Art Formal Analysis

A formal analysis is defined as an analysis of the form that the artist has produced. One is studying the art elements such as line, shape, color, texture, mass and composition; not the story. These elements make up the expression, content and meaning of the piece of work chosen. In this particular chosen piece of artwork, Ilya Repins' painting, They Did Not Expect Him, depicting a story about the return of an exiled convict, there are numerous artistic elements and clues in the artists chosen form which convey meaning to the reader.

Right off the bat, the first object that grabs my eye seems to be the man walking into the room. All other elements seem to have been formed around this very man entering the room. The man is the central perspective for everyone else in the painting as they all seem to have their eyes on him with mixed emotions of surprise and happiness. The door is opened towards him, while the light from the window also bounces off the side of his cheeks and body. The lines on the ground made from the wooden planks also point in his direction. The lady in the middle/front of the painting appears to be getting out of her chair and approaching this man. Everything in the painting, from lines, perspective, tensions, light, and structural ingredients all appear as if they are directed at this man entering the room.

This Z shaped structure in the composition seems to harmonize well with the rest of the art. The man is the tallest, or at least at the highest point, in the picture, again making him the center of the piece. It seems only accurate to have the all the light, objects, and lines point in his direction. Overall, this artist's form is very simple, yet detailed at the same time. The painting at first glance looks real, like a photo, with the artificial light lighting up the room and the life like expressions on the people's faces. Then when you take a second look, you can see the artist includes various details down to the knots in the wood floor and having everyone staring at the unexpected man, drawing all lines and attention towards him.