International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

Visual Arts HL Comparative study

Comparing the works of Gustave Courbet, Laurence Stephan Lowry and Dustin Yellin

Candidate Name: Ryan Evan Alfonso

Candidate Code: fwc942
Candidate Session Number: 003508-0023
Exam Session: May 2016
School: Indus International School Pune
I have always felt that art is a way to express the world around us which is why all my art pieces do the same which is why it’s only natural for
me to be interested in the artwork of artists that do the same. That is when I came across the two artists, Gustave Courbet and L.S. Lowry. The
paintings that I chose by the two artists were either representations of or inspired from the world that the artists lived in. Seing this similarity in
my work and the work of these two artists I decided to compare their artworks with each other.

Gustave Courbet
Gustave Courbet (1819 – 1877) was a French artist who was very
well-known for being a major part of the realism movement. His
artwork was known for its strong realism in its components and
was also known to portray the class distinctions which is a major
component of the two pieces of his that I have chosen; ‘The
Wheat Sifters’ and ‘The Stone Breakers’. This theme of social
class was probably brought out by the time that Courbet lived in.
During the nineteenth century, the industrial revolution was
The Stone Breakers booming and so was its impacts. Along with the industrial The Wheat Sifters
revolution came the division of people into lower, middle
 165 x 257 cm  Gustave Courbet  131 x 167 cm 
and upper class which as mentioned earlier, was portrayed in Gustave Courbet
 Oil on canvas  1849  Oil on canvas 
a couple of his pieces. 1855

Despite living in the era of romanticism, Courbet decided to steer clear from the prevalent conventions of the art form. Instead he depicted the
world as it is, by expressing his observations without glorification as the Romantic artists normally did. His celebration of the working class
along with his realistic art style made him one of the pioneers of realism. To him, “painting is an essentially concrete art and can only consist in
the representation of real and existing things”.1

1
Finocchio, Ross. “Nineteenth-Century French Realism.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art,
2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/rlsm/hd_rlsm.htm (October 2004) Further Reading
L.S. Lowry
Laurence Stephen Lowry (1887-1976) was an English artist who was known
for his portrayals of urban life in 20th century England. Many of his works
such as ‘Industrial Landscape’ expressed the change that England underwent
during the industrial revolution. His work was also known for being Naïve
due to its simplicity.
Lowry was extremely influenced by his surroundings. Early in his life he
shifted from Victoria Park in Manchester, a place with many trees and
greenery to Station Road, in Pendlebury which was much more
industrialized, featuring many factories with tall chimneys belching out
smoke. This had a significant impact on his subject matter where he even
said, “At first I detested it, and then, after years I got pretty interested in it,
then obsessed by it.”
Lowry is considered a Naïve artist even though he did have formal training
in art. Even with his formal training, he always tried to find his own path.
“Lowry was an artist looking for his own distinctive way of painting and Industrial Landscape
drawing - and for a subject matter he could make his own, preferring  114.3 x 152.4cm
eventually the view from the Technical College window to that of the posed
 Oil on Canvas
model.”2
 L.S. Lowry
 1955

2
"LS Lowry - His Life and Career." Thelowry.com. Web. 17 Mar. 2016. <http://www.thelowry.com/ls-lowry/his-life-and-work/>.
‘The Stone Breakers’
Formal analysis
Gustave Courbet’s ‘The Stone Breakers’ depicts an old man
and a boy working together to collect and break stones, aptly
described by the title. The piece showcases Gustave
Courbet’s realistic art style which is evident by the amount
of attention he has given to detail such as the shadows cast
by forms, the anatomical proportions of the man and the
boy, the choice of clothing which was indeed what was used
by the members of the working class in the 19th century as
well as the overall colours used.
‘The Stone Breakers’ features a cool colour palette with the
use of greens for the grass and the hill and light blues for the
vessel, stones and the sky that is visible in the top right
corner. Between the two cool colours blue and green, blue
has been used more sparingly but to great effect especially
over the broken rocks on the ground, bringing out a contrast.
 165 x 257 cm  Oil on canvas  1849  Gustave Courbet
 Oil on canvas
There is a minimal use of warm colours such as with the man’s orange vest, hat and the ground beneath the boy and him that all present
themselves in the foreground of the painting. There is a lot of use of varying shades and tints of orange ranging from the orange front of the vest
mentioned earlier, the cream coloured clothing to the darker, brown coloured trousers. None of the colours however are vibrant, all the colours
warm and cool are pastel because of their soft, pale appearance.

