In Le Meutre, a dark color scheme creates a mood of anxiety and danger. The monochromatic charcoal color composition of this piece creates a sense of darkness. Hidden dangers often lurk in darkness, and the gloomy, black appearance of this piece creates a sense of anxiety and fear. A source of fear for humanity, darkness is a menacing aspect of human existence, the night becoming a dangerous time during which the greatest misfortune can occur.
A French word meaning murder, the painting’s title invokes fear and suspicion. There has been a death here, and the mood of the painting supports this assertion. The broken shape that is the central figure in this piece represents the victim. The life has been severed, and it is no longer whole, and therefore, no longer valid. The artist has skillfully depicted death without gory details. Rather, the emphasis is on the life that is interrupted, its chain of events broken by a single, willful act.
©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved
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