Principles of Art
Have you ever tried to learn a foreign language? If you have, then you know there is more to speaking and understanding a language than just learning the vocabulary. You also need to know how to construct the vocabulary into sentences and understand the rules of grammar in that language. For artists, the elements of art are like the vocabulary words. The elements of art include line, shape, form, space, color, value, and texture. But simply knowing this vocabulary does not mean we know how to speak a language. Knowing the elements by themselves is not enough. In other words, we need more information to understand how artists construct understandable works of art.

In this unit we will learn about the principles of art, which are like those grammatical rules that help turn any vocabulary into a sensible language or system of communication. The principles of art include balance, proportion, rhythm, movement, emphasis, unity, harmony, and variety. These principles complement the elements of art to help us truly understand what we see and what an artist means to convey. We will discuss each of these concepts in depth as we go through this unit. In this lesson we will focus on balance.

Balance
Balance is important in our everyday lives. Have you ever tried to carry an armload of items and had to carefully balance them to keep them from falling? Have you heard someone talk about needing to balance their time between work and play? Have you ever lost your balance when walking or riding a bike? You can picture a scale to get a better idea of balance. We know that for the scale to be even, it will need to have an equal amount of weight on each side. We use that same idea in art but apply it in a slightly different way. In art, balance is the principle of art concerned with arranging elements so that no one element seems heavier than another or overpowers other elements in the work of art. Unlike the example of a scale, in art this does not mean that objects depicted need to weigh the same amount. In art, we talk about visual balance, or arranging things so that they appear balanced to the eye. This can be done by having similar objects take up similar amounts of space or by having one smaller, more brightly colored object balanced by several larger, duller objects. This can be done because the more brightly colored object has more visual weight that the duller objects.

So why must a work of art contain balance? Balance is important to us as humans, and if something is not balanced, it will tend to make us uncomfortable. It is similar to the above example of losing your balance while walking or riding a bike. How do you feel when you lose your balance? Out of control? Frightened? An unbalanced work of art can give us similar feelings. On the other hand, if something is balanced, it will have a sense of stability and calm. This is why we are much more comfortable viewing a work of art that is balanced. If you think about, we are balanced. Look in a mirror. Do you see that if you drew a line down the center of your body, the two halves of your body are almost identical? Think about some of the things that are closely associated with our bodies, such as clothing or furniture. Most of the time objects such as these, which are closely associated with our bodies, tend to be balanced, just as our bodies are. Because balance is so closely associated with us, we tend to respond to balance, or the lack of it, without even thinking about it.


Three Types of Balance
The three basic types of balance that artists use are formal balance, radial balance, and informal balance.

Formal balance, which is sometimes also called symmetrical balance, occurs when something has two halves that mirror each other. This can be an exact mirroring, or a mirroring which is very similar, but not completely identical. This kind of almost perfect symmetry is called approximate symmetry. To understand formal balance, we can think back to how we identified that the two halves of our bodies are almost mirror images of each other. This idea of two halves mirroring each other is called symmetry. Symmetry is an important part of our lives as well as an important part of nature. Can you think of anything else that is symmetrical? Maybe you thought of a leaf or an apple. If you think about these objects, you will realize that they have two sides that are almost mirror images of each other.

Once again, look at yourself in the mirror. This human body is approximately symmetrical because our two halves are not exact mirrors of each other. Can you see anything that makes one half of your body slightly different than the other? Maybe you have a freckle or mole on one side of your face but not the other. Maybe you part your hair more to one side. These slight differences from one side of our body to the other are normal and make us unique, but they do not disrupt the overall symmetry of our body. Look at this picture of the Taj Mahal in India. Can you see the symmetrical balance in the way the structure and its surroundings are built? If you draw a vertical line down the center of the picture, are the two halves mirrors of each other?

Radial balance is a type of symmetry in which the design radiates, or comes out from, a center point. This idea is very similar to formal balance because wherever you divide it, the two halves of a radial design will be mirror images of each other. However, because of the nature of the design radiating out from the center, it is symmetrical in a more complex way. To get an idea of radial balance occurring in nature, think of a daisy. Daisies, as well as most other flowers, display radial balance because they have petals radiating out from the center of the flower. You can also see radial balance in this lovely image, Mir 'Ali: Rosette Bearing the Name and Titles of the Emperor Shah Jahan. In this picture from Chartres Cathedral, south transept, rose window and lencets, which of the windows shows radial balance?