Courbet has created depth in the painting with his use of darker and lighter shades and tints of colour. His usage of darker shades has helped with
forming the texture of the fabric by bringing out the creases in it and was also essential in portraying the age of the man holding the hammer
because it brought out the texture of his skin with all its wrinkles. The overall range of the tonal contrast is quite high where we can see extreme
shadows such as the one cast between the old man’s legs and highlights such as on the boy’s shoulder. This also conveys the intensity of the sun,
the light source in this painting which is shining slightly towards the east from the viewer’s perspective based on the direction of the shadows
that are cast by the various forms.
In terms of the forms there is a wide variety since the piece is realistic and in the real world there is a multitude of forms almost anywhere we
look. However most of these forms are irregular such as the pebbles, grass and the fabric of the clothes but there are some straight lines that we
can see from the hammer in the hand of the old man and the shovel where the boy is facing.
Courbet has used Oil paints in this painting as his medium. He has made the transitions in the tones seamless and has not left any intentionally
visible brush strokes on the canvas to once again reinforce the realism of the piece. The painting also shows movement because the old man is in
the middle of a swing of his hammer. There is also a gradual decrease in detail as the viewer moves towards the background, the hills, showing
us that the two stone breakers are the central theme of the piece. This piece seemed to have been painted from the perspective of someone
standing on the same ground level as the boy and man.

Cultural context and significance

‘The Stone Breakers’ expresses the work pressure that the members of the lower class were under during the industrial revolution. During the
time, only members of the lower class would be tasked with something as laborious as breaking stones. The piece shows us the unfair conditions
faced by the lower class, understood by the young age of the boy, presumably in his mid to late teens based on his appearance and the old age of
the man once again evident because of his appearance. Neither should be tasked with breaking rocks, yet because of the industrial revolution and
the class system during the nineteenth century, the young boy and old man are forced to work hard to make a living. I feel as though the piece
was made to express the artist’s awareness of the unfairness of the class system towards the members of the lower class and to spread this
awareness of this unfairness to the masses as well. The dreary living conditions of the members of the lower class are reinforced by the tattered
clothes of the boy as well as the torn vest of the old man. The size of the small hammer that the old man is using can also show us how
unequipped the workers were for their tasks considering that he is breaking up such large rocks signifying how they were given little importance.
The large hills in the background of ‘The Stone Breakers’ symbolizes the entrapment that the boy and man face by the class system.
‘The Wheat Sifters’
Formal analysis
Gustave Courbet’s ‘The Wheat Sifters’ depicts two women sifting
grain, presumably wheat based on the title and a young boy opening
what I presume is a grinder based on its appearance. This piece
showcases Courbet’s realistic style once again with his attention to
realistic forms such as the texture of fabrics with the clothes, shadows,
the anatomical proportions of the women and the boy and the choice of
clothing which was again used by the female members of the working
class in the 19th century.
‘The Wheat Sifters’ features a predominantly warm colour palette with
the use of reds and browns for the clothes of the woman in the centre
and the beige/wheat coloured walls. The painting not only has warm
colours but earthy ones too with different varieties of brown seen in the
container held by the lady in orange, the containers lying around, the
grinder, walls and even the skin colour of the boy at the back. The only
cool colour visible is blue. We can see a dark blue hue on the boy’s
shirt and blue with a heavy grey tone on the clothes of the women to the
left.
 131 x 167 cm  Oil on canvas  1855  Gustave Courbet
 Oil on canvas  Gustave Courbet  1855
 Gustave Courbet  1855
 1855
There isn’t much of a variance or vibrancy of colour or hues in the painting since it is largely made up of pale, soft hues of brown, red, yellow
and a little blue once again showing off the pastel colour palette. However this aids to the painting’s realistic look since at the time people didn’t
wear vibrant clothing and furniture, utensils and buildings weren’t extremely vibrant either. On the hand, the rust coloured dress of the central
woman is certainly the most vibrant colour in relation to the rest of the painting.
The depth and textures are yet again accentuated with Courbet’s usage of extreme shades to create folds in the fabric of the clothes and to show
the direction of the light source from the west, based on the direction of the shadows that are cast. Another instance of the dark shades is in the
door of the grain grinder that the boy is opening.
In terms of the forms there are edgy forms created by the grinder and smooth surfaces of the women and the boy, folds in the clothes and the
sacks in the background and flat surfaces with the walls and the floor. It is the boy’s small form or anatomy that brings out the fact that he is a
child. Since there are a lot of man-made items in the piece, there aren’t many irregular forms besides the cloth and grain.
Yet again Courbet made the transitions in the values seamless and has not left any intentionally visible brush strokes on the canvas with the oil
medium to get that realistic look. The painting shows movement with the central lady actively sifting wheat, the lady on the left picking out
grains and the boy opening the grinder. The piece was also painted from the level of someone standing.

