Gratitude

The Prayer- Vincent Van Gogh

Describe

The first thing to catch your eye when you look at this piece is the line work. All forms of line are present, but the most apparent would be implied. It's in the table, bench, hat, wall, the man's hair, his clothes, it's everywhere. The line work is rough. All of these lines provide the piece with texture and interest. Looking to the use of shapes, the man is made up of compound and complex shapes. Then, it's obvious that the rest of the piece is dominated by geometric and compound shapes.

Analyze

The man's figure is what your eye is first drawn to when you look upon this painting. He is the focal point of the image, but his dominance is balanced out. This is done on the left side of the work with the hat, table, and brightly colored steam rising from his bowl; they even out everything. This painting lacks color, it's monochromatic. This makes the contrast between the lights and the darks pop, like the steam against the negative space behind it, the black background. This, along with the texture provided by the repeating implied lines, adds visual interest to the static piece.

Interpret

To me, this piece depicting an old man praying over his meal, represents gratitude, thankfulness. It's simple and drips with honesty. This can be attributed to the plain use of colors and candid expression on the face and positioning of the man. He looks like he's in such deep concentration as he prays and so truly appreciative of what is in front of him. So, this painting is my perfect example of honest to God gratitude.