Elements and principles of art

https://www.nationalmuseum.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Image-7_-September-3_-
Parisian-Life-scaled.jpg

ESSAY
This artwork is a painting called “The Parisian Life” made by Filipino painter and
revolutionary activist Juan Luna that captures the attention of the people due to the different
meaning that they can interpret from looking at this work. According to Baluyut, P. R. (2017),
the painting contains the portrayal of gender politics, social norms, and national allegory and the
woman as the subject was believed to be a prostitute. While another interpretation of this is that
the woman is portrayed as the Philippines that used to be a slave of the Spaniards and the three
men seen in the painting are Jose Rizal, Ariston Bautista Lin, and Luna himself.
The forms of this artwork is enriched with the art history of the Philippines as well as
its art style which is called impressionist painting. The subject and the painting as a whole served
as a guide for the audience to think of what the story behind this painting would unfold. The
colors looked dull which made an impression of grief, pity, and loneliness. Just like how the face
of the woman in the painting is projecting, it captures the mood of the whole work. The part the
composition that the artist wants to emphasize is the situation of the woman as the center of
attention or focal point. The body form of the subject shows how uneasy her situation was or
how uncomfortable it is while waiting for someone. She doesn’t look good nor comfortable for
whatever reason it is. In terms of the principles of art presented in this painting, a rhythm is
evident on the painting of the blanket as it produces patterns, along with movement because of
the three men at the back, as well as balance that is producing a visual weight from the form of
the woman, then proportion that shows different sizes presented in the painting, then contrast that
shows how related the art all in all, and lastly variety that just not show one subject but also
includes other things that makes the work interesting.
In conclusion, this painting is an example of a successful art that shows the
different elements and principles of arts and it also produces different meanings and
interpretation which makes it more interesting for the audience to look at. Since Juan Luna is a
Filipino painter/Impressionist painter, he did well in making this art work as it is one of the
significant work that left a memory in me because of its amazing composition of art and
meaning.