Museum Visit

"The Yellow Scale," oil on canvas. Frantisek Kupka. 1907

On my visit to the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, one piece truly spoke to me; "The Yellow Scale" by Frantisek Kupka.

Pt.1: To describe the piece, it is of a stern looking man holding a cigarette. His eyes gaze towards the viewer as if we are interrupting his leisure time. The positions of his hands seem to affirm his agitation. The entire piece is composed of different tones of yellow, which includes reds and yellows. Although the piece is entirely composed of yellow, you are not lost in it. For instance, his face is accented with greens and reds which complements his yellow surroundings.

Pt.2: The piece is a representational work of art. The artists purpose was to attract the viewer to the piece with the yellows used. However, once the viewer has taken notice of the man and his serious face, the viewer feels the need to turn away from the piece.