnel components.
Rows of floor tiles are used, and tunnel elements are squared. Among the shapes used in the
artwork are human sculptures, diamonds, circles, and ovals. This painting's colors are really
warm. Dark colors include green, red, brown, tan, and gold. The significance of this picture
stems from the components that refer to the kingdom and the royals. The sophisticated art draws
attention to the king and the majesty of the palace. Finally, because of the brilliant colors and the
information that this is a painting, the elements can be used to determine the form of this piece of
artwork.
The elements of this artwork interact because each unique line, form, and color pulls
together a gorgeous royal courtyard. Despite the fact that this painting has many different parts,
the eye can easily see and comprehend what the picture is about. Green, red, brown, tan, gold,
blue, and white are among the warm colors utilized in this image. The human eye was lead to
assume that this picture will stay forever due to the employment of these hues and the sensation
of depth because of the shadows and light employed. The source of sunlight in this image
enabled the illusion to be created. The light was following the palace walls to cast a shadow in
front of the palace next to the dark brown and grey columns, and the painting lightens near the
trees and sky to help provide the illusion of continuity.
The components of art and design principles are used to define the masterpiece in this
artwork. The lighting and colors contrast sufficiently to attract attention to the foreground
garden. Because the colors and effects of the shapes make the painting appear three dimensional,
the forms add a sense of variety. This artwork is interesting because of the curved columns and
the shadows cast by the sculptures. The straight lines from the courtyard structure give the image
a sense of oneness since they show that the courtyard is one, but there are numerous pieces to be
seen to complete the total. The texture and space of the painting create movement/rhythm by
revealing that the palace is three dimensional and may be moved through rather than being
viewed as a two-dimensional painting.
The artist's use of oil-based paint demonstrates the artist's attention to detail. The painting
was able to demonstrate definition and texture because the colors blended to create definition and
contrast because the paint did not combine to create a new color.
Because the garden in the near distance was in the middle of the two marbled columns, the
marbled columns grabbed my attention to the painting and drew my eyes to the depth of the
painting. Because the trees and sky were considerably smaller than the columns, they added
depth to the image that would not have been as effective without them.
Rousseau, I suppose, worked very hard on the intricacies of the painting. Every column, statue,
tile, ceiling, railing, and tree/sky was intricate. Nothing in the painting remained unchanged from
the initial brush stroke.
One link I see between the describing and analyzing stages is that the artwork is being
examined all the time, even if the artist isn't aware of it. The most crucial component of assessing
the artwork was the description.
After scrutinizing and dissecting this sculpture, I became charmed by its beauty and enrapturing
quality. I felt like I was walking through the royal doors and into the courtyard when I looked at
it straight on.
The work of Jacques Rousseau was concerned with perception and depth. He created the
illusion that the picture went further than the eye could see through it. His work was mostly
concerned with architecture. The attention to detail in the construction revealed that Rousseau's
labor was focused on the architecture and statuary. The work focuses on cutting-edge
architecture. The painting's message, I believe, is that, while there is beauty in nature, there is
also beauty in construction.
Rousseau probably created this work of art to emphasize architectural paintings. Architecture
painting was not a popular form of art during his painting career. At the time, portraits were the
most popular.
According to the painting, Rousseau's worldview necessitates peace, understanding, and
tranquility. This is because his painting was simple, attractive, and well-structured. The castle
walls united everything in this image, even if there was a lot going on.
This artwork contains minimal information, but the artist does. I recognized the artist's name
when I saw it on the artwork, and it turned out he was one of the enlightened theorists. He
believed in social contrast and public sovereignty. In his darker and more somber works, he was
also known for employing the trompe-l'oeil technique. Regardless of the darker or warmer tones.
When he returned from Rome, he was hired to paint in Parisian hotels. All of Rousseau's
paintings were destroyed, with the exception of two in the Palace of Versailles. The two paintings
that have survived are Trompe l'oeil and the Perspective of Gardens.
My first reactions to this piece were astonishment, beauty, amazement, and wonder. After
discovering that this form of artwork was not common in the 1600s, I was even more intrigued
by this painting because it was so far ahead of its time. It's amazing how he managed to pack so
much information into it while still hooking the viewer and making them feel like they're a part
of the picture. After seeing Rousseau's painting, I'm thinking about adding more detail to my own
work. According to the illustration, Rousseau did not overlook a single shape, column, or tree.
So, as I look at my artwork, I will continue to add detail to it because a work of art is never
finished. The piece could always use a bit more detail, but Rousseau was getting near to the
finished product. I will also add more perspective to my artwork because the painting in his piece
appears to extend beyond what the natural human eye can see.
Resources
Duignan, Brian and Cranston, Maurice. "Jean-Jacques Rousseau". Encyclopedia
Britannica, 28 Jun. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jean-Jacques-Rousseau.
Accessed 1 July 2022.
Google. (n.d.). Perspective of gardens - Jacques Rousseau - Google Arts & Culture. Google.
Retrieved July 1, 2022, from https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/perspective-of-
gardens-jacques-rousseau/KAFUXe-sifBg8Q
