Museum review #1

Gabriela Caceres

Art and Society Creativity Cluster

3/31/14

Museum Review #1

While visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the first time last week, I observed many stunning artworks and quite a few caught my attention. I was exposed to paintings by famous artists such as, Kerstiaen de Keuninck and Jacob van Ruisdael. Both paintings that greatly impressed the most were “The Forest Stream” by Jacob van Reisdael and ”A Mountainous Landscape with a waterfall” by Kerstian de Keuninck. I spent the day looking at paintings of landscapes because that’s what intrigues me the most.

“The Forest Stream” by Jacob van Reisdael created in 1660 was the first painting that attracted me instantaneously. This beautiful painting consists of oil on canvas and includes organic shapes considering that it depicts a landscape. The shapes in the painting give it a deep flowing and curving appearance. The plants, trees and the stream render a very natural and romantic look. This representational painting contains light blue, navy blue, dark green, beige, brown and white colors. The monochromatic and neutral colors suggest nature and tranquility. When I look at the painting, I feel very calm and at peace considering that it’s in a forest. The use of shadows below the trees and rocks create depth and produce a three dimensional realistic appearance. Reisdael incorporated many horizontal curvy lines that imply calmness and serenity.

Another brilliant representational painting that attracted me was “A Mountainous Landscape with a Waterfall” by Kerstian de Keuninck. The painting was established in 1600 and it consists of oil on wood. This painting illustrates a massive green hill with plants and rocks situated over it. Towards the left side of it, exists the large mountain that is the most significant element of the landscape. The mountain invites the viewer to look deeply within the painting and to interpret why the artist placed it there. Paintings of landscapes regularly attract me but this specific one moves me in a strange and sentimental sort of way. A way that is difficult to explain and clarify. When looking at the light blue sky at the upper center of the painting, I feel as if I’m lost and stranded in the forest viewing the sky to see if any sort of aircraft passes by to rescue me. This painting has an extremely realistic appearance perhaps that’s the reason why it provokes the strange emotions and thoughts in me. Keuninck incorporated various dark and neutral colors such as light blue, dark green, brown, beige and white. It creates a very natural and pleasing appearance. The organic shapes and the horizontal lines within the painting also affect the sentimental feeling I get by looking at it.

Both paintings are similar in several ways but also different in a few ways. They’re both highly impressive and have a realistic appearance, considering they both depict an attractive landscape. Both paintings include plants, flowers, rocks and trees. “The Forest Stream” by Jacob van Reisdael appears to have more depth and look more realistic because the shadows are placed in different parts of the painting. They’re placed below the trees and in between the rocks, giving it a three dimensional look. In “A Mountainous Landscape with a Waterfall” by Kerstian de Keuninck, the painting looks flat and two-dimensional. Both paintings are representational and consist of the same neutral dark tone monochromatic colors. Despite the differences, they are both beautiful works of art and practically give the same emotion by looking at them.

Word count: 581