Caroline

Portrait of Caroline
Alberto Giacometti, 1962
oil on canvas, 50.8' x 34.5'
Image taken from ArtNet

For this assignment, I couldn't decide on a piece of art to do that I liked, so I chose a completely random one. It is an oil painting called "Portrait of Caroline" by Alberto Giacometti. A woman, Caroline, is sitting very stiffly in a room, not smiling at all. Her hands are crossed in her lap and her legs are straight. Browns and yellows are in blobs spread around her and over her, coloring her shirt, skirt, and face. It appears messy, but intentional. the background of the room she is in is only suggested by black outlines and brown color.

The reason I like this piece is because it is so gestural, and at a glance looks like it was done very quickly. However, I believe his lines were carefully thought out. I think it is interesting that he chose to not include any of the background or chair, but only hint or suggest the room behind Caroline. This really makes her the focus of the entire piece. The emotion in this painting really comes from the style as opposed to the subject, because Caroline isn't showing any emotion on her face or her pose, as she is keeping to herself.