1. Running Head: ART OF THE ANCIENT AMERICAS
Art of the Ancient Americas
Name
Grade Course:
Tutor’s Name:
(January 23, 2012)

2. ART OF THE ANCIENT AMERICAS 2
ARTIST: Ancient Americas Department

3. ART OF THE ANCIENT AMERICAS 3
NAME: Seated Figure, 600-900
STYLE: Sculpture, Buff Ceramic
YEAR: 1992
DIMENSIONS: Height 11 ½ in. (29.21 cm)
Analysis of the above Art Work
As I watched this art the first thing that came to my attention was a figure of a woman
who is seated on the floor or ground. Upon further scrutiny, I observed that the woman is in a
state of tiresomeness and pain. This is depicted by the fact that the woman has protruding teeth
and tries to support his body with her hands on the ankles. In my opinion the protruding teeth is
crucial to the art since it conveys a deeper understanding of sorrow and pain which the woman is
experiencing.
Composition
In regard to balance the focus of the art is located at the center of the painting. Such a
conspicuous position makes the viewer see the protruding teeth first. Additionally, the art
represents a woman wearing some earrings and seated on a cemented floor. The art is
symmetrical in the sense that it can be divided centrally in equal proportions.
In regard to directional focus the most captivating thing that’s attracted my attention was
the protrudingteeth which have a conspicuous white color compared to the rest of the body.
Similarly you will also see the un-proportionality of the eyes. The right eye is much bigger than
the left one. Moreover the head, forehead and the abdominal part are more conspicuous because
more light is shed on them.

4. ART OF THE ANCIENT AMERICAS 4
Color
The most prominent colors used in the art are white and black. I also observed that the
white color is relatively dull and the black one is somewhat light and apparently looks like grey
color. It can also be noted that the colors are not painted uniformly and this gives the art a rough
look. Now since the white and black colors are contrasting this makes the art have a conspicuous
look, that is, all parts are clearly visible. Similarly, the left hand is more conspicuous than the left
one because more white color is used than the right one.
Additionally, it can be noted that there is a complementary display of the darkness and
lightness used in the art. The presence of shadow on the image suggests that there is a high
intensity of light on the top and left side of the art. In fact the light is bright enough to the extent
that the pattern of the forehead, top and left sides can be clearly interpreted by the viewer. In
order to establish the values (lightness and darkness) of this art, I have observed that the light
that illuminates to the focus of the art originates from the top, mostly the ceiling because the light
rays could traced from the top of the art towards the abdomen.
Moreover the saturation of the mixture of black and white colors has contributed to the
roughness as depicted in the artwork. It can also be noted that the colors used in this artwork are
an effective ways of expressing emotions as depicted in the artwork. The saturation of the colors
and the valuable contrast are the key to the focus and attention of the viewers. The competence
illustrated in the artwork is a clear conveyance of a deeper meaning of the picture and its merely
literal interpretation.
The artwork has also used lines to convey powerful information and emotions. The use of
thick lines has been used to conspicuously display the outlook of the facial expression, earrings,

5. ART OF THE ANCIENT AMERICAS 5
protruding teeth, the un-proportionality of the eyes and fingers’ outline. I have also observed the
use of soft, curved, horizontal and diagonal lines being used in the image. The use of curved
lines portrays a natural, sensual and rhythmic feeling of the art. The use of the soft lines has he-
pled create some tenderness and warmth within the art work. The use of horizontal lines shows
some tenderness and tranquility. The use of diagonal lines shows instantiated figure which is
conspicuous and captures the attention of the viewers.
The use of inorganic light has been depicted in the artwork. There exists no sharp contrast
of the light since the light is rather rough in nature. This roughness creates a dull mood of the art.
This is attributed by the fact that the light is not uniformly distributed within the art. The source
of light is mainly depicted to be from the top as it makes the top and front part of the art more
conspicuous compared to the rest of the body.
The use of space is clearly depicted in the art. It can be observed that the various parts of
the art are arranged and ordered in an efficient manner, in a way to avoid wastage of space. The
art is also centrally located and thus saving space. Despite the fact that the art has numerous
entities it is clearly observed that these entities are arranged in a proportional manner.

6. ART OF THE ANCIENT AMERICAS 6
References
Meany, J., & Shuster, K. (2002).Art, argument, and advocacy, mastering parliamentary debate.
(p. 382). United States: Intl Debate Education Assn.
Malchiodi, C. A. (2011). Handbook of art therapy, second edition. Washington: The Guilford
Press.