This month’s painting is The Letter by Charles Giron.
Brief Details About the Painting:
- Oil on canvas.
- 55.5 x 46 cm (21.9 x 18.1 inches).
- Date unknown.
- It appears the painting has been purchased by the actual owners’ grandparents according to family tradition [source].
Your Thoughts?
Use this as an opportunity to test your ability to analyze master paintings. In the comments below, share what you think are the top 3 most important aspects of the painting. These could relate to areas such as composition, color, value, progress, brushwork, subject, or symbolism. Once you have done that, you can compare your thoughts with my own in the drop-down below.
Click here to see my thoughts.
- The first thing that strikes me is the play between soft and hard edges. Soft edges allow our eyes to easily move between areas. For example, look at the subject’s hair and the contours of her dress. Hard edges act as exclamation points in a painting. They command attention and convey a sense of clarity and detail. In this case, hard edges are used to draw our attention to more intricate areas: her hands, the letter, and the detailed parts of her dress.
- The background has an interesting sense of movement. This is a great example of using directional brushwork to inject life into an otherwise bland area.
- Her face is somewhat vague and ambiguous, suggesting the letter is more important than her identity (this lines up with the painting’s name, The Letter).
Background colors complement subject.
Right arm, angled on her hip, direct my eye to the letter.
Next, my eyes go to her corset and dress.
Beautiful textures
The swirling brushwork of the background- the dynamic movement in such a still figure – the thrust of her elbow and the subtle twist of her waist – the face in shadow gives a sense f intimacy.
The attention she is paying while reading the letter and also her posture are amongst the most intriguing details of this paint. Secondly the smart use of hard and soft edges guiding our eyes freely throughout all important details while emphasising significant details such as her hands, the letter, her head and dress.
I also like the soft colours of her dress and of the directional brushwork of the background
1 The graceful lines of her body lead the eye to the focal point of the letter.
2 The gorgeous background brushstrokes add movement and make her seem even more still as she concentrates on the letter she is reading and the gold background splashes echo the color of her dress for harmony.
3 He is a master of harmony. The negative space inside her right bent elbow is echoed by the negative space between her skirt and the legs of the bench she is sitting on and the negative space between her arm holding the letter and her face echos the negative space below that arm and her bent knee
Wow, thanks for pointing out the harmony in the negative spaces.
I see a value scale in the color of her hair, to her bow ,to her corset, and finally to the lightest value of her skirt. One color , graded values. Her posture indicates to me annoyance with the content of the letter.
The first thing I notice is her hand holding the letter. This hand shows more detail than the rest of her body and the letter has the crispness needed with hard edges. To me, this is the whole focal point of the painting.
The second thing that catches my eye is the background with abstractness that gives more attention to the figure. The colors of the girl’s dress are also in the background with blues and greens to give some contrast.
The third thing I notice is the folds of the girl’s dress command more attention than even the bodice, which has more color and detail. It feels soft, flowing and graceful compared to the stiffness of the bodice. I see a sensitive girl living in a commanding lifestyle.
The arm on the hip and the other arm,letter and face create a rectangle that my eyes keep moving around.
The dress color is all over the background. I like the use of only a few colors
I love the limited palette as well as the loose brush work on the background and her dress. I like the use of soft/lost edges around her face and neck. The letter is crisp keeping my eye coming back to it. However, I am equally pulled to her corset because of the detail as well as being the center of a triangle formed by her head, right elbow, and the letter. I am confused by this aspect. On a mother note, it appears on my monitor that he made an adjustment to the back of her hair later in the painting, which I find interesting. Overall a lovely painting of a young woman reading what seems to be perhaps a slightly disconcerting letter.
The use of a limited palette and the variety of textures in the dress, especially the bows on her shoulder are quite lovely. The position of her right arm suggests to me that she is rather surprised by the content of the letter and maybe somewhat taken aback by it. The circle formed by her head, right arm , then left arm to the letter and back to the head keeps the viewer’s eye within the painting.
