PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Chapter 1.8
Emphasis and Focal Point
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 1.8 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
Chapter 1.8 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
1.141 Double-chambered
vessel with mouse, Recuay,
Peru, 4th–8th century.
Ceramic, 6” high. Metropolitan
Museum of Art, New York
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
1.143 Mark Tobey, Blue
Interior, 1959. Tempera on
card, 44 x 28”
Chapter 1.8 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
1.144 slide 1: Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Landscape with the Fall of Icarus, c. 1555–8. Oil on canvas, mounted on wood, 29 x 44⅛”.
Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Brussels, Belgium
1.145 Artemisia Gentileschi,
Judith Decapitating
Holofernes, c. 1620. Oil on
canvas, 6’6⅜” x 5’3¾“. Uffizi
Gallery, Florence, Italy
1.145 slide 2: Directional
lines in Artemisia
Gentileschi's Judith
Decapitating Holofernes
Chapter 1.8 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
Chapter 1.8 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
1.146 slide 1: The Emperor
Babur Overseeing his
Gardeners, India, Mughal
period, c. 1590. Tempera and
gouache on paper, 8¾ x 5⅝”.
Victoria and Albert Museum,
London, England
1.146 slide 2: Detail of The
Emperor Babur Overseeing his
Gardeners, showing directional
lines
Chapter 1.8 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
1.147 Francisco de Zurbarán,
The Funeral of St.
Bonaventure, 1629. Oil on
canvas, 8' 2” x 7' 4”. Musée du
Louvre, Paris, France
Chapter 1.8 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
1.148 Ando Hiroshige,
“Riverside Bamboo Market,
Kyobashi,” from One Hundred
Famous Views of Edo, 1857.
15 x 10⅜”. James A. Michener
Collection, Honolulu Academy
of Arts, Hawaii
Chapter 1.8 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
Chapter 1.8 Emphasis and Focal Point
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
For two videos that explore emphasis and focal point further, click to watch:
Diego Velázquez: Las Meninas
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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Chapter 1.8 Emphasis and Focal Point
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Sandro Botticelli: The Birth of Venus
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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Chapter 1.8 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
PowerPoints developed by CreativeMyndz Multimedia Studios
Chapter 1.8 Emphasis and Focal Point
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Picture Credits for Chapter 1.8
1.141
Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Nathan Cummings, 1966, 66.30.2. Photo Metropolitan Museum of Art/Art
Resource/Scala, Florence
1.142
Photo © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Courtesy Jules Olitski Warehouse LLC. © Estate of Jules Olitski, DACS,
London/VAGA, New York 2011
1.143
© Estate of Mark Tobey, ARS, NY/DACS, London 2011. Courtesy Sotheby’s
1.144
Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Brussels
1.145
Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence
1.146
Victoria & Albert Museum, London
1.147
Musée du Louvre, Paris
1.148
James A. Michener Collection, Honolulu Academy of Arts
PowerPoints developed by CreativeMyndz Multimedia Studios