In this research we must look for portraits which convey mood and atmosphere rather than simply a physical likeness.

Mood and atmosphere  are the main subjects to analyse any artwork  along with the overall  theme and a subject. While we are looking at any objects of visual art we think  about the mood and atmosphere, emotions channelled to the viewer.  Artists use certain instruments to create the mood and atmosphere in their paintings and they are the following:

1. COLOUR. Colours chosen by the artists give the overall impression about the painting. In her article about how to describe any painting Marion Boddy- Evans brings very comprehensive description of colours artists  use:

• ”natural, clear, compatible, distinctive, lively, stimulating, subtle, sympathetic“.
• ”artificial, clashing, depressing, discordant, garish, gaudy, jarring, unfriendly, violent.”
• “Bright, brilliant, deep, earthy, harmonious, intense,  rich, saturated, strong, vibrant, vivid.”
• “Dull, flat, insipid, pale, mellow, muted, subdued, quiet, weak”.
• ”cool, cold, warm, hot, light, dark”.
• “ blended, broken, Mixed, muddled, pure”.
• ”Complementary, contrasting”.

2. TONE.  The mood and atmosphere in the painting also depend on value or tones of the colours used. The tones can be described as follows : “dark, light, flat, smooth, varied, broken, graduated, contrasting; monochromatic”;

3. COMPOSITION. The relationship and the structure of the objects in the painting also determine the mood and the atmosphere. The composition can be as follows:

”Horisontal, vertical, entered, symmetrical or asymmetrical, balanced, unbalanced, off Centre, formal, rigid,  chaotic, overlapping, cluttered, free, flowing”.

4. LIGHTING. Lighting can dramatically influence the mood and the atmosphere any artist is ailing to create.  The shadows and lights he/she brings on to canvas influence the colours and overall effect. The lights of the painting can be described as: “back lit, front lit, side lit, top lit,  having indirect light, reflected light, natural, artificial, cool, warm, grey, bright, gentle, gloomy, soft, intense, harsh, sharp”.

5. MEDIA. Chosen media definitely shape the mood and atmosphere of the painting. Charcoal helps to create sharp, gloomy, dark, old  facial features for example. Pastels always create softness and calmness, less drama. Finding a right medium for your work is crucial  if you want to achieve your artistic goal in a particular painting.

6. TECHNIQUE. How the artist handles his/her brushes and mediums are also crucial for creating the mood and atmosphere. Bold, large and strong brushstrokes help create dramatic and powerful  effects on the painting, delicate and  soft lines and touch ups bring the mood of peace, sweet emotion  and fantasy.

Below I put pairs of paintings with different moods and atmosphere. All images are via 1st-art-gallery-com;

Vincent Van Gogh, Head of Peasant Woman with Greenish Lace Cap, 1885; oil on canvas;

Pierre Auguste Renoir, “Jeanne Samary in a Low Necked Dress”, 1877, oil on canvas;

John Singer Sargent, “Maud Coats”; 1906, oil on canvas;

The female portraits below are very different in terms of mood. I can describe it as old age versus youth, tiredness from life  versus fullness of life, Dry and rough  versus soft and fragrant. The mood on all paintings is depicted by using certain colour palette like dark, cold  and gloomy   versus warm peach and white Used for the skin of the subjects and the background ;  The subjects `  dresses also bring the mood: old dark shawl versus white and tender green fluffy dresses on young women;

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William-Adolphe Bouguereau “A Soul Brought to Heaven”, 1878; oil on canvas;

Francisco Goya “Saturn Devouring His Son”; 1819-1823, oil mural transferred  to canvas;

These two paintings represent opposite moods as I see them; hope and bright future versus desperation and a fatal horrible end; Again, the  certain mood is achieved Through certain colour palette such as bright light and white clouds and a perspective versus  totally dark Background with no perspective; the compositions are very different too as well as the subjects: angels  heading to heaven and evil in hell.

Reference list:

1) http://www.visual-arts-cork.com, “World`s Best Portrait Artists”;

2) “8 Contemporary Portrait Artists Who Are Reinventing One of Art `s Oldest Subjects”, by Emma Taggart, September, 2018 on  www.mymodernmet.com;

3) “Art History`s of 6 Most Legendary  Portraits” by Cecille Martet, 12 April 2019; on http://www.kazoart.com;

4) “Understanding Visual Art: Identifying Theme, Mood and Tone” video lesson By Stephanie Prazybylek  on study.com, 

5) “Words to describe art” by Marion Boddy-Evans, 07.05.2019  on liveabout.com;