The third type of balance, informal balance, is not symmetrical but instead uses carefully placed, unlike objects to give a sense of overall balance. In this painting, Edgar Degas: At the Milliner's, the shape of the woman trying on a hat is balanced by the shape of the mirror in front of her. Informal balance is sometimes also called asymmetrical balance, or non-symmetrical balance. An artist can use several different techniques to achieve informal balance in their work.


Achieving Balance
An artist might use size and contour to informally balance a work. Because a larger shape appears to be heavier than a smaller shape, several smaller shapes can be used to balance one larger shape. Something that has a complicated contour, or outline, can appear heavier than something with a simple contour. Because of this, an artist can use a small, complex object to balance a large, simple object. In this illustration, Katushika Hokusai: Dragon Ascending Mount Fuji, the high mountain peak in the upper right corner is visually balanced by the smaller but more complicated dragon’s head in the lower left corner.

An artist can also use color to help balance a work. As mentioned earlier in this lesson, bright, high-intensity colors will have greater visual weight than dull, low-intensity colors. The eye of the viewer will be drawn to the brighter color. This means that the artist can use larger areas of dull or neutral color to balance smaller areas of bright color. It is also important to realize that warm colors, such as reds, yellow, and oranges, will appear heavier than cooler colors, such as blues, greens, and purples. In this painting by Van Gogh: Starry Night, the lighter, smaller yellow circle in the upper right corner visually balances the much larger dark silhouette in the opposite corner.

Value can also be used to visually balance a work of art. Areas of strong contrast, such as a dark color next to a light color, will carry more visual weight than areas of low contrast. Darker values will also appear heavier than lighter values. For example, a deep, rich purple will seem heavier than light lavender.

An artist could use texture to help balance a work. If a rough, uneven texture is represented with irregular patterning of lights and shadows, it will more easily attract the eye of the viewer than smooth surfaces. Because of this, a large smooth area could be balanced by a small, rough-textured area in a work of art.

The position of objects relative to one another can also help to visually balance a work of art. To understand this, think about being on a see-saw with someone heavier than you are. If you sit at the same place on each end of the see-saw, the other person’s end will stay on the ground. If the heavier person moves a little bit toward the center of the see-saw, however, you will be able to balance each other. The same idea can work in art. If a larger object is placed closer to the center of the artwork, it can be balanced by a smaller object further away from the center.


Using Balance for Purpose
Now we understand the importance of balance in a work of art and have explored some ways that artists might balance their artworks. But how can balance be used in an expressive way? We have already established that balance and symmetry can give a sense of stability and calm. If you have seen pictures of buildings, such as hospitals, office buildings, or churches, you may have noticed that many of these structures are formally balanced. This can help give them sense of solemnity and seriousness. Within churches, many paintings and altarpieces use formal balance. This is because formal balance can help evoke feelings of the past and give a sense of endurance and dignity. If an artist uses approximate symmetry, he or she can give the same sense of calm and stability but add more interest and avoid the rigid feeling of formality that fully symmetrical works can have.

Radial design is usually used only for decorative purposes. We see radial symmetry often in crafts, such as pottery, textile design, or jewelry making, but rarely do artists use radial design in its pure form in painting. It is not uncommon, however, for artists to use loosely radial designs in paintings to bring attention to important areas in the work of art.

If you observe the world around you, you will rarely find objects arranged with formal balance or radial balance. Informal balance is much more natural and is the most common form of balance seen in artworks. Informal balance satisfies our human need for balance, but is more casual and relaxed.

In conclusion, we have discussed how an understanding of the principles of art, including balance, proportion, rhythm, movement, emphasis, unity, harmony, and variety, is important in interpreting how an artist has used the elements of art. We have discussed balance in depth and know that there are three basic types of balance that an artist can use to organize their work of art, including formal balance, radial balance, and informal balance. We have established how we as humans crave balance in a work of art because it gives us a sense of calm and stability. As you go through the next week, try to identify scenes that are balanced in different ways and see which type of balance best describes them.


