Painting Analysis 1 Nicholas Gilman

The painting we are observing depicts a lone male figure at the precipice of a mountain, gazing
out over a sprawling natural landscape, engulfed in rolling sea of cloud cover, where only the peaks of
rock formations and trees pierce the hazy canopy consuming the valley before him. The valley gives way
in the distance to steep rolling hills which are faintly visible through the mist, emanating from the valley
floor, blurring the distinction between ground and sky. The figure himself is sharing our perspective,
contemplating the view before him. He is dressed in black boots and gloves, a dark green fitted coat and
pants, with a white collared button-down protruding from the top of his lapel and a cane in his right
hand. The style of clothing and moderately formal attire suggests a setting in the 18th or 19th centuries.

The composition eloquently observes the rule of thirds, with the rocky foundation our figure
stands upon in the foreground and the lower third, the valley and hill set in the midground and middle
third, and sky consuming the background and top third. While our figure emanates from the lower third,
his form protrudes into the center of the composition, making him the clear focal point of this painting.
The value of the male figure and rocky outcropping in the foreground stand in stark contrast to the
bright and ethereal natural world he observes in the middle and background. The sun, while out of
frame, casts its light from in front and to the left of our perspective, leaving our figure and his jutting,
rocky podium in near silhouette with but a halo of color informing our observation. The only object of
luminescence and prominent value is the blonde, wind-swept hair of our figure, existing almost as the
sun itself giving light to the world before him.

There are many ideas and commentaries that could be gleaned from this composition beginning
with the contemplative figure himself. His position and solitary presence would suggest he is enjoying
the moment of observation and discovery of the natural order, moved beyond words by the vast and
unending world before him. The dissolution between the earth and sky also suggests a spiritual moment
of catharsis, providing our figure with a fresh perspective on the priorities assigned to the social
constructs demanded by society. I find this concept to be the most forthright, as we may be projecting
our own feelings of catharsis from the beauty of the natural world onto the figure without regard to the
ideas presented by the figure himself. The figure is perched upon a formation of rocks which
compositionally form an upright chevon directing our attention within the composition to the figure. He
stands properly upright, shoulders back, with his left leg raised up and resting on the pinnacle of the
rocky cliff, commanding a sense of authority, and perhaps even victory, over the landscape before him.
This could be interpreted as a commentary on mankind’s perceived authority over the natural world.
This theory can be further substantiated by the presentation of the figure, formally dressed without any
additional equipment or supplies that we would anticipate being needed for a journey reaching these
heights. Perhaps the suggested commentary about human superiority over that natural world is more
specifically prescribed to the social elite or highly educated. This concept can be expanded by analysis of
the inclusion of bright yellow hair on our figure. As previously noted, the muted cool tones of this
composition are singularly offset by the bright yellow tones of the figure’s blonde hair. The hair is
possibly even too bright, with respect to the silhouette of the figure’s body, with almost no portion of
his head left in shadow. This could suggest that the authority of the figure, and subsequently of
humankind, is derived from our sentience and therefore ability to imagine and cultivate the world as we
see fit. It could alternately, and less cynically, indicate that the beauty of our world lies within the
human capacity to develop an emotional reaction to it. The deterioration of the painting suggests that
this is not a modern painting of a historic period but painted in the time of its setting. We could then
infer that the authority asserted by the figure is done so without understanding the consequences of not
Painting Analysis 1 Nicholas Gilman

respecting the symbiotic relationship required for humans and the natural world to coexist, as the
consequences of our manipulation of the natural world have not yet been realized.

Finally, I propose that the addition of the contemplative figure within the painting’s landscape is
a catalyst for us to reflect on our own relationship with the natural world. Simply by observing, and
consequently analyzing, the presence of this figure in the environment would give us the mind to do the
same within our world. The painting was likely never intended to be a commentary on humankind’s
destructive nature in pursuit of our own advancement, but the passage of time opens new opportunities
for our interpretations of timeless works of art.