Formal Analysis of Seestucke- Welle by Caitlin Hall

I went to the Museum of Modern Art in Fort Worth. I chose the painting, Seestucke- Welle (Sea Piece Waves) by the German artist Gerhard Richter. The painting was done with oil on a canvas. Although we were not able to touch the painting to get a real feel of the texture, it seemed very smooth yet gave the illusion it would be rough like the breaking of the waves. I think the artist did a good job of making you see the whole picture, although his painting is a limited size, you feel as though you are seeing the whole ocean and sky in his painting. I felt that I could tell the depth of the ocean and sky beyond what was painted on his canvas. The way the waves break and come back into the ocean gives the picture a good rhythm like the rhythm of actual waves, and although you cannot see the wind, you get a sense of the rhythm of the wind with the way the ocean moves. The way the colors blend also makes you feel as though you are in the middle of the ocean on a dark cloudy night. The picture is very dark but where the moon shines through the clouds, you can see how it illuminates both the sky and clouds around it and the ocean beneath it. This light gives emphasis to the moon because the light draws your attention from the surrounding darkness, without being a distraction. The pink tint gives life to the light shining through the clouds. Although it is not actual light, you get the sense that it is, with the colors he uses and the shadows it creates both within the clouds and onto the ocean. Another hint of color that draws emphasis is the white caps on the breaking wave. Again, it gives you a sense of movement and life but still does not distract you from the rest of the picture. The balance between the ocean and the sky is very well done. It looks proportional to the actual sky and sea. The way that they sky is larger than the ocean shows the true nature of the sky being so much larger than the ocean. Also, the size of the moon and the wave gives some sort of balance. The moon seems so far away and the wave seems as if it is coming towards you although, in actuality they are all right there on the canvas. The shape and size of the moon give you a sense that the moon is far away in the background and the clouds seem to be closer and the breaking wave moving towards you. The horizon is a breaking point between the ocean and the sky. Although it is not a thick of very dark line in comparison to the rest of the painting, you can see the definite difference between the two. It is a very defined line but it looks like the horizon between the actual sea and sky. Also, the lines used in the waves and in the ocean, although very subtle, give texture and shape to make them look life-like. I think the artist did a very good job of making you see a bigger picture when you look at his painting. You get a sense of realness, with the implied movement of the waves, the brightness of the moon illuminating the sky through the clouds and the calmness of the night. It really draws you in and takes you out to sea.