Proportion and the Golden Mean
Have you ever sat at a desk that was too small for you? Tried to wear clothing that was too big on you? Tasted food that was too salty? The problem you would have encountered in each of these instances was one of proportion. Proportion is how individual elements relate to one another and to the whole. In the case of the desk, maybe it was made to be proportionally correct for kindergarten students, but not for someone your age. The large clothing was not made incorrectly, just too large in proportion to your body. In the case of the food, if the same amount of salt had been spread out over a larger quantity of food, it probably would not have tasted too salty. In all of these cases, there was nothing wrong with the individual elements. The problem was just how the elements related to each other and to the whole. Proportion plays an important role in art as well. Artists need to understand objects that they want to include and how they relate to one another in order to make a work with proper proportions. Or, an artist might intentionally use incorrect proportions in order to communicate a specific idea. We will see examples of this use of proportion later in the lesson.

Throughout time, people, and particularly artists, have sought out a way to define the ideal of beauty and harmony. Proportion is one of the ways that they have tried to capture this idea. Artists, architects, and mathematicians sought to find a ratio, or mathematical way of comparing sizes, which would allow them to produce ideal figures and structures. In ancient Greece, the mathematician Euclid came up with a ratio which he believed was a perfect proportion of one part to another. He called this ratio the Golden Mean, or Golden Section. The Golden Mean is a line which is divided into two sections so that the smaller section of the line has the same proportion to the larger section of the line as the larger section has to the overall line. This proportion is 1 to 1.6, and artists in ancient Greece up through modern times have used this ratio to help them create pleasing proportions in works of art and architecture. In this image, Ratios of the golden section, the lines on the left of the rectangle represent the proportions of the Golden Mean: b is equal to 1, while a is equal to 1.6.

While the Golden Mean is fascinating in its mathematical use as well as its ability to help artists produce proportions that are pleasing to the eye, it also has an interesting relationship to the human body. If we were to look at a standing adult human male and place a horizontal dividing line across where the navel is at, we would get body measurements equal to the Golden Mean: from the top of the head to the navel, and then from the navel to the bottoms of the feet, there is a proportion of 1 to 1.6. Because of this ratio and how it relates to the body, many artists through history have used the Golden Mean in their compositions of human figures to help them make figures that look correct proportionally. But not all artists have made this decision consciously. Some artists simply made figures that looked proportional without measuring them, and when they were later measured, the figures we perceive as looking "right" proportionally often match the ratio of the Golden Mean.

While the artists of ancient Greece used the Golden Mean frequently in their works, the secret of this ratio that Euclid had discovered was lost with the downfall of ancient Greece. It was not until the Renaissance that the Golden Mean was rediscovered. At this time it was no longer called the Golden Mean, but was instead named the Divine Proportion. It was written about during the Renaissance by Luca Pacioli in his book Divina Proportione, in 1509. Pacioli described this ratio and some of its divine properties in his book, which captured the attention and imagination of artists and architects of his time. He described it as divine because he thought it shared some characteristics attributed to God and that its ideal proportions reflected the beauty and balance of creation. One artist believed to have used the Divine Proportion in his works was Leonardo da Vinci, who provided illustrations for Pacioli's book.

Scale
While the Golden Mean or Divine Proportion can help an artist to find pleasing proportions for figures or objects in relationship to themselves or other figures or objects around them, what about the relative size of those figures or objects? A concept that is very similar to proportion is scale. Scale is the size of something measured against a standard for that object. There are two different ways in which we should consider scale. One is the scale of the work itself and another is the scale of the figure or object in relationship to other figures or objects within the work. For an example of something that should be considered for the scale of the work itself, think of the Great Sphinx in Egypt.

This ancient work of art is massive, much larger than the quasi-human figure that it represents would have been. The scale, or size, of this work alone can be overwhelming for viewers. An example of scale within a work, which is also from ancient Egypt, is this tomb painting of Nebamun, hunting birds in the marshes, fragment of wall painting form so-called tomb of Nebamun, Thebes.