The slightly out of focus face and head conveys a slight sense of movement, which I associate with the act of reading.
Agreed on that ! You can see her head moving
I love the subtle pastel colored background which actually caught my attention first, it’s adds beauty to the painting but does not overwhelm the subject. The second things that strikes me about this painting is a sense of motion (or is that just my impression?!) mostly with her head/hair and her arm/hand holding the letter. Lastly, I’m impressed with the dark/light values which play off each other and brightens the picture.
No matter how much I try to move my gaze around the painting, my gaze keeps being drawn back to the woman’s gaze at the letter. I think composition utilizes the golden ratio/spiral which promotes the focus upon her gaze upon the letter.
The brushwork of the background and of the flowing of the dress also supports that compositional guidance drawing my attention upward and ultimately back to the letter again.
The curve of the letter, how it almost takes on the shape of a bowl, seems to suggest the woman’s pleasant reception of the contents of the letter- the bowl-shaped letter “collects” her attention. If the letter were painted with a different shape or in a different relationship with the woman, I think i would experience the painting in a much different way.
Love the soft edges, especially around her hair and head, which suggest a slight nodding motion as she is reading. Also love the play between background and subject, with background colors repeating colors of the dress. The hands are painted with such delicacy, beautiful and sensual.
The women’s posture (sitting straight,hand on the hip) suggests an intense concentration emphasized by Sharp edges. The arms creates a movement that leads to the letter where the focus is. ( I wonder why so much light on the décolleté . )The Colors are soft but the présence is strong .
Louise
This is a beautiful painting with a definite focal point, hard and soft edges, and contrasting palette.
The polygon of her arms neck and gaze drag you to the meaning of the surprising, disconcerting or unwelcome contents of the letter. Body language very strong including the angle of her head. The muted pastel complementary colours of the background accentuate this. Good use of light and shade to ‘ground’ the painting. I can feel her emotion.
My attention was immediately drawn to the almost luminescent green in the background juxtaposed to the beautiful colours in the dress & her delicate ivory-like skin on her upper chest area. The colours & luminosity of those 3 areas are the most pleasing parts to my eye which makes the letter seem very unimportant.
Delicateness with strength – this includes the colours. Line of the arms, head, all point to the letter. The hand on hip lends attitude to the painting.
I am captivated by the use of complementary colors… I see a series of triangles within the young woman’s make up.
The soft edges add to the atmosphere of the painting but are balanced well by the sharp edges of the bodice of the dress. Also feel that the gesture of her head in looking at the letter adds a sense of movement to the painting.
What I found interesting about this painting is that it is not a natural study of a girl reading a letter. She is consciously posing for the portrait. Her right hand is on her hip. She sits like a model. The focal point for me is the positioning of the letter next to her partly exposed left breast. The letter appears to operate as a device to both draw attention to the breast but also direct the eye away from it. The letter is also close to her heart maybe indicating that it is a love letter. The softness around the hair and face display a youthful innocence, but she’s also a girl on the cusp of womanhood. The use of lighter tones to the right of the letter also help to draw attention to the letter. The use of blues down her right side also draws the attention to the right plane of the painting.
My eyes are being drawn in to the hand that holds the letter, with the simple strokes of the background. I like the softness of the colours. And the beautiful pose of the subject.
The lighter spot in the background to the right of the letter activates the whole.
The colors are for me the most interesting. The varied but muted colors of the background make a nice contrast to the brown tones of the main subject. All together, the combination creates a great softness to the painting, giving it an atmosphere of calm and restfulness
This is a very subtle, soft approach with a brush, especially the warm skin tones and the way the hair is painted: Soft smooth strokes, extremely well blended, yielding soft edges. The composition is a mixture of poise and grace, and is sensitively executed. Overall the painting presents a strong contemplative atmosphere. I agree with everyone that the fabric of the gown and ribbon are handled superbly…reminiscent of John Singer Sargent.
