Analysis Of Roseate Mist By Howard Lewis By Means Of Line, Shape, And Texture

Ethereal, nebulous, and emotive are all words one could use to describe the oil painting Roseate Mist by Howard Lewis. While simple in its composition, this painting utilizes color in a way that manipulates the mood of the painting, generating visual tension as well as tranquility. Reminiscent of color-field paintings, Lewis hones in on the importance of color with purposeful attention by eliminating the distraction of line, shape, and the materiality of paint.

By rejecting three of the main formal elements of art: line, shape, and texture, Lewis composes a painting not to be simply viewed but to be experienced. Standing in front of this painting, one can exclusively soak up the colors and experience their emotive qualities. Norman Lewis’s oil painting, Roseate Mist can be described modestly as a 36 x 42 ½ canvas dripped with thinned paint in various shades of reds and purples. The background consists of a neutral, cool-toned white, and the body of the painting consisting of a series of colors blurring together like splashes of ink. While organic in shape, the splashes of color form a nearly symmetrical composition. Lewis’s color palette is primarily red, ranging from a warm and saturated orange-crimson to a deep and somber purple. Shades of reds and purples are scattered throughout the composition, but are mainly separated into two halves of the canvas. The warmer orange-reds are most present at the top of the painting, and the cool-toned purples populate the bottom half. When describing this painting, one of the first observation one makes is its absence of clearly defined shapes or lines. Instead of relying on shape and line to define the work of art, the artist turns exclusively to color.

When analyzing this painting from the perspective of color, there are several artistic decisions that assist in curating a particular mood. Bright and eye-catching orange-reds give the painting an energy and excitement, promptly inviting you to approach for a closer look. Cool and somber purples, made of what looks to be alizarin crimson give contrast to these violently bright reds, creating visual tension by their calm and contemplative nature. Despite this contrast in color variation, the transition between warm and cool is eased by letting the paints bleed into one another. By thinning his paint so dramatically, Lewis is able to fluidly guide the eye of the viewer across the expanse of color. This technique of diluting his paint with copious amounts of solvent allows Lewis to surrender control over the composition to the colors themselves. Lewis allows each color to bleed into one other and form shapes organically. In turn, the bleeding of paint creates an almost graceful sense of movement. Because the paint is thinned with a significant amount of solvent, the canvas itself becomes an important element, as well. As the viscosity of the paint is thinned, the woven texture of the canvas becomes the sole tactile element. Instead of paint appearing to sit on the surface of the canvas, the paint appears to have been stained into the very fabric itself. While the title indicates this painting as an interpretation of mist, the depiction of mist is not mimetic in nature. While there is a distinct hazy quality to this painting, the color selection of this rosy mist is anything but naturalistic. The title of this painting, Roseate Mist is interesting as it could hold two different meanings. The term Roseate itself could merely refer to the color palette. Another interpretation might suggest, however, a filter of “rose-colored” optimism.

The contrasting mood created by these fierce reds and the somber purples could be interpreted as commentary addressing the possible dangers of rose-colored optimism. Whether simply challenging the formal qualities of art, or commenting on viewing life through an overly optimistic lense, Lewis is able to create a captivating work using minimal elements. By allowing the viewer to focus exclusively on the expressive qualities of color, Lewis is able to create an engaging and contemplative piece. The contrast of color as well as the decision to surrender artistic control to the fluidity of the paint itself, are some of the reasons this piece is so unique and beautiful.