Cultural context and significance

Similar to ‘The Stone Breakers’, ‘The Wheat Sifters’ also depicts the tedious tasks of members of the lower class during the time of the
industrial revolution. The face of the lady on the left shows the extent of boredom that she feels and reinforces the monotony of the tasks and
complete lack of interest that she has in doing them. Despite her disinterest, she is forced to sift the grains since she is a member of the lower
class in the mid-nineteenth century industrial revolution and must do tasks that were ‘deemed fit’ for members of her class. The piece shows the
viewers, Gustave Courbet’s understanding of the unfairness towards the members of the lower class at the time. The boy who is curiously
opening the grinder signifies the lack of entertainment or fun the children of the lower class were exposed to since he is entertaining himself with
a grinder which is far from something a child should be entertaining himself with. This piece once again was meant to portray the harsh reality of
life for the members of the lower class during the industrial revolution. The piece was meant to bring about awareness and understanding about
the monotony of the work that members of the lower had to do and the soul sapping nature of it. The four walls of the piece can once again
symbolise the entrapment of the women and the boy, both physically and financially and the uncleanliness of the walls can also show the sad
working environment that they are in. I feel as though this painting also serves to empower women. Since the human figures in Courbet’s
paintings are anatomically proportionate, the woman’s hand was intentionally made to look very muscular possibly showing off the strength of
women and their capability as workers in a male dominant society.
‘Industrial Landscape’
Formal analysis
L.S. Lowry’s ‘Industrial Landscape depicts a landscape
filled with buildings, bridges and factories with tall
chimneys billowing out smoke.
Although the painting has a dull colour palette seen by
the lack of vibrancy in the colours, there is a decent
variety of colours used. We can see the three primary
colours red, yellow and blue in the buildings, we can
see greens used for the grass in the foreground and we
can see greys and whites mixed with these colours for
the smoke, sky and ground. The painting has a good
balance of colour since we can see a range of colours in
every part of the painting, there is no one part that is
dominated by one specific colour, even the light brown
sky has streaks of grey in it.
The forms in the piece mostly have straight or edgy
lines. We can see the straight lines in the buildings, the
chimneys and the bridges and we can see the edgy lines
in the hills and various parts of the ground. There
aren’t any circular forms and the only instance of  114.3 x 152.4cm  1955  Oil on Canvas  L.S. Lowry
smooth lines would be at the right end of the bottom
 L.S. Lowry  1955
bridge on the left, on the cylindrical structures that you can seeon Oil on Canvas
the bottom right and on the few domed structures in the paintings.
 L.S. Lowry  1955
Lowry hasn’t shown us many instances of lighting in the painting  1955
since many of the forms don’t cast any shadows and almost none of the forms
have any highlights, contributing to its classification as a naïve painting. Strangely, the lower bridge on the left casts a shadow facing the left but
then the red mound underneath casts a shadow towards the right making it hard to figure out where the light source is coming from.
Interestingly, even though there is a variety in the amount of colours used but the colours themselves do not have much variance. We can see the
similar tones of red, green and yellow used throughout the canvas except for a few areas in the ground where these colours merge. The piece
doesn’t exhibit much texture either. The grass as well as the buildings are all flat and do not show much detail once again lending to the
painting’s naïve classification.
Most of the colours in the artwork are not merged with one another besides for the ground. The ground has many colours merging with
themselves such as the greens, blues and yellows at the bottom of the painting and the browns and darker colours towards the back. As we move
further back, the definition of the forms also lessens, yet the emphasis on the smoke remains rather strong.
The piece was painted from the high of the ground perspective and from quite a distance understood by the size of the human figures at the
foreground. The human figures although small are one of the components that bring movement to the piece as we can see them running and
playing. The other component that brings motion to the piece is the smoke from the chimneys showing the presence of wind that is blowing from
west to east based on the direction of the smoke.

