The document discusses the artistic principles of emphasis and focal point. It defines emphasis as drawing attention to particular elements in a work of art, while subordination de-emphasizes elements. The focal point is the specific area of greatest visual emphasis. Artists use techniques like size, scale, color, line and placement of elements to create emphasis and guide the viewer's eye to the focal point of a work.

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Copyright © 2015 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 1.8
Emphasis and Focal Point

2. PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Second Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Chapter 1.8 Emphasis and Focal Point
Introduction
 Emphasis is the principle by which
an artist draws attention to
particular content; subordination is
the opposite
 A focal point is a specific place of
visual emphasis
 Emphasis and focal point usually
accentuate concepts, themes, or
ideas the artist wants to express

3. PART 1
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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Second Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
PART 1
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Chapter 1.8 Emphasis and Focal Point
Emphasis
 An entire work, a broad area within
a work of art, multiple areas, and
even specific points can be
emphasized

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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Second Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
PART 1
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Chapter 1.8 Emphasis and Focal Point
Broad Emphasis
 Emphasizes an entire work in its
wholeness
 Emphasis encompasses a large
area, but not quite the entire
surface
 Can also occur when there are
multiple elements within a work,
but no one element dominates

5. PART 1
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Interactive Exercises:
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Second Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Interactive Exercises:
Chapter 1.8 Emphasis and Focal Point
Emphasis and
Subordination

6. Artwork: Agnes Martin,
Starlight
1.8.1 Agnes Martin,
Starlight, 1963.
Watercolor and ink on
paper, 11¾ × 10½”.
Private collection

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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Second Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
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Chapter 1.8 Emphasis and Focal Point
Agnes Martin, Starlight
 Martin created an overall field of
soft blue, superimposed with a
uniform grid
 Reflects her interest in Eastern
philosophy and Taoism; she
believed art could provide a sense
of calm and meditation

8. Artwork: Martin Puryear,
C.F.A.O
1.8.2 Martin Puryear,
C.F.A.O., 2006–7. Painted
and unpainted pine and
found wheelbarrow,
8’4¾” × 6’5½” × 5’1”.
MoMA, New York

9. PART 1
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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Second Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
PART 1
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Chapter 1.8 Emphasis and Focal Point
Martin Puryear,
C.F.A.O
 The wheelbarrow and pine
structure contrast with the large
area of emphasis: the white, mask-
like shape in the center
 The mask mimics the designs of
the Fang tribe of Gabon
 The piece is intended to recall
French colonialism in West Africa

10. Artwork: Jacob Lawrence,
“John Brown…”
1.8.3 Jacob Lawrence, “John Brown Remained a Full Winter in Canada, Drilling Negroes for His Coming Raid on Harpers Ferry
(no.17)”, from Jacob Lawrence, The Life of John Brown (22 prints), 1977. Gouache and tempera on paper, 20 × 14”

11. PART 1
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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Second Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
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Chapter 1.8 Emphasis and Focal Point
Jacob Lawrence,
“John Brown. . .”
 Each figure attracts enough
attention so that none stands out
 Solemn poses are an homage to
the Civil War-era abolitionist John
Brown
 Composition is balanced with
separate areas of emphasis;
implies equality among the men

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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Second Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
PART 1
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Chapter 1.8 Emphasis and Focal Point
What is Focal Point?
 Focal point is a tool artists use to
give specific emphasis to an
important symbol, event, or
distinguishing feature in a work
 It is the place in an area of
emphasis that draws our eye

13. PART 1
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Interactive Exercises:
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Second Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Interactive Exercises:
Chapter 1.8 Emphasis and Focal Point
Focal Point

14. Artwork: Dieric Bouts, The
Coronation of the Virgin Mary
1.8.4 Dieric Bouts (the Elder), The Coronation of the Virgin Mary, 1455/60. Tempera on oak panel, approximately 32⅞” ×
33½”. Akademie der Bildenden Künste, Vienna, Austria