Gorgeous painting!
The things I love:
The soft abstract treatment of her hair and the way it blends into the abstract background.
The capture of personality, shown with the gentle, delicate left hand gesture, barely holding the letter, juxtaposed with the no nonsense posture of her left arm. I notice how the edges are harder on this arm, compared to the left one. I’m guessing that is about good composition?
The gorgeous gorgeous colour! what else can I say! yummy – I’d hang this on my wall just for that.
The face is just enough yet looks so good. Not sure how to describe that.
What I didn’t like is the way the bodice and breast on her right side distracts me at first glance – that area seems flat and out of whack in a way Im sure not are how to explain.
I wish I could paint like this tho …
I am amazed with the inclusion of kaleidoscope of colors. The artist included almost all colors in the spectrum although at first glance you wouldn’t immediately see these colors in the main painting, I mean the dress!
But I can see it now how those colors brought life in the painting and I am glad the artist did not limit the color to just the family of brown. I am just wondering what if there are no other colors used but brown? Will the painting keep its attraction?
Beautiful color choices. My eyes were drawn to both the letter and her hard edged clothing; but also the softness of her face. I couldn’t help but “feel” that whatever she was reading made her somewhat animated…..anxious? Hence softness of her face and other body parts as if she was restlessly moving a little while reading the note. Her arm pose also sugggested attentiveness to the letter in hand. Very nice!
I find the painting intriguing. The subject is young, confident as shown by hand on hip,leaves me wondering what is in the letter. Love background tones, colour of her dress and darker lines making her stand out . Jean
I love the use of complimentary colors and the soft and hard edges. I’m drawn to her beautiful gaze at the letter and the detail in her hand.
The background and the blurring around the head are great examples of movement. I can almost believe that a storm is riding through. And of course the contents of the letter are implicated in that storm. Even though the title of the painting would suggest the focal point, I rather wonder if it is the taught pose of this woman whose bosom carries a good deal of highlight. So maybe, her reaction to the letter rather than the letter itself. High key with dark accents, such as her face; a possible indication of anger, fear, or embarrassment. Given the hand on the hip I’m going with anger.
I am struck by the lightness of her body compared to the background. Although there isn’t a very harsh light.vs dark contrast, the light of her body really stands out.
The movement of the brush strokes in the background make a good complement to the stillness of the subject.
I like the soft edges.
The very 1st thing that struck me was how absorbed the young lady is in the letter, and the subtle / soft way the background is a different colour around the letter and her left arm / hand holding it. Love the whole painting and limited and soft palette.
Overall you cannot doubt the artistry and fine detail achieved in the work with excellent skin tones and folds in the petticoat of what was probably termed risque in its time.
The background colours contrast and highlight the figure with the brush stroke directions are contoured around the body shape giving the image an impression of flowing movement that seems to caress the body.
There appears to be a problem with the foreshortening of the right arm and the fingers on that hand look a bit contrived as though there was some difficulty when painting them.
I also feel that the near side area of the right breast appears to be a bit flat with no contouring to give what should be a projecting foreground feature.
I am clearly no art critic, but I now appreciate your comments re anatomical positioning of right hand, and also the left hand. I tried to hold my hands in the same way as the painting…and it was difficult /not natural. The angles are physically incorrect. Thanks for pointing that out
Though her face is not completely clear, I get a sense of unbelief in what she is reading, while her right hand on her hip conveys a continuation of her reaction to reading the letter. But whether the contents of the letter is bad or good news is unknown. The directional strokes of the background pull the eyes back to the letter, and the woman. Love the colors, hard/soft lines.
The hardest edge and whitest white are on her left breast–clearly defining the focal point. The letter edge also points the eye in this direction. Rest here, on this full breast.
Overall harmony, no discord, in colors, value, or composition.
Not sure about the source of light as the back of her arm is shaded and her face.