Cultural context and significance

This painting was also made during the time of the industrial revolution but was made a solid 100 years after Courbet’s ‘The Wheat Sifters’
meaning that it portrayed the industrial revolution during its later years. The painting brings out Lowry’s understanding of the effect that the
industrial revolution had on his surroundings. The painting showcases the industrialization through the factories, paved roads multiple chimneys
and the clouds of smoke from them. The piece also shows us the overwhelming nature of this change with the size of the factories and chimneys
which is amplified when compared to the comparatively miniscule people painted in the foreground. The lack of people painted as we look
further back into the painting serves to bring out the loneliness that the industrial revolution had brought out. The piece was made to give a
general impression and understanding of urban areas during the industrial revolution. The emphasis on the smoke and hazy sky brings out the
destruction of beauty that the industrial revolution caused and was perhaps meant as a reality check for the many industries that had started up at
the time.
The piece itself was composed without any real reference but it did contain certain real places such as the “Stockport Viaduct, which constantly
haunted the artist”3 at the top left. We can understand why Lowry’s work is widely considered as naïve through this painting. The simplicity of
the form and textures and the lack of realism can all be related to the work that a naïve artist would create. His basic choice of colour also brings
out the simplicity in his work.

3
"Industrial Landscape 1955." Tate.org.uk. Sept. 2004. Web. 3 Feb. 2016. <http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/lowry-industrial-landscape-
t00111>.
Similarities and differences between ‘The Stone Breakers’, ‘The Wheat Sifters’ and ‘Industrial Landscape’

