Aviles 1

Keisha Aviles

November 19, 2017

Option 1

November 15, 2017

Woman Sitting at A Table

Expectation: I choose option 1, to attend a museum for many reasons. One being I’ve never

been to one. Though I know that I am very intrigued by different types of artworks, such as

painting, photographs, sculptures, etc. I decided to go to the Museum of Fine Arts, St.

Petersburg. In going I expected my mind and soul to be opened, I expected to learn something, I

wanted to be inspired as I walk through the museum.

Woman Sitting at A Table by Richard Edward (Emil) Miller, created in 1903, medium

being Oil on canvas.

Completed Worksheet:

1. The art made me feel very melancholy. It brought such a sadness to me as I looked at

art.

2. My eyed went directly to the woman’s face. I was attracted to her face because it looks

very sad and the woman’s face is red s if she is crying.

3. On the right side, in the foreground of the art, a very pale skinned woman sits in a gold

chair wearing a black dress with a white throw over that is slightly falling off her left shoulder.

Her hair is up and put of the way, with a red flower in her hair, that brings out the redness of the
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woman’s gloomy face. Her hands lay on the circular brown table, that is in the left side of the

foreground, as if most of her weight is being supported by it. Her left hand slightly holding the

handle of a teacup that is on the table, while her right-hand lays in front of the candlestick. The

table also holds a teapot. Behind the teapot there is a black and white checkers patterned curtain,

that has a lamp hanging to the right of the curtain slightly overlapping it. In the background is

just a grey wall.

4. a. In the art, there is an implied line from the woman to the teacup. He uses her right

hand as a blockage from our eyes wondering elsewhere and her left hand to guide back to the

woman. The throw over that is slightly falling off her shoulder creates a half circle from her arm

back to the woman’s face.

b. Shape defines by color is used. The shape of the woman is separated in two. Her

upper half and lower half. The negative part of this shape is her lower half while the

positive is her upper half that is mainly covered by the white throw over. This positive

and negative help bring out that the main part of the woman is her upper half, drawing

right back to her face, the main point to this art.

c. Miller uses complete closed forms. Everything in the art is complete, has totality

within itself. This allows the viewer to be able to focus on the main object, the woman,

instead of wondering.

d. Overlapping is a big component is this art. The woman and her dress overlap the

table. Nothing is overlapping the woman putting her at the very front of the image, what

he wants the viewers to see first. The teacup on the table slightly overlaps her right arm,

signifying that she is sitting at the table.

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e. The woman’s throw over is a very bright white while her chest skin area, is a very

dull white. Her face however is a light red, almost pink color, that tells that she has been

crying. All this white we initially see brings attention to the woman. While the grey wall,

brown table, and gold chair are all very neutral not bringing much attention to itself. The

black dress she wears contrasts with the white, making the white intensify even more,

keeping the focus right on the woman and her face.

f. the texture is very smooth barely noticing a single stroke. The ruffles on her throw

over, is simply just implied, though it does seem to be overlapping itself and being a little

puffy the image itself is smooth.

5. a. In a way pattern is used. Many of the components in the image are used to bring

attention back to the woman especially her face.

b. An asymmetrical balance is used in this image, it keeps the overall harmony,

allowing the focus to stay on the woman.

c. The contrast of the woman’s dress with her throw over keeps the focus on the upper

part of the woman. While the neutral colors surrounding the upper part of the woman

allows the focus to stay intact.

d. The implied lines and the contrasting color between the gown and her throw over are

all used to move the viewers eyes to the object of emphasis.

e. This image is mainly a moment in time.

f. This image uses a lot of emphasis to bring out the focal point of the sad woman.

Contrast is used as well as the woman’s placement. There is also a secondary focal point

which is the teacup in which the woman is looking at, that is used to just move around the

canvas, without taking away from the woman who is the real focus.
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g. The image is very proportionate, keeping the harmony entirety of the image.

h. The image has just the right amount of variety of design elements to keep the

viewers’ attention on the woman.

i. This image as a complete sense of unity.

6. Line color and contrast I feel are the most important compositional elements in this

artwork. I believe line is important because the implied line from the woman the teacup

that is brought back to the woman’s face keeps the emphasis on her sad face. While the

neutral color of the back ground and the white used on her skin and throw over that is

contrasted by her dark gown, signifies the woman, brings the pure light and the viewers

eyes right onto the woman.

Interpretation:

The painting, A Woman Sitting at A Table, is in a way simply just that. Though

the artist Richard E. Miller was an impressionist painter, who unsurprisingly was mainly

known for the depictions of women. Impressionist painters seek to recreate the general

impression of a scene. The impression of the painting is calming but sad in its essence.

The sadness comes from the very upset looking face of the woman, whose face is blushed

red as is she is crying.

Miller uses great color contrast to emphasize on the beautiful woman who seems

to be in mess, that shows her sadness. The woman is wearing a black dress which is a

bold contrast with her white overthrow and her very dull white skin, which helps keep the

emphasis on the woman. Everything else around her is very much neutral colors, that

don’t take the viewers eyes from the woman. Miller, however, uses red in a few places in
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the painting. The most noticeable is the red flower in the woman’s hair, the other is the

tint of the cherry brown teapot, and the other is the subtle blush in the woman’s face. The

small red throughout allows the viewer to look around the canvas. In doing so it is notice

that the woman is by herself, very lonely, which helps emphasize the sadness that the

painting brings out.

Miller’s use of implied lines, helps the viewers really keep focus on the woman,

to ensure that the way she feels at that moment in time is being felt. The woman’s face is

slightly titled forward, bringing the direction the teacup on the table that she gently grips.

The connection from the teacup and her fingers carry the viewers eyes from the teacup up

her arm, all the way to wear her throw over meets her ack, that has a small implied line to

the woman’s eyes. Her eyes are softly shut, any person would look when they have no

hope, or subtly gave up. This gives the truest sadness and disheveled look in the woman’s

face, that helps the viewer take in the essence of sadness throughout the painting.

Reflection:

Going to a museum took me back, it made me feel as if I was a child again. More

specifically a child going to an aquarium. As I walked through the museum I had no idea

where to start. I wasn’t sure if I should just walk around the main room first than go into

the individual rooms. Then I thought what about the artwork in the middle, my mind

wondered so fast I’m not sure my body was able to catch up. What I decided changed

with each main room. The best thing I felt was walking through each individual room, the

step right before entering was very heart racing. The arts itself was amazing, the

experience is one I will never forget.

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The actual experience was way more incredible than what I had expected. Not

only did I learn many things, I was able to really connect with the art that was shown.

Being able to feel every emotion and to really feel what the artist wanted me to feel was

great. Learning how to look at an artwork in class, and understand why the artist uses a

certain composite element, really helped me enjoy each artwork that I looked at. I was

able to really take in what the artist intended me to, through lines, colors, contrast, etc.

Being able to, if not fully, but slightly, understand every art piece, or even be able to

experience it in a more sophisticated and understanding way through what I learned in

class made the experience a lot more enjoyable and something I would consider greatly to

do again.

Work Cited:

“About | Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg.” Museum of Fine Arts, mfastpete.org/about/.

“Richard E. Miller.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 13 Nov. 2017,

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_E._Miller.

“Richard Edward (Emil) Miller, Woman Sitting at a Table Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg.”

Museum of Fine Arts, mfastpete.org/obj/woman-sitting-at-a-table/.