Daniel Levine 

Professor Toohey 

ENG 170-28 

Art Analysis Paper 

13 February 2024 

Analysis of The Nameless Painting 

The idea of this project is to analyze and give a personal evaluation of a piece of art we received during class. This piece we received had no name, and part of our job was to name the piece based off our interpretation of the art. The name I decided to pick is “Penumbral Portal”, this i feel suited the piece very well and is unique enough to separate from other choices. Also this essay also serves as an introduction to being able to properly write an analytical essay. Overall this piece is very thought provoking and can be interpreted in many different ways which allows for different perspectives to be seen. 

The first aspect of this piece that really stuck out to me was the dots surrounding the main landscape. One of the reasons being that they frame an integral part of it, with this choice it serves as a guide for people trying to grasp[ the most important part of it, with this choice it serves as a guide for people trying to grasp the most important parts of the piece. also using dots to frame the landscape instead of solid lines provides another aspect of detail to the piece which can be taken in many ways. My personal interpretation of the border is that the landscape was not there before and through the gathering fireflies was the gateway able to be opened for nature to seep through into a seemingly nothing less void. Continuing the fireflies seemingly being covered by the river which is overflowing into the separate area provides a sense of depth to the picture. lastly the fireflies serve as a way to help set the overall mood the artist wanted to set.

The second main part of the picture that caught my eye was the landscape. The most interesting part of the landscape to me was the trees in the background behind the river. The trees being a stark red-orange color really separates them from the rest of the background which allows for a creative color theme throughout the piece. Straying away from specifically the background, the colors chosen are reminiscent of a sunset which always provides a sense of relaxation and comfort since that is what feelings we associate with sunsets. This makes the piece ooze an calming aura as you look more and more into the intricate details of it. Going back to the landscape, the dead tree which takes up a majority of the image to me represents a passage of time within the area. Since we don’t know where the landscape is based off of, its cool to see that wherever this takes place, it is similar to earth in some capacity. The river being following the color palette and being shades of white and purple represents how the painting itself flows from area to area. The last core part of the landscape which ties it together is the moon and the mountainside. The time of this painting taking place during night time, assists in setting the mood. As well as the mountains adding to the sheer scale of this alternate area, it really ties the landscape as whole together. What interests me about the landscape though is that the lake behind the red trees, is a natural blue hue. This is thought provoking as there is a possibility that something has been put in the river or if something is between the trees and the leak which caused the different color.

The last key detail and most prominent are the dragonflies. Dragonflies can represent many things, emotions like joy, feelings like power or luck. Overall they are a very positive animal and symbol in most cultures. Dragonflies in real life mostly live around boggy or damp areas like swamps or high moisture forests, so it is rather fitting to see them flying towards an area with alot of water. With the actual painting the dragonflies are seen transitioning between the landscape as some are flying in and out of the frame. The meaning of why the dragonflies are there can be interpreted many ways. Some ways it could be seen is that the dragonflies are flying to different areas and spreading their positivity which could relate to a deeper overall meaning. Also it could show how throughout life everything comes and goes, especially times of peace and joy, but also times of anguish and sadness. A theme that I’ve gathered from the painting is that things like peace, serenity, and other positive feelings can be achieved in the most simple places. That is just one of many interpretations one can see when looking at the painting since some people can focus on different things within the photo to develop ideas like the river. The last thing that can be observed is the motifs utilized within the painting. These include certain color choice like the use of purple throughout the entire piece or the insect motif with the dragonflies and fireflies. The motifs themselves are simple in execution but the meaning can be reached beyond the simple examples. Like how purple in many medias is related to regality which could elude to how landscape could potentially be on royal ground. And how insects are usually related to fears and despair as shown with how throughout out history there has been correlations between disease and insects. 

The piece itself sparks new ideas and inspiration for future endeavors and can provide insight into unknown aspects of creation. With the representations of many ideas through the examples of the landscapes or the various insects, the artist’s ideas are coming through the canvas and into the minds of the observer. This also includes the motifs that are present throughout the piece. Looking at the piece from the violet plains that span throughout, the bleakness of the void that fills in the background, or the lavender river that flows through the forest, this art is a good example of how interpretation can evolve through analysis.