Similarities
Between all three
 Context: They are connected to the Industrial revolution
 Painted with oil on canvas
‘The Stone Breakers’ and ‘The Wheat Sifters’ ‘Industrial Landscape’ and ‘Industrial Landscape’ and The Wheat Sifters’
‘The Stone Breakers’
Both paintings: Both paintings: Both Paintings:
 Bring out the pressure of the industrial revolution on  There are a few forms  Showcase forms with straight edges, once
the members of the lower class and use humans and with straight edges in again such as the chimneys, buildings and
show them working to bring out the message ‘The Stone Breakers’ bridges in ‘Industrial Landscape’ and the
 Are painted from the same perspective of someone at with the hammer that grinder in ‘The Wheat Sifters’
the same eye level as the figures. the man is holding and  Showcase smoke seen originating from the
 Are considered realistic paintings there are also straight chimneys in ‘Industrial Landscape’ and if
 Symbolise Entrapment edges in ‘Industrial observed closely, from the top of the
 Use a dull colour palette that lacks bright vibrant colour Landscape’ with all grinder in ‘The Wheat Sifters’.
 Depict 2 people working the buildings and  Depict some form of infrastructure with
 Have texture in the fabric of the clothes bridges. the buildings and factories in ‘Industrial
 Show containers and baskets.  Showcase a balance of Landscape’ and with the understanding
 Focus on human figures and portray them with realistic
colours. Neither piece that ‘The Wheat Sifters’ was painted to
uses too much of a show the inside of a building as well as the
anatomy. The figures bring out movement as well. All
single colour. grinder machine.
of them look discontented with doing the work
 Show movement, with  The central figures are spread out seen by
 Make use of light and shadows to create forms and
the mid swing of the the women and child at the centre and two
textures such as between the man’s legs in ‘The Stone
hammer in ‘The Stone sides of ‘The Wheat Sifters’ and the
Breakers’ and inside the grinder in ‘The Wheat Sifters’
Breakers’ and the buildings at the centre and sides of
 Show Heavy use of light browns/beige, visible in the
smoke and people ‘Industrial Landscape’
floor of ‘The Wheat Sifters’ and foreground and clothes
running in ‘Industrial  There is a presence of buildings seen from
in ‘The Stone Breakers’
Landscape’ the outside in ‘Industrial Landscape’ and
 Painted within the same decade by the same artist,
inside in ‘The Wheat Sifters’
Gustave Courbet.

‘The Stone Breakers’ and ‘The Wheat
Sifters’
‘The Stone Breakers’ compared to ‘The
Wheat Sifters’:
 Depicts a scene that is outside in the
open as oppose to inside a buildings
 Showcases a cooler colour palette
with blues and many greens compared
to the earthy and warm reds, browns
and yellows
 Showcases foliage which is not visible
in ‘The Wheat Sifters’
 Shows 2 human figures as oppose to 3
 Doesn’t show any women or children
 Painted 6 years earlier on a canvas 34
cm taller and 90 cm longer
 Depicts physically laborious tasks as
oppose to tedious ones.
 Doesn’t exhibit any machinery
 The human figures are placed in the
centre of the painting instead of being
spread out.
‘The Wheat Sifters’ compared to ‘The
Stone Breakers’
 Doesn’t use the colour green
anywhere
Differences
‘Industrial Landscape’ and ‘The Stone
Breakers’
‘Industrial Landscape’ compared to ‘The
Stone Breakers’:
 Uses more red colour.
 Has less of a variation of tints, shades
and tones in where there are colours
such as red and blue but not much of a
variation of those colours. There is more
repetition of the same colours seen in
the buildings
 Painted from a point of elevation as
oppose to ground level
 Focuses on the buildings and
surroundings as oppose to the humans.
 Showcases smoke
 Depicts a more urban area
 Is a naïve painting as oppose to a
realism painting
 Was made more than a century later
 Showcases less texture and textural
contrasts
 Incorporates less highlights and
shadows
 Has comparatively more forms with
straight edges in the buildings,
chimneys and bridges
The ‘Wheat Sifters’ and ‘Industrial Landscape’
‘The Wheat Sifters’ compared to ‘Industrial
Landscape’:
 Has a duller colour palette
 Has more forms with curved edges and
contours
 Showcases textural contrasts with the
fabric, hair and skin unlike the smooth
consistent texture
 Focuses on human figures compared to
structures and buildings
 Is realistic as oppose to naïve
 Has a warmer colour palette and less of a
colour variance
 Painted from the perspective of someone at
ground level as oppose to a point of
elevation
 Showcases more of a contrasts in light and
shadow seen with the extreme shadows in
the grinder and the light hitting the hair of
the woman in the centre
 Painted 100 years earlier on a canvas 16.7
cm taller and 14.6 cm longer
 Depicts an area within a building
compared to out in the open
 There are less human figures and they are
much larger
 Was made on a canvas that was 50.7 cm  The background is confined to the walls of
shorter in height and 104.6 cm shorter the building compared to the vast
in length landscape of hills and factories
 The forms are shown at a long distance  There are dark browns
away compared to the close proximity  There is no view of the sky
of the figures in ‘The Stone Breakers’ ‘Industrial Landscape’ compared to ‘The
 Has a landscape that extends further Wheat Sifters’
back compared to the view that is  Showcases more infrastructure with the
blocked by the hills. bridges, train, factories, roads and
‘The Stone Breakers’ compared to buildings as oppose to solely a grinder
‘Industrial Landscape’  Uses the colour green which is not seen in
 There are two main figures and they are ‘The Wheat Sifters’
placed in the centre of the painting as
oppose to the multiple figures of
importance in ‘Industrial Landscape’
that are placed all around the canvas.
 There is more contrasts seen by the
highlights and shadows that aren’t
shown to great detail in ‘Industrial
Landscape’
 There are less human figures and they
are much larger
 There is an obstructed view of the sky
 There are no man-made structures
 Has more greenery in the hill but only
one hill compared to the multiple hills
Dustin Yellin’s ‘Noel Flowers’
Dustin Yellin is an artist that lives in Brooklyn New York
that is widely known for his glass sculptures. His work
ranges from being extremely vibrant and multi-coloured to
being monochrome or black and white. He has created
multiple pieces that depict human forms dancing in his
collection ‘Psychogeograpies’, multiple pieces depicting
caves, multiple pieces depicting skulls and various other
objects and pieces depicting imaginary creatures such as
‘Noel Flowers’.