We can see that Nebamun is larger than his wife and much larger than his daughter. In fact, their relative sizes do not look correct at all. This is an example of hierarchical proportion, or proportion in which the actual size of figures or objects is ignored, and they are instead shown different sizes to represent their respective ranks. This technique is used in the art of many cultures. We can see it used in this brass plaque, Warrior chief with warrior and attendants, from Nigeria, Africa.

Do you see how the artist has made the different figures different sizes to represent their ranks within the society? Hierarchical proportion is also often used in religious works of art to indicate who the most important religious figures are. We can see hierarchical proportion in this painting by Giotto: Ognissanti Madonna in which Mary and the baby Jesus, who are more sacred and therefore more important, are much larger than the angels surrounding them.

Similar to hierarchical proportion which shows individuals on different scales to communicate their different ranks, artists can also use proportion to draw attention to particular features or elements of a work. The artist might use exaggeration or distortion, which are changes from the normal, expected proportions of a figure or object to communicate ideas about that figure or object. Look at this self portrait by Parmigianino: Self-portrait in a Convex Mirror. Do you see how the artist has distorted his hand as if it is seen in a convex mirror?

Scale can give a sense of awe because a figure or object is so large, or it can indicate rank by placing different figures at different scales. It can also cause us to look at ordinary objects in new ways. Claes Oldenburg is a 20th century artist who made large scale sculptures of ordinary objects which caused the viewer to see them in whole new ways. Some of his sculptures include a 45-foot tall pair of binoculars, a 45-foot tall clothespin, or this ice bag, Claes Oldenburg: Giant Ice Bag. The scale of objects such as these can cause us to wonder how the scale of something within a given space can cause us to think differently of its size. For example, imagine a grand piano in your bedroom. It would seem very large in proportion to the space it occupied. But if you saw the same piano on the stage of a concert hall, it would seem much smaller proportional to the space it was in.


Foreshortening

Another term artists use when discussing proportion is foreshortening. This is the way the proportions of parts of a figure or object relate to one another if the figure or object is placed at an angle to the picture plane. Think of holding a camera out away from you to take a photograph of yourself. If your hand and arm show up in the picture, they will look very large because they are closer to the camera. They may be larger than they would look if they were down next to your body, but our eye accepts their large size in proportion to the rest of your body because it knows that they are closer to the front of the picture. Artists have to consider this when they depict a figure or an object at an angle. Even if a body part seems large in proportion to the rest of the body, it is appropriate if that part of the body is closer to the front of the picture. Look at this painting by Andrea Mantegna: ceiling oculus.

Do you see how the little cupid figures are foreshortened, making it appear that their legs and feet are closer to the viewer than their upper bodies?

We have explored many ways in which an artist might use proportion, either to make a work more believable or to expressively draw attention to some aspect of the work. Pay attention to proportion as you look around your world. What objects do you see that are proportional? Do you see anything that is not proportional? What is not proportional about it? Does it add interest to or detract from the object or work?



Question Number 1	 Points: 5.00/5.00
Question Text
Which of the following are examples of the PRINCIPLES of art? (Choose all that apply.)
Your Answer
7286089:A. Balance ,7286090:B. Proportion
Question Number 2	 Points: 0.00/5.00
Question Text
Which of the following factors would add visual weight? (Choose all that apply.)
Your Answer
7286102:B. Small Shape ,7286104:D. Warm colors
Question Number 3	 Points: 5.00/5.00
Question Text
Which of the following are considered cool colors?  (Choose all that apply.)
Your Answer
7286105:A. Blue ,7286106:B. Green ,7286107:C. Purple
Question Number 4	 Points: 5.00/5.00
Question Text
Which of the following principles of art has to do with how individual elements relate to one another and to the whole?
Your Answer
D. Proportion
Question Number 5	 Points: 5.00/5.00
Question Text
Who is credited with devising the Golden Mean?
Your Answer
B. Euclid
Question Number 6	 Points: 5.00/5.00
Question Text
When artists have used the Golden Mean to represent the human body, a horizontal dividing line is placed across which body part?
Your Answer
C. Navel
Question Number 7	 Points: 5.00/5.00
Question Text
Which of the following types of balance is best exhibited by the human body?
Your Answer
B. Formal balance
Question Number 8	 Points: 2.00/2.00
Question Text
Proportion is concerned with arranging elements so that no element overpowers another element in a work of art.
Your Answer
False
Question Number 9	 Points: 2.00/2.00
Question Text
Hierarchical proportion has been used by artists to size religious figures based on importance.
Your Answer
True

