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Art Comparison

Differentiating art portraits that were created during the same time and using the same materials is relatively hard. However, every art has its own set of themes that can differentiate it from the other. This essay will outline the visual difference between Käthe Kollwitz, Self-portrait and Léon Augustin Lhermitte, An Elderly Peasant Woman.

From the general outlook, one would notice that Kollwitz’s portrait has horizontal strokes of lighter and darker solutions of dark ink. This painting is done using a fine brush whereby every stroke creates a different pattern. On the other hand, Lhermitte’s paint job uses stumping and wetting (Jonathan, 2021). This technique is achieved through softening or toning down a certain color so that it can blend in with another shading. Seemingly, it can be seen on the face of the elderly woman. In this case the artist has accentuated the charcoal’s dark value to depict a contrast between the highlights in the elderly woman’s face and the generally darkened tone of the work. Paintings with horizontal strokes would seem rather boring and would attract a smaller audience as compared to those that have been toned-down. This is because the latter creates a juxtaposing effect.

Another difference is that Kollwitz’s work is less detailed but full of energy. The way the charcoal is applied, especially on the hand, expresses a sense of energy between the artist and her work (Prelinger et al., 1992). In addition, the space between her eyes and her hands depicts nervous energy connecting her eyes and hands. On the other hand, Lhermitte’s is much detailed but with less energy. Despite using different shades to illuminate its aesthetic value, the art sadly reveals a humble individual. A detailed art will always instill emotional aspects to the audience, who will be trying to discern the artist’s intentions on a specific piece.

‘           In conclusion Käthe Kollwitz, Self-portrait, and Léon Augustin Lhermitte, An Elderly Peasant Woman have two significant differences that can be derived from the themes use. For instance, Kollwitz’s vertical strokes when painting but Lhermitte’s paint but uses stumping and wetting. Also, Kollwitz’s work is less detailed and full of energy but Lhermitte’s work is more detailed and lacks energy