Nature

Artist: Asher Brown Durand

Title: Forest in the Morning Light

Medium: oil on canvas

Provenance: National Gallery of Art

Source: www.nga.gov

Description: light and dark trees with light shining through

Line: diagonal line made by tree in the foreground

Natural Shapes and Forms: trees, sticks, rocks, and mountains in the background

Color: shadows cast by trees and shows the depth of leaves and moss

Texture: trees and sticks look rough, moss looks soft, sky and mountains look smooth

Space: the illusion of space is created through trees in the back, middle, and foreground; positive space is shown through trees, rocks, and moss; negative space is shown through the sky and mountains in the background

Balance: painting is asymmetrical but balanced out by trees in the middle and background

Contrast: trees are rough and sky is smooth

Emphasis: emphasis placed on tree in the foreground

Movement: eyes travel up the painting and follow the trees up

Proportion: trees are taller than rocks and smaller plants

Unity: trees and smaller plants work together to show proportion, contrast, and balance