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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Second Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
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Chapter 1.8 Emphasis and Focal Point
Dieric Bouts,
The Coronation of the
Virgin Mary
 Bouts renders the Holy Trinity with
reverence, but focuses attention
on the centrally placed Virgin Mary
 Her face is framed by the crown
and dove above and folded hands
below; all eyes are oriented toward
her

16. Artwork: Marc Chagall,
The Fall of Icarus
1.8.5 Marc Chagall,
The Fall of Icarus, 1975.
Oil on canvas,
6’11⅞” × 6’6”. Musée
National d’Art Moderne,
Centre Georges Pompidou,
Paris, France

17. PART 1
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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Second Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
PART 1
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Chapter 1.8 Emphasis and Focal Point
Marc Chagall,
The Fall of Icarus
 The story of Icarus is from Greek
mythology
 Icarus is the focal point, set apart
by his position and color
 The contrast between the brightly
colored wings and the dull, pale-
gray sky draws attention to the
flailing boy

18. PART 1
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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Second Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
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Chapter 1.8 Emphasis and Focal Point
Subordination
 The use of emphasis to draw the
viewer’s attention away from a
particular part of a composition
 Can also involve deliberately
reducing the impact of certain
details

19. Artwork: Landscape with the
Fall of Icarus
1.8.6 Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Landscape with the Fall of Icarus, c. 1555–58. Oil on canvas, mounted on wood, 29 × 44⅛”.
Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Brussels, Belgium

20. PART 1
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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Second Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
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Chapter 1.8 Emphasis and Focal Point
Pieter Bruegel the Elder,
Landscape with the Fall
of Icarus
 Diverts our attention so that we
barely notice Icarus plunging to his
doom
 Emphasis is drawn to other areas,
such as the plowman in the
foreground

21. PART 1
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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Second Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
PART 1
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Chapter 1.8 Emphasis and Focal Point
Emphasis and Focal Point
in Action
 Artists use direction, dramatic
contrasts, and placement
relationships to organize the
elements in a work and draw our
attention to areas of emphasis and
focal points

22. PART 1
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Interactive Exercises:
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Second Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
PART 1
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Interactive Exercises:
Chapter 1.8 Emphasis and Focal Point
DrawingAttention

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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Second Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
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Chapter 1.8 Emphasis and Focal Point
Contrast
 Artists look to create effects of
contrast by positioning elements
that are very different next to one
another
 For example, areas of varied value,
color, or size

24. Artwork: The Funeral of St.
Bonaventure
1.8.7 Francisco de Zurbarán,
The Funeral of St. Bonaventure,
1629. Oil on canvas, 8’2” ×
7’4”. Musée du Louvre, Paris,

25. PART 1
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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Second Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
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Chapter 1.8 Emphasis and Focal Point
Francisco de Zurbarán,
The Funeral of St.
Bonaventure
 The whiteness of St.
Bonaventure’s clothing contrasts
with the dark values of the
background
 Creates a central focal point
 Enough light value is distributed to
other figures, making the

26. PART 1
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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Second Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
PART 1
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Chapter 1.8 Emphasis and Focal Point
Line
 Line is an effective way to focus a
our attention in an artwork

27. Artwork: The Emperor Babur
Overseeing His Gardeners
1.8.8 slide 1: The Emperor
Babur Overseeing His
Gardeners, India, Mughal
period, c. 1590. Tempera and
gouache on paper, 8¾ × 5⅝”.
Victoria and Albert Museum,
London, England

28. Detail of The Emperor Babur
Overseeing His Gardeners
1.8.8 slide 2: Detail of
The Emperor Babur
Overseeing His
Gardeners, showing
directional lines

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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Second Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
PART 1
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Chapter 1.8 Emphasis and Focal Point
The Emperor Babur
Overseeing his
Gardeners
 Gardens in Mughal India
symbolized paradise
 Water and the four cardinal
directions represent life and
eternity
 The water feature is the visual and
conceptual focal point

