Art History – Evaluative Essay

 

Analysis of

Portrait of a Lady with a Lap Dog

Rembrandt van Rijn

Oil on Canvas

1665

 

In this evaluative essay, I will be analyzing “Portrait of a Lady with a Lap Dog”, painted by Rembrant van Rijn. I will be discussing my first impressions of the painting, how the painting incorporates the elements of art, how the painting used the principles of art, the medium used, and the context of the painting. I will conclude with my overall impression of the painting and why I think it has been deemed worthy to be shown in an art gallery.

Upon first glance of this painting, I noticed how the artist has used the principle of contrast to highlight the figure. A black background surrounds the lady in the portrait which caused my eye to focus immediately onto the woman’s face, more specifically her eyes. Her eyes mimic the darkness of the background, but provide a fierce contrast to the paleness of her skin. As my eyes traveled down her body they were caught by the highlights on her two necklaces. The artist has again used the principle of contrast, this time prompting my eye to examine the jewelry that the lady is wearing. The jewelry that the lady is wearing (two necklaces, two pearl bracelets, earrings, and a metal hair clip) suggests to me that this lady belongs to a fairly wealthy family. After examining her jewelry, my eyes were allowed to travel along the rest of the painting to analyze her clothes, the dog, and the fabric she is holding. Her regal, flowing clothes are further an indication of her wealth, along with the fabric in her arms, which I believe to be a type of fur blanket. The dog was hard to notice in the painting because of its size and lack of emphasis. Despite having white patches of fur on its head, it was not the first thing I noticed in the portrait. It was only after my eyes were able to travel down the woman’s body that I realized she was holding a small dog in between her palms.

The most prominent elements of art that were used in this painting were the elements of size, texture, space, and line. The element of size is prominent in the relationship between the size of the woman and the size of the dog. The woman occupies the majority of the painting, where the dog occupies a very small portion of the overall composition. It seems odd that the painting would be titled “Portrait of a Lady with a Lap Dog” when the small dog is overshadowed by the size of the woman. The element of texture helps indicate the wealth of the lady in the portrait. The dress she is wearing appears to have been made out of a large amount of fabric, a sign that the dress would have been very expensive, so she could possibly be a lady of a higher status. Additionally, the implied texture of the fabric she is holding suggests that it could be some kind of fur or animal skin, which is a further indication of wealth. The element of space is used to add emphasis to the content of the portrait. The completely black background (negative space) forces the viewer to only look at the woman and the dog (positive space). Lastly, the element of line both pulls you into the painting and leads you out of it. Due to the fact that the Western world views images from top left corner to bottom right corner, the viewer’s eyes are led directly to the face. Once you see the eyes of the lady, you follow her invisible line of sight out of the painting.

The principles of design that were used in this portrait were the principles of contrast and proportion. The principle of contrast, as previously mentioned, is used to emphasize the content of the painting. The portrait of the lady and the dog are the only contents of the painting, and this is what the artist had intended the viewer to focus on. The contrast between the completely black background and the skin colour of the lady is the most prominent contrast in this painting. The principle of proportion is used between the size of the lady and the size of the dog. While the lady seems to be the “normal” size, the dog is almost too small for what one would expect a dog to be. The dog almost fits between the lady’s cupped hands which makes it hard to notice it initially. This connects to my earlier point referencing how the title doesn’t seem to match the proportions in the painting.

When creating this portrait, Rembrant van Rijn used oil paint on a wooden canvas. I could not see if this had any effect until I ventured closer to the painting. When I was viewing the painting from approximately one to two feet away, I noticed that all the depth and highlights of the painting were not visible at all. Up close, the techniques to create these illusions of depth and light only looked like blobs of paint. I concluded that this portrait should only be viewed from a distance. When seen up close, I found the realistic qualities of the painting to be ruined.

In terms of the actual content of the portrait itself, I developed a few inquiries regarding components that I found to be unclear. My first question is in regards to the use of the black background. In other portraits that I have viewed that were painted around the same time period, the background was never completely black like it is in this portrait. The closest I’ve seen to a completely black background was a portrait in front of a black wall with the rays of a light source cast upon the wall and the floor. In this painting, there appears that there is no light source, as if the lady is just floating in space. Even if the majority of the light source was focused on the lady’s face, there would still be rays of light casting onto the background surface. Another question I have is about the age of the woman in the portrait. By my best guess, I could estimate her age to be between eighteen and thirty-five. Knowing the age of the woman would help clarify the purpose and story behind the portrait. It would help answer questions like “Did she have this portrait commissioned?”, “Why is she so important that this portrait was made of her?”, and “What is the purpose of her holding the dog in the portrait?”.