Formal analysis
‘Noel Flowers’ depicts an imaginary bird like creature
created within multiple sheets of glass. The piece itself is
a mixed media installation on glass and showcases a
vibrant colour palette with multiple colours. We can see
greens, black, blues, yellows, pink, purple and reds most
of which are in multiple hues as well. Despite these
multiple hues, there is a great harmony between
them since none of the hues clash with each  45.72 x 64.135 x 16.51 cm  2015  Acrylic and collage on glass  Dustin Yellin
other. We can also see the use of paper cut-outs
on the crown of the bird’s head which appear to be torso’s of men bringing out the piece’s mixed media nature. The
head is made up primarily of reds, the neck is mainly green however, the base of the neck is made up of blue, green
and purple. Beyond that, the body shifts from mainly green to a variety of other colours.
Throughout the body, Yellin has painted white strands which are most easily visible on the head and Close up
neck but not so much throughout the body because they are overshadowed by the other feathers. The of the
feathers themselves are made up of multiple colours primarily green towards the neck but as the viewer bird’s head
looks further back the other colours begin to show more frequently and explicitly. There are also black feathers with white polka dots. These
feathers also happen to be the most prominent and recurring form in the entire piece yet they manage to showcase variety since none of the
feathers are the same shape or have the same contours. The feathers are all separate but come together to form a single piece, the bird. These
Feathers are irregular lines with various thicknesses and speaking of lines, there aren’t any straight ones in the entire piece. The multiple strokes
that Yellin has used in the piece helped bring out the texture of the feathers in it.
Dustin Yellin has also incorporated light and shadow in ‘Noel Flowers’. The shadows can be seen in between the feathers of the bird and one
prominent instance of a highlight can be seen in the eye of the bird. The use of mixed media also helped bring out the shadows in the piece since
the sheets of glass cast natural shadows onto the layers underneath them. The light and shadows in the piece also brings out the depth of it. The
piece doesn’t emphasise on any particular element and showcases a variation between them but all the elements together bring out a rhythm
which is emphasised by the unidirectional strokes facing the left used to make the feathers.