Rhythm
Every day our lives are filled with rhythm. The music we listen to, the way we move, even our patterns of speech are made up of rhythms. Rhythms also make up our lives in larger patterns. Have you felt the rhythm of the changing seasons each year? What about the rhythm of our routines throughout the days, weeks, months, even years? Rhythm gives our existence a sense of security and stability.

Rhythm in music is made up of repeated pulses and beats, and rhythm in speech is made up of accented syllables and repeated sounds. Artists can also use rhythm in works of art. In art, rhythm refers to a sense movement created by the repetition of elements. When discussing the rhythm of artworks, we use the phrase visual rhythm. Visual rhythm is a sense of rhythm which you interpret through your eyes rather than your ears. We see examples of visual rhythm all of the time. Think about seeing a repeating pattern of books on a bookshelf. Or picture a row of stately trees along a country road. Even the way parking spaces are laid out in a parking lot expresses visual rhythm. Artists can achieve visual rhythm in their works of art by repeating shapes, forms, textures, or other elements of art, and sometimes by setting them apart by space.

Because visual rhythm is a result of repetition, artists might use a motif or a pattern in order to achieve this repetition. A motif is something that is repeated in visual rhythm. To understand a motif, you can think about an orchestra. Although each performer might play a different instrument, each musician is a motif of the overall orchestra. If you see a flock of geese flying overhead, each individual goose is a motif of the flock. In this painting, Suzuki Kiitsu: Morning Glories,  each morning glory flower is a motif of the overall work.

A pattern is a two-dimensional repetition of a decorative visual element. We can see patterns in the world around us. For example, a repeating pattern of lines can decorate wallpaper or fabric. You can often see a repeating pattern of windows on large office buildings. This vase, Blue-and-white firtware, from Iznik, 15th century, has a repeating pattern which continues all around it.

Can you identify any patterns or motifs in the world around you?


Kinds of Rhythm
While rhythm can be an important principle in a work of art, we can also identify which kind of rhythm an artist has chosen to use in a particular work of art. There are many different ways in which the artist might combine and repeat elements, and each method can give a different overall effect to the artwork.

An artist might choose to use random rhythm. This is a method in which a motif is repeated, but not in an organized or ordered fashion. The repetition helps to tie the work together, but the random pattern can give the work a sense of spontaneity and freedom. The sheep in this painting, Jean-François Millet: Haystacks: Autumn, make up a random rhythm.

Regular rhythm
is a very organized way in which an artist can use rhythm. This is a method in which the repeating motifs are identical and evenly spaced. Remember the example of windows in an office building? This is an example of regular rhythm. Grids or checkerboards are also examples of regular rhythms.

The artist can use alternating rhythm. An alternating rhythm can occur in several ways. One method is to introduce a second motif and alternate use of these motifs. Another method is to alter the way in which the original motif or part of the original motif is placed. Sometimes bricks on the side of a building are laid out in an alternating rhythm.

A flowing rhythm is created when an artist uses repeated wavy lines or repeated curved shapes of hills or waves can make up a flowing rhythm. Can you sense a flowing rhythm in the pattern of this cloth, textile fragment from Turkey, second half of 16th century?

Progressive rhythm
is the repetition of the same motif, but a change is made to that motif each time it is used. The motif might grow in size, change shape, or change colors, to name a few examples. The trees lining the road in this painting, Meindert Hobbema: Avenues of Trees at Middelharnis make a progressive rhythm as they get larger the closer they are to the foreground of the painting.

