Ingenue and the Gold Dress

Ingenue and the Gold Dress
The focus of this paper will be “Ingenue” by Richard Judson Zolan and “The Gold Dress” by Bill Brauer. The focal point of both paintings is a beautiful woman and this is where the similarities stop. Zolan’s focus is completely within the boundaries of the painting while Brauer’s leads your eye off the plane insinuating there is more going on than is captured within the boundaries of the painting. The word ingenue refers to a naive, innocent young woman while the woman in “The Gold Dress” is definitely more provocatively situated. Both artists are Americans, Zolan from Chicago and Brauer from New York. Zolan studied under Louis Rittman, a personal friend and student of Claude Monet, the French impressionist, and Brauer under Frederico Castellon, a Spanish-American painter and illustrator of children’s books. Zolan’s style reflects the influence of Monet with the effects of light while Brauer is more sensual and moody, using deep intense colors and beautifully rendered curves. Both works of art are beautifully painted and express the great talent of both men.
Zolan’s “Ingenue” is representational and painted in the impressionist style using different tones and values to express the effects of light and using broad brush strokes. The form is oil on canvas and the content is a ballerina squatting down with her right leg out in front as if she is leaning over stretching. The painting is balanced as her body is mainly on the right side of the painting and her leg and the dark shading balances out the left side. This is a very good representation of American Impressionism with dappled light and vivid colors. Zolan successfully fused modern and traditional elements to forge his own unique vision.
Brauer’s “The Gold Dress” is a contemporary painting and is modern and provocative, emanating sensual tension and the sizzling mystery of an underlying story. The work can be considered Abstract as the subjects are stylized and simplified, especially...