I think the composition is good, and the hands beautifully done. However, the first thing I noticed was that, although the face is slightly blurred (for some reason I don’t understand), the artist managed to capture the personality of the young girl. I love the youthful little soft fat cheeks and chin.
Love, love this painting. It’s very challenging to paint different types of fabric, especially in one piece as this.
Brocade, embroidery, taffeta all recognizable. Fabulous work of art
Thanks for sharing Dan.
Quite a seductive painting I thought..why? Complementary colours are used to good effect. And the composition is enhanced by the position of the limbs, almost body language, and the clever use of sharp lines and contrast at the top of the dress which leads directly to a subdued letter!
I particular like that the woman is not facing frontwards but is positioned to the side – very effetive.
Should read very effective -sorry for the typo.
There was a “Seinfeld” episode where Elaine had a photo taken of herself. lt was a photo that seemed on the edge of risque’. The boys got her all upset because they said one of her nipples was visible but it wasn’t clear if it was or wasn’t. That was what l thought of when l saw this painting.
THANK YOU! LOL No one esle said it. But I did.
The first thing I see are her breasts, second, the angel of her arm and third, her slightly out of focus head and face. The fact that her head and face are out of focus suggests that whatever she is reading is most interesting to her. The angle of her arm suggests that the note includes something mischievous and entertaining. Her breasts are right there, saying look at me, I am young and proud and happy to be me. The colours are mostly quite desaturated, saving a few areas of dark brown to keep your eye moving. I love this painting. It kept me going back for another look, wondering what the heck is in that note she’s reading. ‘Glad to be a member of the Inner Circle, this is going to be fun!
I see the bow on her shoulder as the main focal point. After that first punch of romanticism her head comes to view, then the letter and the right elbow.
Her head is slightly out of focus which suggests that she is confused, possibly due to the news that the letter brings. Is it a love letter? Her right arm suggests disagreement with the news and perkiness, growing determination to do something about it. There is a whole story in this painting!
Complementary colours are used in subtle and subdued manner and that adds to the feeling of romanticism, gentleness and youthfoolness of the lady in the painting and of her story.
Oops sorry I posted at the first space which was under Nancy’s posting. Sorry
1 The graceful lines of her body lead the eye to the focal point of the letter.
2 The gorgeous background brushstrokes add movement and make her seem even more still as she concentrates on the letter she is reading and the gold background splashes echo the color of her dress for harmony.
3 He is a master of harmony. The negative space inside her right bent elbow is echoed by the negative space between her skirt and the legs of the bench she is sitting on and the negative space between her arm holding the letter and her face echos the negative space below that arm and her bent knee
Reply
1. Her hair brushstrokes against the beautiful loose background gives the painting the feeling of motion
2. the softness of the background and detail of the bodice draws your eye to her, and her hand on her hip, which communicates (along with the head/ hair) that this is a candid, moment in time
3. Although she is positioned almost center, he has used the lines, curves and negative space to create an interesting composition that moves you around the painting
I first noticed the background and how the horizontal og vertical brushstrokes draw our attention to the letter she is holding in her hand. I like how the blue and green colors create contrast and depth in the painting. Her rigid body posture, and her slightly blurred face also lead the viewerˋs eyes to the letter. The softness of her beautiful dress emphasizes her femininity and youth, and the colors of her dress and skin harmonize with the light brushstrokes of the background.
I am intrigued by the softness of the hair around her face. Then led through the painting by lines of stool, clothing. In the final analysis, the color of the background behind the letter offers some support to the entire piece.
Beautiful painting by someone I have never heard of. Initially, my eyes are drawn to her milky white skin of her chest and neck. Her gaze, although muted, and angle of her head led me toward the subject title,The Letter. Additionally, I am impressed by the bustier and its detail.
Is this a “less is more” moment with her clothing?
The background texture and colour is a lovely contrast with her super smooth skin. I think the tonal balance is lovely the background is contrasting with her by texture rather than being overpowering.
