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Jose Vasquez
Professor: Virginia Cuellar-McGuire
HUMA-1315-22420
January 5, 2019
Formal Critique Essay: Seaside Cemetery, Adolf Hiremy – Hirchl (1897)
The artwork I selected immediately grabbed my attention. The detail and feeling of this
piece truly made me feel as though I was able to place myself there, become one with the scene.
It was not so much a feeling of sadness, but rather a familiar sense that those who view this can
relate to the mood portrayed here. I wondered why the artist chose to paint the scene of a
blustery day instead of a sunny and calm day. I tried to imagine why he chose a dark theme
instead of bright colors. I was curious to know if this painting would have been well received or
would it even have been in front of me if it was created in a different mood. I had the profound
sense that we all can relate to the finality of death and that although there are people buried there,
the wind still blows, the seas still rage, and time keeps passing and that this was probably the
type of emotion the artist wanted to portray.
The artist uses lines in his work that seem to move your eyes from right to left, from the
sea to the cemetery. You can see that the wind is blowing and causing the waves to crash and the
leaves to blow. The rough texture and the darker colors give me feelings of turmoil, unquietness
and turbulence. I imagine that the place in the picture would be very noisy and uncomfortable at
that time. The waves are very large in the picture and the white the artist uses has an almost
audible aspect to it. In contrast the white the artist uses on the items placed at the grave markers
brought me back to a quiet and reflective focus.
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The very first thing I notice in this painting is the large white headstone near the center.
Everything around this focal point seems to be moving. The headstone seems solid and
unmovable. The artist uses repetitive strokes to make the surrounding trees and waves move
from right to left. I try to imagine Hiremy- Hirchl as he moves a brush across the canvas to create
the wind blowing. I picture him almost striking the canvcas with passion as he creates the waves
crashing. He might have delicately and almost reverently placed the items on the headstones.
The dark skies, the dark sea and the dark trees all seem to make a balance and give an overall
unity which makes the entire painting give what I think was an intended feeling by the artist.
This painting was in an area where if you could only see blurs most of the works would
blend together and have a similar, dark tone to them. According to the provided information, this
early European oil on canvas painting was done in a traditional and narrative style. You notice a
dark and somber feeling. This was meant to dramatize and show an insignificance of life and the
power of nature. A contemporary of Gustav Klimt, Adolf Hiermy-Hirscl was born in Hungary
but trained in Vienna. The artist demonstrates sensitivity to the emotional aspect that was a
defining characteristic of 19th century symbolism.
I looked at these works of art with a new purpose. I have always appreciated the beauty
and intrigue of art, especially the works done so many years ago. Knowing now how to take the
time to look for the different elements in a painting, sculpture or other works of art to see what
an artist has done, as well as the individual principles that they may use to express a feeling is a
new reward. I look forward to delving deeper into the power of art. I will now seek out and
appreciate the effort put forth by the artist. I have a better understanding of how an artist might
try to express a mood or an idea. Art can be so much more than images. I tend to think that many
works of art can take an extremely large toll on the artist’s emotional and mental state.
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I am extremely thankful to the Dallas Museum of Art and for institutions like this one
that put so much effort into making a place where I can go and enjoy such an amazing variety of
art. I now have an understanding of what a privilege it can be, as throughout history people have
been prohibited from being able to have the freedom I have to walk into a building free of charge
and view art and form an open and honest opinion on what I see, hear or feel. I will try to
remember how important art can be to individuals, societies and humanity itself.
Dallas Museum of Art - January 2019
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