Cultural Context and significance

Although I don’t feel as though ‘Noel Flowers’ has any particular context relating to culture I do believe that the piece signifies expression.
Dustin Yellin has created an area for artists in any form be it, musicians, visual artists, dancers and more to come together and just create work
and perform called Pioneer Works. He built it as a non-profit organisation which shows his belief in the power of the ability for people to
express themselves. Similarly, ‘Noel Flowers’ being a piece composed entirely from Yellin’s imagination using a medium that is extremely
unique is the epitome of self-expression.
 Comparison between ‘Noel Flowers’ and ‘Industrial Landscape’
Similarities
 They are both created from the imagination of the artists
 Neither have realism
 Exhibit all the three primary colours red, yellow and blue
 Both exhibit living beings with the humans in ‘Industrial
Landscape’ and the bird in ‘Noel Flowers’
 Both pieces have some sort of rhythm with the all the
unidirectional feathers and hairs on the bird in ‘Noel Flowers’ and
the buildings and chimneys in ‘Industrial Landscape’
Differences
‘Noel Flowers’ compared to ‘Industrial Landscape’:
 Uses mixed media with acrylics and paper cut-outs on glass as
oppose to oil on canvas
 Has much more vibrant colours and uses a broader range of hues
such as with the turquoise, purple and pink
 Exhibits texture with the feathers throughout the whole body
unlike the plain smooth texture of the buildings and landscape
 Doesn’t have any straight lines unlike the buildings and chimneys
and instead only has irregular lines
 Depicts a single figure with no background and in the centre
 Has no relation to the industrial revolution
 Focuses on a living organism as oppose to structures
 The use of tints and shades is more evident with the prominent
shadows and highlights
 Is a three dimensional piece that casts real shadows on itself
‘Industrial Landscape’ compared to ‘Noel Flowers’
 Depicts realistic forms
 Is a painting of a landscape
 Exhibits the presence of wind through the movement of the smoke
 The size of the entire piece is much bigger but every individual
element is smaller
 Painted 60 years prior
 Has flat colours on forms unlike the polka dots and stripes on
some of the feathers
HL comparison
The Bird of Paradise and Dustin Yellin
Experimenting with as many different mediums and techniques as possible has always been my goal since I started the Diploma Programme
because I have always been on the look-out for different ways to creatively express myself ever since I was a child. One day while I was going
through a couple of TED talks I came across one presented by the artist Dustin Yellin. One of the topics he spoke about was his glass sculptures
like ‘Noel Flowers’ that was shown above. What he does for his glass sculptures is paint on multiple sheets of glass. He then places them one on
top of each other to display a three dimensional form within them. Not only does he paint but many times, Dustin Yellin also uses cut-outs from
magazines or print outs to make collages within the sheets of glass as well.
While going through his pieces and analysing them, I was amazed by the
effect that the sheets of glass had and their ability to bring out natural three
dimensionality since the paint on the sheets of glass cast shadows on the sheet
of glass behind them. I was also surprised by how much I loved his use of a
wide range of vibrant hues. The whole concept that he used in his work
inspired me to try out working with glass for the first time ever and I am so
happy that I did.
His work also inspired a couple of elements of my piece ‘The Bird of
Paradise’ as you can see on the right. I used multiple sheets of glass to paint
my piece and decided from the start, after going through Dustin Yellin’s
work, that my piece would depict a form with vibrant colours which is one of
the reasons why I chose the bird of paradise flower.
As we can see, using Dustin Yellin’s technique gave me many similar results
to his work in ‘Noel Flowers’ as well as many differences that I have listed
below.
My artwork

 Acrylic on glass  22 x 25 x 6 cm  2015

 Comparison between ‘The Bird of Paradise’ and ‘Noel Flowers’
Similarities
Both pieces:
 have acrylic on glass as the medium
 use vibrant hues
 showcase the colours green, yellow and blue and pink
 use multiple sheets of glass to develop the depth of the piece
 were created in 2015
 Showcases one central form which is the focus
 Has natural shadows cast from the forms on the sheets of glass
 Have some form of unidirectional movement being the feathers in
‘Noel Flowers’ and the disintegrated particles in ‘The Bird of
Paradise’
Differences
‘Noel Flowers’ compared to ‘The Bird of Paradise’:
 Exhibits a wider variation of hues and also exhibits the use of
more red
 Is much larger being 23.7 cm longer, 39.1 cm taller and 10.5 cm
thicker and has more sheets of glass
 Showcases more texture with the feathers and hairs
 Showcases more individual forms per sheet of glass with the
number of feathers as oppose to the number of petals
 Uses paper cut-outs on glass as well instead of just acrylic
 Showcases an imaginary figure as oppose to the real bird of
paradise flower.
‘The Bird of Paradise’ compared to ‘Noel Flowers’:
 Exhibits forms that are detached from the central form with the
disintegrating particles of the flower
 The individual forms are much larger proportionately to the entire
piece except for the disintegrated particles
Each individual form is smaller in
proportion to the entire piece in
‘Noel Flowers’ compared to the
forms in ‘The Bird of Paradise’
except the disintegrated particles.
These forms are circled in White.
The natural shadows cast
on the sheets of glass
because the paint on the
sheet in front blocks the
light from hitting it.

You can also see that the

hues are vibrant in both
pieces but there is a much
wider variety of hues in
‘Noel Flowers’.

I got inspired
by the unidirectional
strokes of the feathers in
‘Noel Flowers’ and had my
flower disintegrate unidirectional
as well.
Bibliography
Images

 "Industrial Landscape 1955." Tate.org.uk. Sept. 2004. Web. 3 Feb. 2016. <http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/lowry-industrial-
landscape-t00111>.
 Abrahams, Simon. "Courbet’s The Wheat Sifters (1854-5)." Everypainterpaintshimself.com. EPPH, 20 Nov. 2010. Web. 3 Feb. 2016.
<http://www.everypainterpaintshimself.com/article/courbets_the_wheat_sifters>.
 "The Stone Breakers, 1849 by Gustave Courbet." Gustave-courbet.com. Web. 3 Feb. 2016. <http://www.gustave-courbet.com/the-
stonebreakers.jsp>.
 "Dustin Yellin." Richardhellergallery.com. Web. 21 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.richardhellergallery.com/dynamic/artwork_display.asp?ArtworkID=2418>.

Quoted text

 "LS Lowry - His Life and Career." Thelowry.com. Web. 17 Mar. 2016. <http://www.thelowry.com/ls-lowry/his-life-and-work/>.
 Finocchio, Ross. “Nineteenth-Century French Realism.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of
Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/rlsm/hd_rlsm.htm (October 2004) Further Reading

Acknowledgements

 "LS Lowry - His Life and Career." Thelowry.com. Web. 17 Mar. 2016. <http://www.thelowry.com/ls-lowry/his-life-and-work/>.
 "New Exhibition Explores L.S. Lowry's French Connection." Tate.org.uk. 15 Jan. 2013. Web. 17 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.tate.org.uk/context-comment/articles/lowry-influenced-by-impressionists>.
 "L.S. Lowry." Britannica.com. Web. 18 Mar. 2016. <http://www.britannica.com/biography/L-S-Lowry>. updated on 8-1-2014
 "Naïve Art." Britannica.com. Web. 19 Mar. 2016. <http://www.britannica.com/art/naive-art>.
 "The Stone Breakers, 1849 by Gustave Courbet." Gustave-courbet.com. Web. 3 Feb. 2016. <http://www.gustave-courbet.com/the-
stonebreakers.jsp>.
 "Gustave Courbet and His Paintings." Gustave-courbet.com. Web. 16 Mar. 2016. <http://www.gustave-courbet.com/>.
 "Gustave Courbet." Theartstory.org. Web. 16 Mar. 2016. <http://www.theartstory.org/artist-courbet-gustave.htm>.
 Dustinyellin.com. Web. Dec. 2015. <http://dustinyellin.com/>.
 "Pioneer Works Is a Center for Research and Experimentation in Contemporary Culture." Pioneerworks.org. Web. 4 Feb. 2016.
<http://pioneerworks.org/about/>.
 "A Journey through the Mind of an Artist." Ted.com. Web. Sept. 2015.
<https://www.ted.com/talks/dustin_yellin_a_journey_through_the_mind_of_an_artist?language=en>.