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  • Essay / A Formal Analysis of The Indian Church by Emily Carr (1929)

    This is a formal analysis of Emily Carr's painting The Indian Church. It was completed in 1929, on a 108.6 x 68.9 cm canvas with oil paint. The dimensions of this painting, along with the tree trunks and chapel, draw the eye upward through the use of vertical lines. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The artist demonstrates a playful artistic style, evident by the whimsical lines that create the foliage. There is a subtle use of linear perspective which can be seen in front of the chapel on the lawn. Although the lines are not straight, they nevertheless appear to be heading towards a vanishing point in the middle of the church, leading the viewer to notice that the horizon line cannot be seen as it is blocked by the dense forest. There is a great contrast between the church in the foreground and the forest in the background. The forest is dark to medium in value, while the church has a much lighter tonal quality, creating opposition. The intensity of forest colors is high in saturation. The rich greens and mahogany are almost impossible to miss, while the subtle shades of the chapel's light blues and yellows go almost unnoticed. Despite this difference, the chapel and the forest are similar in that they contain both cool and warm hues. The color relationships in this work are contrasting due to the combination of complementary colors. The green of the foliage contrasts with the reddish brown of the tree trunks and the large rock at the bottom left. The light blue of the chapel contrasts with its light orange-yellow as well as the flat, musty orange of the small patch of exposed sky. The church is very linear and realistically painted, while the forest is depicted in a more fanciful and unrealistic style. The white cemetery gives an air of tranquility thanks to its light value. The very visible brushstrokes throughout the work give it a very painterly effect and connect all its elements, adding to the tension of the painting..