Her face and hair seem slightly out of focus and the sharpest edges are her corseted torso, arms and the letter, concentrating the viewers attention to this area. Her gaze helps with this and so do her fingers on her right hand that point in that direction.
The blue hues in the background nearest her figure complement the golden yellows in her corset.
Firstly, I love the colours – the red gold of her hair and the golden dress set off beautifully by the green gold background. Although she appears to be posed, I thought she might be a dancer or similar and snatching a moment’s rest to read her letter. The focal point for me is the gaze at the letter. The expression is brilliantly captured with a few key details – the slightly parted lips and the eyes squeezed a bit closed as though she is short sighted.
1i feel she is at ease. Her hands don’t look tense, but the letter is of interest
Very beautiful young lady.
The background allows the complexion of her face and skin to glow, and doesn’t distract by its simplicity.
The exquisite color of her dress and and the delicate hand holding the letter….
I’ve never seen this painting before and have never “reviewed” artwork, but my immediate reaction when I saw the photo was “what is in the letter?”. The way she holds it, her facial expression (or lack of) and her body language all lead me back to that question, which is , in my opinion, the exact reaction the artist wanted to provoke in the viewer.
From a technical perspective I love the harmonious choice of colors for the dress and background and specifically those used around the letter itself.
One suggestion for Dan: I wrote my impressions (after scrolling all the way down) without reading your or other’s thoughts. It might be easier to resist that temptation if the “Leave your reply “ section was on top.
My eye went first to the bright bow on her shoulder. And then moved up to her head and face and then to the hands and letter through the artists control of the values and edges. A very lovely painting.
For me, the most riveting feature is that the background seems to compete with the figure for primacy. It is all about those soft colors working in tandem. Her face and hair are out of focus, lending to that effect. The background doesn’t disappear into obscurity – it is an obvious backdrop, that she is nearly touching. Also captivating is the contrast in the rigidity of the corset fabric vs the soft satiny folds of the skirt.
Hi Carol
Yes, the background is a focus of the piece, deliberately developed to bring your eye to what is in front of it
My very first reaction to this painting was “What is it motivating this painter to choose this scene and ask the model to pose her body and fingers in this very deliberately provocative manner?” It is a narrative carefully made more intriguing by the brilliant composition, using triangular shapes and directional pointing (fingers, corset ribs etc) to emphasis the importance of the letter. Then comes the juxtaposition between hard/soft edges and vagueness/detail. Finally the swirling colours in the background contrast with the restful tones and gentle folds of her dress. I think this painting is about emotional turmoil and conflict (maybe related to the artist?) and the letter is a device to ask “why?”. Had this been a posed photo, it might seem cliched and obvious, but this painter has used all his expansive technical experience to lift a mundane domestic moment with great dramatic effect. How wonderful to be that skilful!
My eye moves from the left, her right upper arm to the head and down to the letter. Interesting the change of soft and hard edges to draw attention as seen in her dress.
I love the background in this painting. The colors and the movement. The bow on the shoulder pulls you right in.
Beautiful paint! thanks for sharing!
Hi Julia,
Yes the colors, particularly those in the background have movement. A developing life with much motion.
The bodice, corset then background drew me into picture first. Arms and upper body language next. The letter was in the background for me as it seemed to blend a bit with background. Details in corset amazing
1. I liked the contrast he created with the girl and background. The gradual change in the value of background as the the figure goes from her light dress to her darker hair.
2. The position of her hand on her waist moves eyes back towards letter.
3. The subtle expression on her face (created by slightly open lips and her eyelids) creates curiosity on viewer’s mind about the possible contents of the letter.
I see colour first. Very youthful colours overall- light and airy strokes of the background are spring like, suggesting new growth, nature waking up, youthfulness, the shape and nature of the dress suggesting a just maturing woman. Reading a letter means she is educated. The letter is intriguing sharp in outline but almost the same colour and tone as the background, suggesting significant and insignificant at the same time.
