Artist: John Robert Cozens

Title: Cetera on the Gulf of Salerno

Date: 1790

Medium: Watercolor over graphite on wove paper

Currently at National Gallery of Art

Source: www.nga.gov

Description: There are mountains. There is snow on the mountains. There are clouds behind the mountains. There are little grey houses. The sky is a pale blue. There is a lake in front of the houses.

Analysis: The elements of art are color and space. The principle of design is contrast. The element of color is used because the artist mostly uses cool colors. He uses pale blue, white, and gray. That gives a calming feeling because there are no bright colors. The element  of space is used because the artist uses a lot of positive space because other mountain takes up most of the picture. There really isn't much negative space. The principle contrast is used in the mountains because it shows on the left side that there is something covering it because its darker on that side than the right side. Therefore showing that the light is shining on the right side. 

Interpretation: I think the mood the artist was trying to portray was a calm mood. There wasn't any really crazy line or bright colors. It was mostly cool and calming colors such as pale blue, white, and grey. They are all sort of dull colors so it doesn't give much feeling. It just gives a calm mood. The weather in the picture is nice because it's snowing and the sky isn't dark and stormy. It looks like no one is home in their houses or they are all just staying inside to stay warm.  The water in the lake is even calm, it almost looks like glass. Everything in the picture gives a calm feeling.

Judgement: I like this painting because I like the colors they used and the feeling it gave me. I felt like a was there because the perspective was someone looking towards the mountains. I also liked all the detail the artist used on the mountains.  I feel like the artist was successful in communicating the whole theme of the painting which was a calm feeling.