Art Critism

Self Portrait, Yawning

Joseph Ducreux

1783

Principles of Design

• Balance: The painting is asymmetrically balanced because the man’s body is an organic shape and organic shapes are not always symmetrical. However, his body looks natural and creates a balance through the use of a shape we are all familiar with.
• Emphasis: The man is the one being emphasized in the painting, especially his facial expression and outstretched arms.
• Movement/Rhythm: The man is stretching his arm out towards the viewer and yawning and this creates a calm feeling.
• Pattern/Repetition: There is a repetition of buttons on his shirt to give more detail to the painting and make it more realistic.
• Unity: All the colours come together by combining warm colours with neutral colours to make it seem complete.
• Contrast: The colour of the man’s clothes on the black background make him stand out.