Ward of Arles Hospital by Vincent van Gogh Essay

Ward of Arles Hospital by Vincent van Gogh - Essay Example In order to understand this image, it is imperative that a multidimensional analysis be undertaken which includes formal, content and iconographic. Figure 1: Ward of Arles Hospital Source: http://www.vangoghgallery.com/catalog/Painting/722/Ward-in-the-Hospital-in-Arles.html 1889. Formal analysis The Ward of Ales is a painting done in application of numerous paints. This painting has been accomplished by use of short paint brushes and the oil on canvas technique. The painting contains a hospital ward scene with waiting bay outside. Some people are seen outside sited, others are standing while women dressed in nun clothes are moving and one man in a hat is leaving through the corridor. The central part of the image is a wide corridor that leads to the entrance, which is still the exit, of the hospital. On the sides, there are curtains- closing wardrooms with beds. The beds do not have any occupants. The front part contains a cylindrical object with tapped connection to the roof of the corridor with men sited in wooden table chairs around it. The wards and the corridor fit very well into the frame of the painting while the front part is slightly cut off by the frame. Its axis is vertical with a bird’s eye view of the objects. ... The colors employed in the painting are largely brown, on the floor and wooden table chairs, and blue varying from faint to deep, on the walls and the ceiling or roof. Curtains contain a light green finishing. The texture of the painting is almost smooth as depicted by Van Gogh in April 1889. The painting presents scenery of people in the hospital ward outside. The â€Å"most distinct feature of the painting† (Feldman 30) involves the central cylindrical object where men are sited around. The application of different colors on the fore ground, painting objects and the back ground produce a good balance within the painting. Image contrast is also achieved through the employment of many features which guide a viewer excellently into understanding the scene. By application of swirling paint motions especially at the front and central parts, Van Gogh creates a dynamic feeling in the painting; especially by using big lines that swirl around parts of the image. The texture appears a little rougher on the foreground while ending up smoother at the background. The combination of the hospital wards and the people in the corridors of the hospital with ceiling objects bring a harmonious existence of the objects. The painting brings forward a great sense of unity and brings a friendly feeling. Iconographic analysis Iconographic description of an image is entails imager-viewer interaction abilities. The Ward of Arles is a beautiful and one of the most important paintings on the nineteenth century. It uses complex techniques that lead to accomplishment of marvelous effects that do not seem to lose value with time. Van Gogh relies on the people and the ward in the hospital to tell a story of being hospitalized in the Ales hospital in France. Upon first