FUNG Yuen Ting (Lewina) talks on OA - She Stood By the Bedside - 1890

 

1) INTRODUCE THE DRAWING IN GENERAL TERMS

This drawing is an illustration of a scene of the story namely “She stoodby the bedside for some moments looking down upon her pityingly”. It was captured from Little Saint Eilizabeth, a story book which published in 1890 by Frances Burnett. I do not sure that Frances Burnett is the artist of this drawing since there is no subscription on it, but almost these type of drawing are drawn by the author himself in normal situation. The use of medium in this drawing is black charcoal on a white paper. You can clearly see that there is a maid standing beside and pushing aside the curtain to wake the little girl up, which same as the title exactly. As mentioned before, it is an illustration of the scene of story, no emotional expression is involved. It just used as a description and reference to the readers only.

2) DESCRIBE THE DRAWING IN DETAIL
It is constructed by different types of lines, and lines in this piece are very exquisite. Thin, curved, smooth and continuous lines are used to illustrate the softness of bedding and dresses of maid for instance. We can imagine how soft of the materials are using by observing the character of those lines. Nevertheless, zigzag lines are used to illustrate the vividness of the trimming of pillow, hat and apron of maid. A tactile pillow is then showed out. In addition, different level of stress of lines can also outline the distance and space of the picture. It created a three-dimensional effect to the audience by using different tones. The drawing can therefore look like more realistic.

Ranges of tones have been a very important role in this drawing. The very dark and very light areas have depicted the distance of the objects. The objects in the darkness background has create the sense of the maid is standing at the back (depth). The little girl and the bed are stayed in the front which is at the foreground with light color. The use of light color on the objects can also help to draw the audience’s attention on the main character (the little girl and the bed) easily. In addition, the use of shadow can also reflect the top and bottom position of the pillow and bed. It mixes all the objects together by using different tones incisively to make the whole picture more naturally. Thus a great sense of gradation has been carried out.

Various of shapes in this drawing also create a marvelous effect to us. Curtain, dress of maid and bedding are soft in shape and the trimming of pillow, hat and apron are using the shape which is a little bit rough. All of them are quite long and continuous. It makes a clear understanding to the material used in those objects and makes the whole picture more peaceful and harmony.

Texture is less important to a certain extent as the rhythm and tone are more important in this picture. Undoubtedly, the texture has made the drawing more satisfactory and comfortable. Without those layouts, the drawing would become more simple and dull and just like missing something else. So far, this drawing is now providing a peaceful and warm feeling to the audience and the figures are in proper arrangement.

The two main objects, a maid and a girl are placed in the middle of the picture, which provided a stable composition to the drawing. The little girl soundly asleep and the maid was seems so sympathetic to take care of her. Besides, curtains are placed aside and the pillow and bedding are placed at the bottom of the drawings. It also helps to create a peace and harmony feeling to the people. With comparing the dark and light areas, it shows there is a balance composition.

For the rhythm, it is not such obvious. Lines in the drawing are ran from the top to the bottom, it leads us to look at the whole picture by following the line going which is in the form of up to down direction. There is an equal distribution of visual weight throughout the whole picture, darkness and lightness, I can say that it is a very balance drawing. All the objects and colors are distributed equally.

As described above, the use of shadow and stress of colors may create three-dimensional space to the picture. It makes the drawing looks more realistic. The extent of colors used may show the objects are in far or close distant. In this drawing, the maid is standing at the dark area, which shows that she is at the back. On the other hands, the little girl sleep at the light area, which illustrates she is in the front position. A great mixture of texture, tone, rhythm and composition in this drawing has really created a harmonious and warm feeling to us.

Last but not least, degree of contrasts of a drawing may also create different effects. Of course, the contrast of this drawing is very strong. The background of the whole picture is very dark while the foreground is very light in color. It shows an extreme contrast between them. As the story of this drawing is talking about the life of the little girl, author may want the audience focus on the little girl more. To achieve this goal, he has used a lighter color to catch the attention of the audience. It is really helpful to reveal the main characters clearly by using lighter color, so that people would mainly focus on the sleeping girl first, then the maid.

3) INTERPRETATION AND EVALUATION
This drawing shows a sense of harmony, peaceful and warm mood. A young maid and the little girl is the main character in this drawing. It seems that the little girl is under well care by a merciful maid, which provided a sense of safety to us. The young maid with a little smiling and her eyes were full of humanity. The background of the drawing is also soft in color and tones, no extreme big contrast that with rough and think lines have been showed. Most of the materials used in the accessory and bed are soft. It seems all the things are in natural form without any violence and agitation integrants in it.

The purpose of this drawing is to illustrate one of the story scenes, not to express the feeling of the artist in actual. It shows the little girl sleeping in the bed safely without any interruption. By just looking this drawing, I think it wants to express the life of the girl who living in a big and harmony family. From the decoration of the room and size of the bed, we can know that the girl is from the wealth family. She is now under taking care by the maid rather than the mother and father. But it seems that little girl is not such happy, may be the lack of caring from her parents or something else. All in all, it expresses the peaceful and warm condition that the little girl is living.

I love this drawing very much as it makes me feel peaceful. I do not feel frightening with this drawing. The textures are very details and the tone has been best used in it. It is a very great illustration and easy to understand. The strong texture on the softness of the pillow and clothes and bedding would also helps to construct an atmosphere which is in peaceful environment I am standing in. This work has also teach me how to analyze a drawing with observing the details and let me knowing that the importance of searching the background information before appreciate a drawing.