30. Artwork: Gentileschi, Judith
Decapitating Holofernes
1.8.9 Artemisia Gentileschi,
Judith Decapitating Holofernes,
c. 1620. Oil on canvas,
6’6⅜” × 5’3¾“. Uffizi Gallery,
Florence, Italy

31. Directional lines in Judith
Decapitating Holofernes
1.8.9 slide 2: Directional lines
in Artemisia Gentileschi's
Judith Decapitating Holofernes

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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Second Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
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Gateway to Art:
Chapter 1.8 Emphasis and Focal Point
Gentileschi, Judith
Decapitating Holofernes
 Strong single focal point: where
blood spurts from Holofernes’ neck
as Judith delivers the fatal blow
 Directional line and contrasting
values emphasize the climax of the
story

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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Second Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
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Chapter 1.8 Emphasis and Focal Point
Placement
 The placement of elements within a
composition controls rhythm and
creates multiple focal points

34. Artwork: “Riverside Bamboo
Market, Kyōbashi”
1.8.10 Ando Hiroshige, “Riverside
Bamboo Market, Kyōbashi,” from
One Hundred Famous Views of Edo,
1857. 15 × 10⅜”. James A.
Michener Collection, Honolulu
Academy of Arts, Hawaii

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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Second Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
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Chapter 1.8 Emphasis and Focal Point
Ando Hiroshige,
“Riverside Bamboo
Market, Kyobashi”
 Three separate focal points: the
moon, the bridge, and the figure in
a boat
 The varying distances between
these three shapes create rhythm
that adds visual interest

36. Video:
Video:
PART 1
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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Second Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
Video:
Video:
Chapter 1.8 Emphasis and Focal Point
Emphasis and Focal Point videos:
Diego Velázquez: Las Meninas
Sandro Botticelli: The Birth of Venus
For two videos that explore emphasis and focal point further, click to watch:

37. MoMA Video
MoMA Video
Chapter 1.8 Emphasis and Focal Point
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Second Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
PART 1
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MoMA Videos
To learn more about the use of emphasis and focal point, watch these videos of MoMA lecturers talking about
artworks from the MoMA’s collection:
Willem de Kooning,
Woman I
Kazimir Malevich,
Suprematist Composition:
Airplane Flying

38. MoMA Video
MoMA Video
Chapter 1.8 Emphasis and Focal Point
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Second Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
PART 1
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MoMA Videos (contd.)
Barnett Newman,
Vir Heroicus Sublimis
Jackson Pollock,
One: Number 31

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PowerPoints developed by CreativeMyndz Multimedia Studios
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Chapter 1.8 Emphasis and Focal Point
Chapter 1.8 Copyright
Information
This concludes the PowerPoint slide set for Chapter 1.8
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts
Second Edition
By Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
Copyright © 2015 Thames & Hudson

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PowerPoints developed by CreativeMyndz Multimedia Studios
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Chapter 1.8 Emphasis and Focal Point
Picture Credits for Chapter 1.8
1.8.1 Christie’s Images/Corbis. © 2015 Agnes Martin/DACS
1.8.2 The Museum of Modern Art, New York, Gift of Sid Bass, Leon D. Black, Donald L. Bryant, Jr., Kathy and
Richard S. Fuld, Jr., Agnes Gund, Mimi Haas, Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis, Jo Carole and Ronald S.
Lauder, Donald B. Marron and Jerry Speyer on behalf of the Committee on Painting and Sculpture in honor
of John Elderfield, 553.2008. Photo Jonathan Muzikar. Digital image, The Museum of Modern Art, New
York/Scala, Florence. © Martin Puryear, Courtesy Matthew Marks Gallery
1.8.3 Courtesy DC Moore Gallery, New York. © Estate of Jacob Lawrence, ARS, NY and DACS, London 2015
1.8.4 Erich Lessing/akg-images
1.8.5 Photo Scala, Florence. Chagall ®/© ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2015
1.8.6 Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Brussels
1.8.7 Musée du Louvre, Paris
1.8.8 Victoria & Albert Museum, London
1.8.9 Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence
1.8.10 James A. Michener Collection, Honolulu Academy of Arts