In conclusion, I enjoy this portrait because after analyzing it I discovered that there were many mysteries and questions surrounding it. I believe that a good piece of art should make you respond in this way. This is also why I think that this piece rightfully belongs in a museum. A piece of such simplicity allows you to push past its face value and dive into the discovery of what it truly means. This gives the viewers an interactive viewing experience, which increases the level of enjoyment and provides the communication that I believe a good art piece should possess.

 

Formal Essay – Interactive Gaming as a Learning Tool – First Attempt

In our current century, gaming has become an effective method of entertainment for members of every generation. Educators, seeing the effect that the gaming culture has on members of today’s society, have been trying for a number of years to use interactive gaming as a learning tool. This essay will explore three articles that relate the use of interactive gaming as a teaching method. The first article, “Savannah: mobile gaming and learning?” talks about a study that was conducted on young children with the aim to teach them about animal behaviours through the use of interactive gaming. The second article, “Serious gaming in women’s healthcare”, discusses the negative aspects of using interactive gaming as a teaching method, while the third article “Simulation gaming in nurse education; entertainment or learning?” discusses the positive aspects of this method. This essay will conclude with my own personal opinion regarding the use of interactive gaming to learn based on the articles that I read.

 

This article “Savannah: mobile gaming and learning?” documents the study conducted by K. Facerw, R. Joiner, D. Stanton, J. Reidz, R. Hullz, and D. Kirk from NESTA Futurelab, Bristol, UK; University of Bath, UK; Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, Bristol, UK; and University of Nottingham, Bristol, UK, respectively. The purpose of the study was to explore how mobile gaming (physical movement in junction with interactive gaming) can effectively work as a teaching and learning tool. This study aimed to teach the group of students about the behaviours of lions in the Savannah using an interactive environment and mobile gaming devices.

This study was conducted with children aged eleven to twelve and run twice, once with a set of five girls, and once with a set of five boys. Each trial took two days to complete, with the first day acting as a sort of “tutorial” where the children were able to explore their environment (a playing field 100m x 50m) and learn how to use the equipment, and the second day acting as a opportunity to use those new found skills in scenarios presented by the game servers (hunger, heat exhaustion, bush fires, angry elephants). Each student was given a GPS that would track them as they moved around the playing field, and a person digital assistant (PDA) that acted as their main method of interaction with the game. This PDA allowed them to interact with the virtual world by communicating what their lion saw, smelt, and heard through the use of pictures and voice commands. Additionally, there was a room known as the “Den” that the children would return to when the simulation had concluded. Here, the students were to reflect upon their experiences with the guidance of the teacher. With the use of an interactive flip chart, the student were able to see their movements across the playing field and view the locations of the markers they posted (for smells documented, etc).

At the conclusion of the study, it was seen that the students were able to make the connection between what they were doing in the game and how a lion would need to behave in the wild. The students quickly learned that they had to work together to take down larger prey, which prey to avoid, which situations were safe and which were dangerous, and how to keep their energy levels up. In the debriefing (the “Den” discussions), the students were saying “I actually thought that what was on the screen was actually what was real”, “It felt like Africa”, and “When there were flies I was like [turning head, to check where the flies were]’” (Facer, Joiner, and et al 399-409). This showed that the students were connecting with what it meant to be a lion in the Savannah, effectively learning about animal behaviours. Undetermined to be concluded was the question of whether this method taught the students more effectively than conventional classroom methods. However, it was definitely realized that this method could connect with the students and allow them to absorb the intended information while remaining entertained.

 

The article, “Serious gaming in women’s healthcare”, written by L. de Wit-Zuurendonk and S. Oei, contains arguments that are against the use of gaming as a learning tool. The first argument is that “the dynamic colourful world of a computer game will distract the student’s attention from the learning process.” (de Wit-Zuurendonk, and Oei 17-21). The authors argue that asking the student to learn while being bombarded by flashing lights and graphics won’t enable them to absorb the intended information. This can be true, especially for people diagnosed with ADHD. It can be very difficult to concentrate on learning when there are multiple point of information coming towards you all at once. The second argument that this article makes is that “the present generation contains a different type of learner” (de Wit-Zuurendonk, and Oei 17-21). This refers to the fact that serious gaming could be an effective learning tool for certain generations, but not for others. By this, I am referring to digital natives (those under the age of 18) versus people over the age of 40. Individuals over the age of 40 have only been exposed to technology for half their lives, and this could influence their ability to interact with these games and effectively learn from them. People in this category are used to attaining their information through different methods, so the serious gaming may not be an effective tool.