I love the background of the painting.
She looks very intent on reading the letter showing in-depth interest. Youthful look of the girl with great color combinations.
Overall a lovely painting of a young lady!
The middle range values of the composition add to the softness of the subject. The folds in the dress and the brush strokes of the background add to the softness. The girl’s hand on her hip and the way she holds the paper makes you think she is concerned about what she is reading. When I view the painting, I am concerned for her.
What strikes me the most is the different strokes of his brushes. The background is colored and has movement compare to the lady who is softly painted and very detail. Not sure if she’s happy or sad but she’s very focused on the letter!
I see dynamism and excitement. The dynamic swirl of brushstrokes in the background create an air of excitement; the lighting, drawing attention to the young woman’s chest accentuates the eagerness and excitement she feels at receiving and reading the letter and her blushing cheeks add to the emotion–of course, she’s reading a letter from her lover! The contrast of all this energy is the rigidness of her corset/bodice. The poor thing can hardly sit but straight as a tree and can hardly breath. A beautifully done painting!
The beautiful subject almost “comes forward” in a 3-D fashion because of the detailed ,finished brush strokes completing the figure in juxtaposition to the broad, undefined strokes for the background…and the figure has that lovely, soft shadow of her body against the background defining the direction of the light which seems to come from above left, leaving her face in shadow as well, with the top of her ear and the lobe catching more light than her face.
It is beautiful the way the colours of her skin darken as the eye moves down her arm and continues into the colour of her skirt. Hand and skirt have a lovely colour flow. The background movement serves to highlight the quietness of the figure.
To me, the painting presents its subject with strategically well-placed soft and hard lines, beautifully blended colors and enough mystery to focus the viewers attention on the letter being read – allowing him/her to create fun storylines about the letter’s content and its reception = a very beautiful and engaging painting!
It is a beautiful painting. I agree with so many of the comments, so I won’t repeat them. But the background…bothers me. It seems too close. Her right elbow almost seems to touch it, as though it was a wall. Actually more like she is in a corner. It just bothers me a bit.
Her gaze at the letter and the tension it creates. The background brushwork help bring the focus to that gaze and is echoed in her hair. The contrast of warm subject and cool background.
Colors are very soft, pastel like- in western society these often reflect a young feminism, delicate and naive, romantic.
I did not see any description of the medium, was it pastel?
The thing that strikes me is the focus on the centre of the picture, in the strong geometry of the girl’s angled arms and the relative detail and sharpness of her corset and hands. This contrasts with the indistinguishable background, soft swirl of her skirts and even out of focus hair. This suggests to me that the girl’s attention is completely on the contents of the letter, despite what might be going on around her.
The focus is on the letter, the viewer’s eyes are directed to the letter by the background brushwork, and the general body language.
The greenish background compliments the lady’s skin and dress.
What strikes me most is the stiff body indicating that letter is a very serious one demanding full attention.
Very interesting portrait, relaxed pose yet so intensely concentrated on the letter.
The use of the limited colour palette repeating throughout the painting is lovely. As is the decreasing level of detail from the centre outwards and from foreground to background.
So to state the obvious, her nipple is almost popping out of her underwear. The scene is of a woman in a state of semi-undress, totally involved in her own business, unaware of any viewers. So she is comfortable with her body and at ease in this “natural” (contrived) pose. Because of the soft party colors (pinks, blues, and aquamarine) of the background, the bows on her shoulder, and the fact that she is getting dressed, I imagine she is a bridesmaid or something. So the scene is very pleasant. She is about to go to a party and is taking a relaxing moment before the excitement (whatever it will be) to do “check her messages.” If she is about to go to a wedding, it could be anyone passing her a note. To me the scene feels very contrived, but also very pretty. I love the way the hair is painted as well as the folds in the skirt. Big contrast between the photo-realism of the woman and the splotchy, multii- party-colored background.