Composition - examples of note

[Mike McCarty]

Here's a painting that has a whimsical appeal by Philip Alexius de Laszlo.

Two person compositions are tough. Two apple compositions are tough. Twos of anything are tough. I've always heard it said, and it holds true to my eye, that odd numbers are more easily arranged and composed. It seems that when your faced with TWO, the exercise becomes - what can I include to bring it to three?

If you believe that the study of composition is the study of shapes and masses; if you accept that it is a matter of how these shapes relate to one another and to the edge of the canvas; if you understand that it is not about the literal head, chair, hand, but only how these items present themselves as shapes, (if you can create a sentence with too many commas) then it gets a little easier (He said, as if to know).

In this composition it appears that Laszlo has pulled out all the compositional stops. The positioning of the two in relation to one another is the first. The variation of their gaze, the different orientation of the heads and the variation of their height. But it doesn't stop there, we have other shapes to contemplate.

The bowl in the lap, the bubble against the chest which creates a third orb triangulated with the two heads, each matters of compositional interest along with the bubble above the heads, but the shapes that I think have a profound influence on the piece are the ones in the corners. The shadows on either side and the seemingly innocuous space left unattended in the top left corner. These three shapes in my opinion go a long way to cement the overall balance of the piece.

What do you think? Do you disagree with my conclusion, maybe have a theory of your own. As usual I welcome all opinions that coincide with my own and feign the want of those opposing.