PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Chapter 8
Emphasis and Focal Point
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 8 Emphasis and Focal Point
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Introduction
 Emphasis is the principle by which an artist draws
attention to particular content in a work of art or design
 A focal point is a specific place of visual emphasis
 An artist can emphasize focal points through the use of
line, implied line, value, color—any of the elements of art
 Emphasis and focal point usually accentuate concepts,
themes, or ideas the artist wants to express
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 8 Emphasis and Focal Point
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Emphasis and Subordination
 When an artist emphasizes different elements in a work of
art, he or she creates visual relationships and connections
between them
 The opposite of emphasis is subordination
 Subordination draws our attention away from certain
areas of a work
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 8 Emphasis and Focal Point
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Interactive Exercises:
Emphasis and Subordination
Click to start the Interactive Exercises
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
1.141
Double-chambered vessel
with mouse, Recuay, Peru,
4th–8th century. Ceramic, 6”
high. Metropolitan Museum
of Art, New York
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 8 Emphasis and Focal Point
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Double-chambered vessel with mouse
 The mouse attracts our attention because it is so detailed
 The spout of the vessel also stands out, not only because of
its color but also because of its geometric simplicity
 Third and fourth areas of emphasis are found in the
decorations on the two chambers of the vessel
 These areas connect because they share common shapes,
coloration, and texture that draw our attention away from
the undecorated—subordinated—areas of the vessel
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
1.142 Jules Olitski, Tin
Lizzie Green, 1964. Acrylic
and oil/wax crayon on
canvas, 10’10” x 6’10”.
Museum of Fine Arts,
Boston, Massachusetts
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 8 Emphasis and Focal Point
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Jules Olitski,
Tin Lizzie Green
 Because abstract works can never directly evoke our
memories of things or people, they frequently rely on
compositional principles, such as emphasis
 Olitski frames our attention on the color field in the center
of the work with three colored dots on the right, red
horizontal strokes on the top and bottom, and a tancolored stroke on the left
 These color shapes support the real focus of this work,
which is the blue-green color in the center
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
1.143 Mark Tobey, Blue
Interior, 1959. Tempera on
card, 44 x 28”
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 8 Emphasis and Focal Point
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Mark Tobey,
Blue Interior
 When a work does not have areas of emphasis, that
changes the way we respond to it
 Tobey was interested in creating a meditative response to
the landscape of the Pacific Northwest, where he grew up
 Because Tobey does not use areas of emphasis, we are free
to roam visually in his painting
 We can immerse ourselves in the work, as if it were an
ocean
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 8 Emphasis and Focal Point
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Focal Point
 A focal point is the specific part of an area of emphasis to
which the artist draws our eye
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 8 Emphasis and Focal Point
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Interactive Exercises:
Focal Point
Click to start the Interactive Exercises
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
1.144 Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Landscape with the Fall of Icarus, c. 1555–8. Oil on canvas, mounted on wood, 29 x 44 1/8”. Musées
Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Brussels, Belgium
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Detail of Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Landscape with the Fall of Icarus
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Detail of Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Landscape with the Fall of Icarus
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 8 Emphasis and Focal Point
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Pieter Bruegel the Elder,
Landscape with the Fall of Icarus
 The story of Icarus is one from Greek mythology
 His wax wings melt as he flies too close to the sun
 Bruegel diverts our attention so that we barely notice
Icarus plunging to his doom
 Instead the artist’s main area of emphasis is the plower in
the foreground, possibly illustrating the proverb “No
plough stands still because a man dies.”
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
1.145 Artemisia Gentileschi,
Judith Decapitating
Holofernes, c. 1620. Oil on
canvas, 6' 6 3/8” x 5' 3 ¾“.
Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Directional lines in
Gentileschi's Judith
Decapitating Holofernes
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 1 Art in Two Dimensions: Line, Shape, and the Principle of Contrast
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Gateway to Art:
Gentileschi, Judith Decapitating Holofernes
Emphasis Used to Create Drama
 Through Gentileschi’s use of directional line and contrasting
values we are drawn irresistibly to the point where the climax
of the story is unfolding
 Judith’s arms and those of her maidservant (visually
connected to the sword itself) stretch toward the dark values
of their victim’s head
 The light values of the five bare arms create strong
directional lines that lead to the focal point where blood
spurts from the violent attack on Holofernes’ neck
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 8 Emphasis and Focal Point
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Emphasis and Focal Point in Action
 Artists can use direction, dramatic contrasts, and
placement relationships to organize the elements in a work
and draw our attention to areas of emphasis and focal
points
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 8 Emphasis and Focal Point
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Interactive Exercises:
Drawing Attention
Click to start the Interactive Exercises
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 8 Emphasis and Focal Point
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Emphasis and Focal Point in Action:
Line
 Line is an effective way to focus a viewer’s attention in an
artwork
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
1.146 The Emperor Babur
Overseeing his Gardeners,
India, Mughal period, c. 1590.
Tempera and gouache on
paper, 8 ¾ x 5 5/8”. Victoria
and Albert Museum, London,
England
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Detail of The Emperor Babur
Overseeing his Gardeners
showing directional lines
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 8 Emphasis and Focal Point
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
The Emperor Babur Overseeing his
Gardeners
 The gardener/artist Babur is pointing to a feature that
channels water in four directions
 The strong diagonal of the channel draws our attention to
the water as it runs toward us
 The central cross-shaped confluence of the waters becomes
the focal point of the composition
 In this work, water is the focal point conceptually as well
as visually
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 8 Emphasis and Focal Point
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Emphasis and Focal Point in Action:
Contrast
 Artists look to create effects of contrast by positioning
elements next to one another that are very different
 For example, areas of different value, color, or size
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
1.147 Francisco de
Zurbarán, The Funeral of St.
Bonaventure, 1629. Oil on
canvas, 8' 2” x 7' 4”. Musée
du Louvre, Paris, France
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 8 Emphasis and Focal Point
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Francisco de Zurbarán,
The Funeral of St. Bonaventure
 Most of the lightest values in the painting are reserved for
the clothing adorning the dead body of St. Bonaventure
 These create a central focal point that stands out in
contrast to the surrounding dark values
 The whiteness of his clothing symbolizes Bonaventure's
spotless reputation
 Enough light value is distributed to the other figures to
allow our eyes to be drawn away from the saint's body,
making the composition more interesting
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 8 Emphasis and Focal Point
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Emphasis and Focal Point in Action:
Placement
 The placement of elements within a composition controls
rhythm and creates multiple focal points
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
1.148 Ando Hiroshige,
“Riverside Bamboo Market,
Kyobashi,” from One
Hundred Famous Views of
Edo, 1857. 15 x 10 3/8”.
James A. Michener
Collection, Honolulu
Academy of Arts, Hawaii
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 8 Emphasis and Focal Point
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Ando Hiroshige, “Riverside Bamboo
Market, Kyobashi”
 The positions of the moon, the bridge, and the figure in a
boat form three separate focal points
 Each shape commands our attention and draws more of
our focus to the right side of the work
 The varying distances between the placements of the three
focal points also create rhythm that adds visual interest
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 8 Emphasis and Focal Point
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Conclusion
 All the elements and principles of art can serve to create
emphasis
 Both actual and implied lines shape our examination of a
work of art by directing the movement of our gaze
 Contrasts between different values, colors, or textures can
sometimes be so dramatic and distinct that we cannot help
but feel drawn to that area of a work
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 8 Emphasis and Focal Point
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
This concludes the PowerPoint Slide Set for Chapter 1.8
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts
By Debra J DeWitte, Ralph M Larmann, M Kathryn Shields
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson