| Title |
A Comparative Study on Light and Space in the Paintings of Rembrandt, Vermeer and Hopper |
| Keywords |
Rembrandt ; Vermeer ; Hopper ; Light ; Model Experimentation |
| Abstract |
The characteristics of light in the paintings of Rembrandt van Rijn, Johaness Vermeer and Edward Hopper are very different. While Rembrandt and Vermeer lived in the 17th century, Hopper lived in the 20th century. Although this time gap, comparative study on their light-space relationship is important because there are spatial similarities as well as light differences. Most three painters' works depict interior spaces with one person inside. The interior space is filled with different light and shadow. In the Rembrandt's paintings, only part of the figure is lit in the ambiguous darkness. In the Vermeer's paintings, the soft indirect light is filled in the domestic space and the boundary between the figure and space is blurred. In the Hopper's paintings, the direct sunlight invades the interior and the figure confronts with strong daylight. These light differences were caused by the artists' intentions as well as the environmental situations. 4 case paintings of each artist were analyzed by phenomenological aspects and computerized light brightness test. Scale models were built to re-construct the three different light characteristics. The model experimentation will have potential to develop 2 dimensional art analysis into 3 dimensional space design by means of light. However it was very difficult to construct the three lights, the experimentation shows they have unique characteristics that can be applied to spatial design studies. |