Note on Images:

-Admission was free the day I visited (3/20/2010). Since there were no tickets, I hope my scan of a gift bag and the back of a postcard from the museum will suffice.

Museum Visit Assignment – Visual Analysis: The Illustrious Guest

James Henry Beard’s The Illustrious Guest is a painting that depicts Kentucky Statesman Henry Clay comfortably seated within a tavern as other visitors look on. It was likely set during the 1844 presidential election, and was completed in 1847. Following is a formal analysis of the painting’s elements.

Firstly, the most obvious lines in the image are those of the floorboards and walls. Those of the floorboards are thin and seem to point diagonally towards the center of the image, aiding in drawing the viewer’s attention to the figure of Clay. The lines of the walls are similarly thin, and point vertically, emphasizing the straightness, height, and stability of the walls in the room.

An implied line seems to begin with the individual in brown on the far left. It then travels down to a child wearing red, then up again to Clay and the man in green, and finally it moves slightly down to a gentleman wearing a top hat. This rhythmic line travels through all of the most conspicuous characters in the image.

Other lines in the image include the legs of the chair and the legs of Clay himself. Both sets of lines are thick and dark – easily the darkest and most obvious lines in the image. The gaze of the other individuals also creates implied lines, and virtually all of these lines point to Clay.

Multiple shapes compose The Illustrious Guest. Squares are used for the furniture and floorboards, triangles for the newspaper Clay is reading, and of course, complex shapes for the numerous people and objects. Two implied triangles are also formed among Clay and the more prominent individuals to both his left and right.

All shapes are drawn to give the viewer a sense of realism. Its subject matter is natural, and the image is certainly not perceived to be two-dimensional. The people’s characters are readily apparent in their stances – Clay is relaxed, focused on his paper, and the girl in red appears curious, much like the individual to her back, though he seems more restrained – holding the pipe of the stove. The man in green and his hatted companion seem simultaneously surprised and almost disdainful, and the other background figures, if not occupied with other activities (such as the two gentlemen observing what appears to be a cane), stare at Clay in a similar manner (note the women behind the door).

Clay, with his location in the foreground and ostentatious seating position, takes up the most space in the image when compared to any other individual. His large size draws attention to him as the subject of the painting. Furthermore, no individuals are in front of him or at the same depth as him; Beard’s intended focal point is once again made clear.

The painting is certainly 3-dimensional – with shadows, lighting, and geometry all used to emphasize the various objects’ positions and proportions to one another. The guests in the back of the painting are much darker, smaller, less detailed, and overlapped by those in the foreground, aiding the viewer in determining their relative depth and location in space. Despite these differences in lighting and clarity, all of the people in the image appear to be normally-sized, as though the onlooker were viewing the whole scene through a window. Open space is mostly found in the foreground of the painting, likely intended by the artist to facilitate and highlight the depiction of Clay.

Lighting plays a prominent role in The Illustrious Guest, and draws attention almost immediately to Clay and the child to his left. No other object or person in the image seems quite as “lit up” as these two. A small circle of light just below Clay and his young friend aids in confirming that this light is in fact natural; in addition, all shadows (those of the chair and people) point away from the same object – the stove, which explains why the light on Clay and the child is most intense.

The shadows are themselves depicted using darker pigments of color – the darker the tone, the more intense the shadow. By utilizing these shadows, Beard creates a more compelling 3-dimensional image than would otherwise have existed. Without these darker shades of color, elements such as the creases in the coats and contours of the figures would be far less discernible, and overall perception of shape and position would be impaired.

The most common colors in the painting are black, brown, red, and green. Clay is shown donning a coat of the deepest shade of black, contrasting greatly with the abundant shades of brown and black found in the rest of the image. Brown is used for both the room itself and most of its occupants, with the exceptions of a gentleman in green and children in red (complimentary colors). The reasons for their deviations from the common brown color are unclear to me, though it is worth noting that only the young girls wear red. Finally, the overall mood set by the colors is warmth and coziness, more than likely intended by Beard thanks to the stove.