Movement
Another principle of art that is closely tied to rhythm is movement. Movement is what creates a sense of action in a work of art that guides the viewer’s eye through or across the work of art. We may not even be aware of it, but when we look at a work of art, our eyes will focus on one part of the work. Then our eyes move through the work, taking the rest in. Artists are aware of this and use their knowledge and skill to draw our eyes to the most important parts of the artwork. Take a look at this painting of a horse fair, Rosa Bonheur: Horse Fair.

The artist has created a sense of movement by drawing our attention first to the lighter colored horses in the center of the work and drawing our attention across the work toward the right. She is able draw our attention first to the lighter colored horses because of their light color and the fact that they are being very active compared to many of the horses around them. Our eye is drawn to the right because that is the direction that all of the horses and their handlers are moving.


Emphasis
The principles of art include balance, proportion, rhythm, movement, emphasis, unity, harmony, and variety. Artists can use balance, proportion, rhythm, and movement effectively and expressively in works of art. This lesson will focus on emphasis, unity,harmony, and variety.

An artist will use elements in a work of art to draw our eyes and attention to specific parts of the work. How might the artists achieve this? One way that they might draw our attention to specific areas of a work of art is through emphasis. Emphasis is the principle of art that causes one part of a work of art to draw our attention to it. An artist can use emphasis in many ways.

One way in which an artist can use emphasis is to choose one element and make it dominant over all of the other elements in the artwork. This dominant element will strongly effect how the viewer sees the work. If one element is dominant, then all of the other elements are said to be subordinate, or not as important. Sometimes the dominant element is so strong that it seems to encompass the entire work, such as the color orange in this abstract work, Mark Rothko: Red and Orange.

To use emphasis, an artist might choose to draw attention to a particular area in a work of art. If this type of emphasis is used, the area which has attention drawn to it is called the focal point. A focal point is the first part of a work that draws the attention of the viewer. An artist might emphasize a focal point by using an area of high contrast. The artist might use lighter values to place a "spotlight" in a specific area. In this self-portrait, Rembrandt: Self-portrait with Easel, Rembrandt has drawn attention to his face and hat by illuminating them and reflecting light.

It is also important to understand that a work of art can have more than one focal point, but artists are careful when using more than one focal point that they do not confuse the viewer, or cause the eyes of the viewer to jump around the work too much. What other ways can you think of that an artist might draw attention to a specific area or areas in a work of art?

An artist might use contrast to draw the attention of the viewer to a specific place in a work of art. How might the artist do this? An artist can create contrast in many different ways. They might use a shape that is lighter or darker than what surrounds it, such as the woman in the white dress, William Hogarth: The Beggar's Opera, Act III, in this painting, who is set off even more by the dark colors that surround her. Maybe something that is a brighter color will stand out against duller colors. Perhaps they will place something large amongst smaller shapes or forms or something small among larger shapes. The artist could use contrasting textures, such as placing something that appears very rough against smooth surfaces. Can you think of any other ways an artist can use contrast to draw attention to a focal point?

An artist can draw attention to something because of its location. A viewer’s eye is most often drawn to the center of a work, so if an artist wants something to stand out, he or she might place it in the center. In this painting, the artist draws attention to the hummingbird, Martin Johnson Heade: Humminbird and Passionflowers, by placing it near the center of the work.

Maybe an artist will isolate a figure or an object to draw attention to it. Have you ever noticed how someone standing by themselves away from a group of people will draw more attention than individuals within the group? Artists can use this idea by placing a focal point by itself, away from other figures or objects to draw attention to it. Notice how the human figure in this painting, Claude Monet: Poppy Field, Argenteuil, draws the attention of the viewer because it is the only one in the painting.


Attention and Unity
Another method that artists can use to focus attention on something is convergence. Convergence is the meeting of many different elements in a work as they point toward one figure or object. Maybe you have been in busy traffic going toward a big event, and it seems as if all of the lines of cars are directed toward one place? Does it draw your attention to that place? Convergence works on the same idea, with many lines or other elements directing our attention toward one thing. In this painting, Anton Mauve: Changing Pasture, the lines made by the muddy paths in the foreground take our eyes back to the cattle and then beyond them to the person.

