STANDARDS
Core Art Standards: VA2, VA3, VA9
CCSS: R1, R3, R9
Black & White
Are black and white opposites? In many Western cultures, black represents death and sadness. But in China, it’s white that is associated with death and illness. Black and white are often juxtaposed. Why do you think these opposites attract?
Are black and white opposites? The two colors are often used together in art, design, and pop culture. Why do you think these opposites attract?
Gong Xian (1619-1689), Landscape with Poems, 1688. Ink on paper. Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Ink Origins
Chinese artists value India ink, often made of soot from burned pine, for its versatility. For his 1688 landscape above, Gong Xian (gong shyahn) creates depth using ink wash and dotting techniques. Gong varies the density of the ink, from barely there washes to deep black marks. With nothing more than black ink, the artist represents a lush world.
India ink is often made of soot from burned pine wood. Gong Xian (gong shyahn) uses India ink for his 1688 landscape above. He creates depth using ink wash and many small dots. He illustrates a rich world using nothing more than black ink.
Claude Monet (1840-1926), The Gare St-Lazare, 1877. Oil on canvas. The National Gallery.
Lack of Black
Glistening trains wait in the station as steam swirls around them in the 1877 painting by Claude Monet above. Look carefully. What color are the trains?
Impressionist artists, including Monet, believed there is no black in nature. They felt so strongly about this that they rarely used black paint. Instead, they mixed red, yellow, and blue. Depending on the proportions of colors they used, the darkest areas might look close to black but with hints of red, blue, or purple. The Impressionists believed this is closer to the way colors truly appear in nature.
In the painting above by Claude Monet, shiny trains wait in a station. What color are the trains?
Impressionist artists like Monet believed there is no black in nature. They felt so strongly about this that they rarely used black paint. Instead, they mixed red, yellow, and blue to paint dark areas. The results might look close to black but with hints of color. Do you think this is how colors appear in nature?
Ayazee/Shutterstock
"Classical" White House
It took 100 tons of lime white to paint the White House in Washington, D.C., when it was first built. The classical design pays homage to white temples in ancient Greece. Decades later, scholars discovered that Greek temples were actually painted in colors so bright they would offend modern aesthetics!
It took 100 tons of lime white to paint the White House. It was white to look like ancient Greek temples. But recently scholars discovered that Greek temples used to be painted in vivid colors!
James Abbott McNeill Whistler (1834-1903), Symphony in White, No. 1: The White Girl, 1862. Oil on canvas. National Gallery of Art.
Whistler Acting Weird
Lead white affects the nervous, reproductive, cardiovascular, and immune systems. It can also make people act crazy. In 1862, when James Abbott McNeill Whistler was working on his Symphony in White, No. 1: The White Girl, above, his friends noticed he was acting strange.
At the time, most portraits featured a bright figure against a dark background. But Whistler limited his palette so he could experiment with tonal variation. As a result, he spent a lot of time working with lead white, which wasn’t good for the artist’s body or mind. It was a relief for all in his life when he finally finished the painting.
Lead white affects many parts of the body, including the brain. That means it can change people’s behavior. James Abbott McNeill Whistler used lead white to paint Symphony in White, No. 1: The White Girl, above. While he was working on it, his friends noticed he was acting strange.
Whistler experimented with one color. He spent a long time working with lead white. It affected the artist’s body and mind. His friends were relieved when he finished the painting.
Left: Louise Nevelson (1899-1988), Sky Cathedral, 1958. Painted wood. Art Resource, New York. Artists Rights Society, New York. Right: Louise Nevelson, Dawn’s Wedding Chapel II, 1959. Painted wood. Art Resource, New York. Artists Rights Society, New York.
Assembling Opposites
In the 1950s, Louise Nevelson wandered her New York City neighborhood in search of discarded pieces of wood. The artist created large-scale assemblages, attaching the found objects to one another and experimenting with form. Her sculptures transformed when painted black. Instead of looking like arrangements of old chair legs and molding, the works became about texture, highlights, and shadows.
Nevelson soon experimented with white and later gold. Compare her 1958 Sky Cathedral, above left, and 1959 Dawn’s Wedding Chapel II, above right. How does the color change the way you see each sculpture?
Louise Nevelson collected pieces of wood in New York City. The artist used the found objects to make large sculptures. She transformed them with black paint. Instead of looking like old chair legs and wall molding, they became about texture, highlights, and shadows.
Nevelson soon experimented with white as well. Compare her 1958 Sky Cathedral, above left, and 1959 Dawn’s Wedding Chapel II, above right. How does the color affect the sculptures?
