A formal analysis of Mary Cassatt Essay Example

out. As your eyes follow the balcony around the painting, it leads to another subject, a gentleman also holding a pair of opera glasses pointing back at the woman. The male figure has the same pose, with his arm on the balcony, as the woman giving this piece symmetry and a pattern of shapes. Continuing patterns are also shown repeated throughout the painting on the front of the balcony boxes.

The subject of the painting is brought to importance because she is sandwiched between the viewer and the man on the far balcony. The appropriate use of lines in this painting lead the viewers eye around the painting. The sharp lines of the dividers between the balcony boxes helps to pull the viewers eye up and down the painting to the lower balcony boxes. Again, the use of bold lines in the lower balcony boxes lead the viewers eye back the the main subject of this painting. Another small detail the artist helps to move the viewers eye up and down the painting is the vein in the sitters right hand that stands out to the viewer.

Different textures are used throughout this piece to illustrate various surfaces seen in the opera house. The fine texture of the sitters skin give great detail to the subjects fine smooth skin. The different brush strokes also lead to different perspective and depth throughout the piece. The appropriate use of colors in the painting like golds and pastels evokes the grand feel of the opera house.

Mary Cassatt’s In the Loge clearly demonstrates the story of the excitement of the opera house through her excellent use

of lines, repeating shapes, color, emphasis on subjects, and contrasting colors throughout the painting.