| Exploded
Essay
James Van Der Zee. Couple in Raccoon Coats, 1932.
© 1997.
All rights reserved by Donna Van Der Zee.
"Pictures" Question: Identify the formal element of line in
this work. How does it work to create meaning or experience? What do you
think this meaning or experience could be?
Roll over this button to
open a pop-up commentary on the previous sentence of the sample essay.
Sample Essay Begins Here:
Van Der Zee
uses line in Couple in Raccoon Coats to create a portrait of African
American dignity and prosperity.
Horizontal and vertical lines predominate.The
central car provides the strongest horizontal statement. The implied lines
of the car’s roof and running board echo the strong horizontal line
of the chassis. The line of the man’s hat brim mimics that of the
convertible top above it, as the line of the hem of the woman’s coat
parallels that of the running board. This horizontal line repeats itself
in the stairs, doors, and windows of the building behind the car.
Yet
equally strong straight vertical lines balance this horizontality; the
lines of the building’s windows, doors, and banisters lead the eye
up and down, as well as sideways.
The car’s convertible top and windshield also project verticality,
as does the edge of the open door. However, perhaps the strongest vertical
lines can be located in the central figures, where the woman’s regal,
upright posture is reflected in the confident lines of the seated man’s
back. The heavy stripes of the raccoon coats also emphasize vertical line.
Van Der Zee employs forceful lines to make the
two figures the focal area; their placement in the intersection of the
tranquil horizontal lines of the car and the dynamic vertical lines of
the central staircase banisters, an area of symbolic tension, accentuates
their importance.Adding
even more emphasis are the curved lines of the wheels, which serve as
end blocks to the line of the car, closing the composition and pushing
attention inward to the figures. The strength of the car’s horizontal
line further reinforces the couple at its center, as well as drawing attention
to the gleaming length of the car itself.
Once
the eye focuses on the figures, not only does their verticality enforce
the vital confidence of their posture but their clothing signals their
material success. The fur coats, the woman’s fashionable cloche hat
and high heels, the man’s crisp hat–all signify prosperity.
Van Der Zee’s use of line to emphasize this stylish 1930s
pair and their new car makes this photograph more than a studio portrait.
The dignified elegance of the couple connotes a celebration of new African
American identity–the success and achievement of the Harlem Renaissance.
Review
all 9 Elements of the Exploded Sample Essay for this module.
Download MS
Word copy of Exploded Essay |
