In visual arts, composition refers to the placement or arrangement of visual elements in a work of art to form a whole, similar to how musical notes are arranged to create a song or ingredients are combined to make bread. Compositions can be symmetrical, asymmetrical, or radial in nature, and analyzing different types of balance in artworks allows one to identify their compositional structure. The document then provides examples of artworks that demonstrate various compositional approaches.

1. What is a Composition?
• In the visual arts, composition means, “the
placement or arrangement of visual elements
in a work of art”
• Confusing? Let’s look at the dictionary
definition for help: “the act of combining parts
or elements to form a whole”
– Other examples: music (sounds arranged to make
a song) and bread (flour, salt, butter, and other
ingredients make a loaf of bread)

2. Types of Composition
• Compositions may be symmetrical,
asymmetrical, or radial in nature.
• Let’s take a look at these different types of
balance.
• Now, let’s see if we can identify different types
of balance in artwork.

3. Women of Tahiti by Paul Gauguin, 1891

4. Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh, 1889

5. Mask, Benin, Africa, c. 1500-1600

6. Campbell’s Soup I by Andy Warhol, 1968

7. Mexico Salvate! by Judithe Hernandez

8. Islands, North of Greenland by Lawren Harris, 1930

9. Reclining Figure by Henry Moore, 1931