Sometimes an artist will draw our attention to a focal point by doing something unusual or unexpected. Maybe the artist has included an unexpected object. Maybe he has used an unusual point of view. Perhaps the artist has included many of one type of object, but has shown one differently than the rest. Have you ever seen a picture of a dog herding sheep? Did you notice that your attention was drawn immediately to the dog? This is because it was a different or unexpected element within the herd of sheep. In this painting of pansies, Ignace-Henri-Jean-Theodore Fantin-Latour: Still Life with Pansies, the yellow pansy in the center probably drew your attention because it was a different color than the rest of the flowers.

Now we know how an artist might draw attention to specific focal points within works of art. But artists don’t want viewers to only see a few random places within the artwork. They want the entire work of art to be tied together in some manner. This very important principle of art is called unity. Unity is a sense of the work as a whole through the artist’s use of the elements of art and the principles of art. When we speak of unity in a work of art, we are referring to visual unity or unity we see and understand with our eyes.

The concept of unity can be hard to understand because it is difficult to define. Unity is that sense of everything working together to make an understandable whole. How might an artist achieve this feeling of everything working together to make a unified whole? An artist could use similar elements throughout a work to unify it. If the same element occurs often, we will be able to comprehend the overall work through that element. Perhaps the element used is a similar shape. Maybe the artist chose to use the same color throughout the work to tie it together. In this exquisite jade carving, Qing-period jade mountain, the artist has used the same material and color throughout to give the work a sense of unity.

Can you think of other ways the artist can use recurring elements to unify a work? In a similar way, artists can use repetition to help bring unity to a work. Repetition involves the use of objects and elements over and over. Or, in the case of this painting, Victor Brauner: Prelude to a Civilization, the artist can use various objects and figures within a work that make up one overall form.

An artist might use the idea of proximity to help unify a work of art. Remember how we said that a single person standing apart from a group would draw attention? What about the group of people? Because they are all standing close together, it is easy to think of them as a unified group of people, rather than specific individuals. Artists use this idea to unify a work by placing like objects in close proximity to each other, allowing the viewer to take the work in as a unified whole, rather than a collection of disparate objects or figures. Even though we can pick out individual people in this crowd, Auguste Renoir: Ball at the Moulin de la Galette, it is easy to see how Renoir has used close proximity in this painting to give a sense of a crowd gathered for a pleasant afternoon together.


Harmony
Now we know both how an artist might draw attention to specific features within a work, and how they can present the work as a unified whole. The next concept we will discuss is harmony. Harmony helps to achieve unity by bringing out the similarities of distinct but related elements within a work. Harmony in art is similar to the more familiar concept of harmony in music. In music, harmony is the simultaneous sounding of different but related pitches. These sounds are pleasing to the ear because they are related, but the combination of different pitches adds interest and variety to the overall sound. In visual art, harmony is the combination of different but related visual elements, which add interest through their diversity but help bring overall unity to the work through their similarities. Similar to some of the ways mentioned to create unity, an artist can create harmony through repetitive use of elements of art. For example, an artist might create harmony by including many different shades and tints of the color red. Each is different, adding interest to the work, but because each color is related to red, there is a shared common bond among the colors. In this painting the artist has depicted different kinds of fruit, Claude Monet: Apples and Grapes.

Because they are all kinds of fruit, there is a sense of harmony, but each is different enough to add interest to the work. Can you think of other ways an artist can use different but related elements to create a sense of harmony?

Variety
While harmony and unity are very important principles for creating a pleasing sense of the elements in a work of art going together, if everything within a work is too similar or too repetitive it will lack interest. Variety is the principle of art concerned with the inclusion of differences or contrasts in works of art. Have you ever heard the phrase "variety is the spice of life?" Just like food without any spices would be bland and boring, artwork without any variety would be uninteresting and unappealing. Therefore, artists include variety to add interest to their works of art. Although a work with only the color red in it will be very unified, imagine how much interest and variety the artist would inject if he or she added some small areas of yellow. Because of the nature of variety, it is very similar to the principle of emphasis. Because variety can add elements to the work that contrast with the unified whole, this variety can also create emphasis. In this painting, William Merritt Chase: At the Seaside, the beach and calm summer sky give a calm sense of unity to the work, but the colorful umbrellas add the variety that make the work interesting.

