Leighton

Amarilla

Julie Heffernan - American

Heads

Fernand Khnopff

Portrait of Jeanne de Bauer

The hand and gloves at the bottom of the painting created a centre of interest in the lower half of the composition. The eye moves vertically between the head and hand. The horizontal line at the top balances the vertical movement.

El Greco

GB detail and modification


El Greco Lady in a Fur Wrap, 62.5 x 48.9 cm,
Stirling Maxwell Collection, Glasgow.

Background Shadow

Bo Bartlett, approx 23 x 23 inches

Note the way a change in tone on the background wall means that contrast is maintained with both the front and back of the figure's head.
A figure placed on the right side of a picture has more visual weight than on the left. The eye tends to scan an image from left to right. Therefore a figure on the left side can have a more abrupt and restless feel. A figure facing onto the edge of a painting is "against the rules" of composition, but the empty space behind the figure here creates a striking mood. There is a sense of mystery- what is the figure contemplating in the space off the edge of the painting.