Formal Visual Analysis This essay will formally analyze The Seine at Giverny (1885) which was painted

by Claude Monet and can be view at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Museum. It is a Seascape and at a scale of 25 1/2 by 36 1/2 inches it gives the viewer the impression of looking out the window and it represents the impressionism style. The painting is oil on canvas and despite its age it is in very good conditions with no evident sign of deterioration. It is framed by an antique looking golden Wood frame with embellishments in shape of sea shells and vines all around. At first glance the viewer cannot see any actual lines and everything looks very blurred and unfocused, but upon closer viewing it is possible to see that there are many implied lines that direct the eyes of the viewer. The main horizontal line in the painting is the horizon line which is localized in the center of the painting slightly skewed to the left. There are also some horizontal lines, in terms of the direction of the brush work, on the left in the reflection of the trees closer to the painting frame. The display of the painting also represents a horizontal line that determines the composition of the painting. Vertical implied lines are used mostly of the right side of the painting in terms of the height of the trees. At the point where the two River banks meat the horizon it possible to see two vertical implied lines that somewhat frame the horizon. Diagonal implied lines make up the majority of the painting and it can even be said that they make the images that the viewer sees. The main diagonals can be seen through the shape of the trees and their reflections in the water as they reach the horizon. They form two converging triangles that direct the viewers eye toward the point where the river can no longer be seen. There are also diagonal lines the terms of the brush work. The lines make the slight angle of the leaves directed toward the all different directions. Diagonal lines can also be seen in water with an upward inclination as the image recedes and in the shape of the clouds pointing downward toward the right lower corner. In the same fashion as many seascapes, where nature is the main focus, the viewer can see that there are no figures depicted and that despite some similarities on both sides of central axis the painting is not symmetric. The viewer can see lot more of the trees on right side of the river bank than on the left. From the viewers perspective the vantage point of the painting seems to be at a distance somewhat above the water level and slightly to the lower right corner at an off center position.