Anne Heywood

Oxbow

Pastel on paper
19.5" x 24.5"

This is a scene from the town of Orvieto in Italy. The two elements that attracted me to this subject were the curving river in the background and the huge wind-bent tree in the center of the foreground. Subject-wise these elements are very traditional, and can be found in many old paintings. The composition of this painting, however, is very modern.

Traditionally, the placement and size of the large tree should cut the painting unpleasantly in half, and take all of the attention away from the rest of the scene. This does not happen here; instead, the viewer's attention is brought to the curving river in the background, of which, thanks to the tree, we have an obstructed view.

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