The article, “Simulation gaming in nurse education; entertainment or learning?”, written by Monica Peddle, contains arguments that are for the use of gaming as a learning tool. The first argument is that games “can … mimic processes, networks and systems used in the clinical setting to help learners prepare for their role.” (Peddle 647-649). This argument suggests that exposing the students to potential scenarios that they could be facing will give them an idea of what they will be encountering in the workplace. Then, when they are faced with situations later in life, they can recall the methods they used to solve similar problems when they worked through the game. The second argument is that “simulation gaming allows students to experiment in authentic situations, without risk to themselves or the patient in the clinical setting.” (Peddle 647-649). This is particularly applicable to nursing because the work involves live people. In these games or simulations, the nursing students can see what will happen if they make the wrong decisions. Unfavourable outcomes can be explored in a risk-free environment, which allow the students to satisfy their curiosity as well as deal with these situations. Additionally, the students can learn without risking any kind of damage to live humans.

These two articles, together, summarize the pros and cons of using gaming as a learning tool. As mentioned in the article regarding the children learning about the behaviours of lions, interactive gaming can and has been used as a learning tool. The first article’s secondary argument (learning through gaming is effective only for certain generations) applies to the study conducted on the children. Young children have grown up their entire lives using technology and they can easily work with it. This increases their potential ability to absorb the material that is being presented to them. The second argument of the second article (simulations allow the users to experiment with situations without risk to themselves or others) also pertains to the initial article. It would be very dangerous for the younger children to go out into the African Savannah and observe the lions in their natural habitat, and this simulation allows them to experience the behaviours of a lion without any risk. In the simulation, they can die as virtual lions, but remain untouched in the physical world.

 

In my personal opinion, I believe that interactive gaming is an effective learning tool. The study conducted on the children regarding the behaviours of lions in the wild proved to be an excellent method for communicating the information that was presented. The children were saying that they “actually thought that what was on the screen was actually what was real” and that “It felt like Africa” (Facer, Joiner, and et al 399-409) which showed that they truly connected with the simulation and the experience. I believe that connections like this can heighten our personal learning experiences and enrich our ability to learn. In addition, the students found the simulation to be generally enjoyable. Finding enjoyment in learning can lead to children seeking out knowledge on their own because they associate fun with learning. The article written by Monica Peddle makes an excellent argument for gaming as a learning tool: Simulations and gaming “can … mimic processes, networks and systems used in the clinical setting to help learners prepare for their role” (Peddle 647-649). This argument is especially applicable for students who are training for high risk, high stress jobs. If they are trained using simulations that allow them to work through difficult, fast-paced, high stress scenarios, it can give them an insight to the intensity of potential situations, thus preparing them for these encounters. In response to L. de Wit-Zuurendonk and S. Oei’s argument that “the present generation contains a different type of learner “ (de Wit-Zuurendonk, and Oei 17-21) I believe that interactive gaming shouldn’t be used on which students that haven’t been exposed to technology for most or all of their lives. If a student hasn’t used technology frequently in their lives, it wouldn’t make sense to use a teaching method that incorporated it. To use an analogy, it would be the equivalent of asking a bushman of the Sahara desert to hunt by using guns.  It would be incredibly silly to do this because the bushman has never used a gun, and he has developed his own effective way to hunt without using gun. It doesn’t matter that the use of a gun would make his hunting easier and more successful because his own methods have worked for him his entire life and changing it will only make it more difficult.

In conclusion, I believe that interactive gaming is a great way to learn because the majority of students that will be using this method are digital natives. This group of students will get the greatest use from these technologies and will learn most effectively through them. Technology is becoming the standard way of the future, and the changes in technology will bring about new changes and experiences in learning.

 

Sources:

Serious gaming in women’s healthcare
de Wit-Zuurendonk, L, and S. Oei. “Serious gaming in women’s healthcare.” International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology. 11.118 (2011): 17-21. Web. 5 Nov. 2012. <http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.ezproxy.lib.ryerson.ca/store/10.1111/j.1471-0528.2011.03176.x/asset/j.1471-0528.2011.03176.x.pdf?v=1&t=h968khzg&s=91341aa330524cf2e7abd3028ce4fbe32334e1c7&gt;.

Savannah: mobile gaming and learning?
Facer, K, R Joiner, et al. “Savannah: mobile gaming and learning?” Journal of Computer Assisted Living. 20.6 399-409. Web. 5 Nov. 2012. <http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.ezproxy.lib.ryerson.ca/store/10.1111/j.1365-2729.2004.00105.x/asset/j.1365-2729.2004.00105.x.pdf?v=1&t=h95yr5w9&s=f282cc021388d7c41469fe93b0c0786593ff8e42&gt;.

