Formal Analysis Worksheet: Self Portrait With Calavera

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FORMAL ANALYSIS WORKSHEET - BLANTON MUSEUM VISIT

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

1) What is the complete title of the artwork?

Self-Portrait with Calavera

2) Who is/are the artist(s) who created the artwork?

Luis Jimenez

3) When was the artwork created?

1996

4) What kind of artwork is it (2D, 3D, sculpture, photograph, painting, print, etc.)?

Self-Portrait with Calavera is a two-dimensional print.

5) What material(s) is it/does it appear to be made of?

The artwork’s label reveals that Self-Portrait with Calavera is made through a soft-ground etching process, as well as the aquatint process. This means that the artwork was created with an etching needle on a copper plate before it was transferred through pressure onto paper. As well
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The amount of line that the artist built up around the eyes, nose , and the mouth of the figure provide interest towards the artwork. The element of lines make these features stand out the most and provide variety. As mentioned before, the color in this artwork is based off of a neutral palette, and those neutral colors visually illustrate the artwork as a coherent whole. The only variety that seems to be present is the technique of gradation the artist uses. There are areas where one hue is transitioning to another that has a lower intensity. For example, dark values are placed above the shoulders and around the head of the figure, but then they transition into a lighter value as they extend …show more content…
The scale of Self-Portrait with Calavera is enormous compared to an actual life-size human man. I believe that the artist intentionally composed a larger size to emphasize the content of the work. Proportion in the artwork is also exaggerated in the nose and the lips of the figure, because it is resembling those of a skull meaning that there is no presence of them.

5) Rhythm/Movement?

Unfortunately rhythm or movement are not applicable in Self-Portrait with Calavera.

CONTENT ANALYSIS:

1) What feelings do you have when looking at this piece? (not environmental feelings like hot or cold, and not health wise like tired or sick or bored…dig deep into your emotional and psychological reaction/connection to the work)

When looking at the composition I feel sympathetic, but at the same time disgust towards the man. To me, looking at the figure is very unpleasant because it is a artwork out of the ordinary from how a typical man is displayed. In a way, I see a glimpse of the pain that the man has gone through and I can feel the sadness through his eyes, but when I focus on it for a long time it becomes

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