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George Washington Crossing the Delaware
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Yes, he did. The soldiers in the distance are much smaller than
those in the foreground boat, giving the illusion that General Washington's boat
is closer to us than the others.
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There is another technique that Leutze used to give depth to the painting.
Look at the figure on the left who is digging his oar into an ice floe.
Why don't we see all of the sailor's upraised arm?
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Leutze "foreshortened" the sailor's left arm so that the upper part is
blocked from our view by the lower part, clutching the top of the oar. Even his
right arm seems a little shorter than it would have been if it was extended
straight down instead of at an angle toward the viewer. Look for other examples
of foreshortening used in the picture to create a similar sense of depth.
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There is yet another way that Leutze gave this painting a sense of depth.
Look at the difference between the colors he chose to describe the foreground
sailors and those used in the background.
Where does the artist use brighter colors?
background |
foreground
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