Simulation gaming in nurse education; entertainment or learning?
Peddle, Monica. “Simulation gaming in nurse education; entertainment or learning?” Nurse Education Today. 31.7 (2011): 647-649. Web. 5 Nov. 2012. <http://journals1.scholarsportal.info.ezproxy.lib.ryerson.ca/tmp/18367332623042512011.pdf&gt;.

Participation

This comic has nothing to do with the post. I just thought it was funny.

 

I honestly don’t have anything remotely clever to say for this topic whatsoever. I swear. Buckle your seat belts….this may get boring. I’ll put another comic at the end to reward you for making it through the whole post.

I’ve never really had a problem participating in class. I find it to be second nature. Teacher asks a question, I answer it. We’re having a discussion, I add my thoughts and opinions. I’m confused, I ask a question. Simple. Obviously of course you have some lazy or boring days where you really just don’t feel like talking or you didn’t get enough sleep last night so you’re struggling for consciousness. These kinds of days can’t be avoided because we’re all human…I think.

Anyway. If anyone happens to be reading this and they believe they struggle with participation in class, here’s some tips from this website.

• Simply agree with what someone has said. It can be as easy as “Oh yeah! I agree with that.”. It gets the ball rolling.
• Ask someone to clarify their point, or ask for an example. This can make sure you understand and that everyone else understands. Also, it puts you into the conversation.
• Provide your own examples relating to the current topic. Adding in your own story or thought shows that you understand the topic and shows that you’re making connections.
• Don’t be afraid to outwardly disagree with someone. Differing viewpoints make for the best conversations, and with a good supervisor you can turn it into a fairly decent debate.
• Answer the questions that are asked of the entire group. Don’t be scared that someone won’t agree with you or that you have the wrong answer. First of all, someone is obviously going to disagree, but this can lead to those debates that I just mentioned. Secondly, there’s nothing wrong with making mistakes. It helps you and the others around you learn.
• Connect earlier made points with the points being made presently. This helps the conversation avoid getting out of hand and it helps conclude the conversation you’re participating in.
• Try and play the devil’s advocate. Sometimes this can be fun, and it gets a good conversation going.

 

There you go. That’s all I’ve got for you. Good job getting through it all. Here’s your comic as your reward.

 

Signing off in 3…2…1…

*click*

Oral Presentations

Yeah, most people hate oral presentations. Why? Because we have to get up in front of a bunch of people and talk about something while in the back of our heads we know we are silently being judged, scrutinized, and critiqued by every single person that is watching. Because we know there’s a chance that someone might fall asleep. Because oral presentations are basically performances, and performances make us nervous! The list goes on and on and it’s different for each person. But we all get through them in some way or another because we possess at least one of the necessarily skills to make an oral presentation happen.

After countless elementary school and high school presentations (we all did them), I think I have this whole “oral presentation” thing down to somewhat of a science. The key to a good presentation starts with your content. You can be the best presenter in the world, but if you have lousy content, you presentation is obviously going to be lousy. By collecting and properly organizing all my information, I better prepare myself for the whole “presenting” part. The next step, the beginning of the presentation, is the part I have the most fun with. I like to create the most bizarre and quirky way to catch my audience’s attention so they realize that I might actually have something interesting to say and they can sleep later. When developing the body of the presentation, I always try to add little funny remarks or jokes in order to keep the audience interested as well. Conclusions are usually the parts that I have a problem with, because “And..uhm, yeah! So..that’s my project.” isn’t exactly a professional and mature conclusion to ANYTHING. I would like to pretend that I have some good advice on making good conclusions, but I honestly don’t. This is definitely something that I need to work on.

In terms of communication skills and dealing with nervousness, there are a few areas where I struggle, but I am slowly learning how to overcome those struggles. For example, I tend to talk WAY to fast, so I lose my audience when I am speeding through complex ideas and concepts. This is probably due to the small amount of nervousness I experience whenever I perform or present. The only way I can improve myself in this area is just to practice, practice, practice! In terms of communication skills, I am very confident that I need little improvement here, because I have never had any issues talking to other people. I look them in the eyes, I act naturally (facial expressions, gestures), I speak clearly with annunciate my words, and I remain energetic and interesting when I communicate (because I usually love the topic I’m talking about!). I also enjoy making people laugh, so I usually make an effort to do so at least once during my presentations.

Oh dear. This is the conclusion part that I am bad at. Let’s see if I can give this a decent effort.
“In conclusion, I am looking forward to bettering myself in the field of oral presentations because I know that it can only help me in the future.”

Wow. That’s very stiff, formal, and somewhat cheesy. Let’s just go with “And, uhm..yeah so that’s my blog post”.

 

Signing off in 3…2…1…

*click*