Look around you this week and try to identify different elements and principles of art in the natural world, works of art you might see, even in your own home. You might be surprised at how the elements and principles of art are present and work together even where we don’t expect to see them.


Question Number 1	 Points: 2.50/5.00
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Which of the following can be repeated in visual rhythm? (Choose all that apply.)
Your Answer
7286286:B. Motif ,7286287:C. Pattern
Question Number 2	 Points: 5.00/5.00
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In the Monet painting Poppy Field, how is the focal point placed around the human figure?
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D. Isolation
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In Anton Mauve's painting Changing Pasture, convergence is accomplished through which of the following elements?
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D. Muddy paths
Question Number 4	 Points: 5.00/5.00
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Through which sense is rhythm best experienced in artworks?
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B. Sight
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What kind of rhythm does a checkerboard exhibit?
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D. Regular rhythm
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What color served as the dominant element in the abstract painting by Mark Rothko?
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C. Orange
Question Number 7	 Points: 2.00/2.00
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In his self-portrait, Rembrandt established a focal point around his face through the use of high contrast.
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True
Question Number 8	 Points: 5.00/5.00
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Which of the following principles of art is concerned with differences or contrasts in artworks?
Your Answer
D. Variety
Question Number 9	 Points: 0.00/2.00
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In a painting of a cityscape, the skyline would be the motif based on each individual building.
Your Answer
True


Question Number 1	 Points: 5.00/5.00
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In the Monet painting Poppy Field, how is the focal point placed around the human figure?
Your Answer
D. Isolation
Question Number 2	 Points: 2.00/2.00
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Balance evokes a sense of stability and calm.
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True
Question Number 3	 Points: 0.00/2.00
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Scale refers to the visual weight of an object.
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N/A
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A work of art should never have more than one focal point.
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N/A
Question Number 5	 Points: 0.00/2.00
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In the painting Horse Fair by Bonheur, the viewer's eye is first attracted to the darker horses and then drawn left with the movement of the horses.
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N/A
Question Number 6	 Points: 2.50/5.00
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Which of the following factors would add visual weight? (Choose all that apply.)
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7286101:A. Complex contour
Question Number 7	 Points: 5.00/5.00
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Which of the following are examples of the PRINCIPLES of art? (Choose all that apply.)
Your Answer
7286089:A. Balance ,7286090:B. Proportion
Question Number 8	 Points: 3.33/5.00
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Which of the following are considered cool colors?  (Choose all that apply.)
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7286105:A. Blue ,7286107:C. Purple
Question Number 9	 Points: 0.00/5.00
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When was the Golden Mean rediscovered in Europe as the Divine Proportion?
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D. 1812
Question Number 10	 Points: 5.00/5.00
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Which of the following subjects best represents an example of radial balance?
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A. Flower petals
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How are the principles of unity and variety similar? How are they different?
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N/A
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Which of the following approximates the Divine Proportion?
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N/A
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Which of the following subjects in the painting At The Seaside by William Merritt Chase represents the principle of variety?
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N/A
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What kind of rhythm is exhibited by the sheep in the Millet painting Haystacks?
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N/A
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How did the Golden Mean originate, how has it been used in art, and to which principle of art does it relate?
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N/A
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What kind of rhythm applies to the resizing of trees lining a road to create perspective?
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N/A
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List and define the eight principles of art, providing an example of each.
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N/A
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If a painter uses the Divine Proportion and represents a human figure with a height of 2.6 feet, which of the following would measure 1 foot in length?
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N/A
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What kind of rhythm can be experienced through the ripples of a pond?
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N/A
Question Number 20	 Points: 5.00/5.00
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What color served as the dominant element in the abstract painting by Mark Rothko?
Your Answer
C. Orange
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Which 20th century sculptor was known for his large-scale sculptures of objects including an ice bag, clothespin, and binoculars?
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N/A
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A repeated decorative element on wallpaper would be referred to as a pattern.
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N/A
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Identify and describe various types of rhythm in works of art.
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N/A
Question Number 24	 Points: 0.00/5.00
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Which of the following can be repeated in visual rhythm? (Choose all that apply.)
Your Answer
N/A