Elmer Bischoff depicts two figures in what appears to be a public setting, perhaps a library; both facing the viewer. Figure one, more at the foreground (with the orange sweater) is sitting at a table, with arms folded and head lowered and appears to be focused on reading. Figure two, more in the background to the viewer’s right, (and figure one’s left) is unclear whether the figure is sitting, or standing at a counter.

The two figure’s distance apart from one and the other, is where Bischoff shows the viewer proper perspective using relative size as figure one appears larger, more vivid and painted in more detail than figure two. A partition to the viewer’s right, using parallel lines that appear to travel back to figure two, is one way Bischoff creates linear perspective and gives depth to the composition. At the viewer’s left, a window is present with the appearances of greenery outside of the composition. The window’s panes add to the interposition illusion of a distinct inside and outside and the greenery being farther away. Also, one use of light and shadow that Bischoff uses is (again) showing figure one (more in the foreground) painted brighter more vividly with more contrast and color, and thus the illusion is created that figure one is receiving more light than figure two.

Outside of the obvious monocular cues, Bischoff uses classically trained techniques to create more depth and illusion. In what appears to be the backs of two chairs, facing away from the viewer at the lower left foreground corner; Bischoff paints only the top half. This serves two purposes, one is to create the illusion that the chairs come off the canvas and into the viewer’s prescience and invites the viewer to come in and look into the composition. The other purpose is to form a boundary that seems to say; “stay where you are,” and to also say, “do not disturb.”

Bischoff’s use of cool greens surrounding the composition, and the almost warm yellow hues that are muted and filtered from drawn shades in the window, at the background the create an all around placid, harmonious and still environment. The chairs are painted in a brown with darker green highlight, reflecting the greenery outside the window at the left background; this would suggest a warm earthy boundary between the viewer and the composition.

Bischoff paints the central figure in orange, complementary to the surroundings and being the first object the viewer will greet, but the central figure is not at the center of the composition, and not looking directly to the viewer. The viewer’s direct line of sight travels to the shaded window in the background, thus going over the head of the central figure and adding to the spaciousness of the room. Figure two in the background is facing the viewer also seems to offer an invitation to come closer and have a look.

Elmer Bischoff, an American Abstract Expressionist, later in his career turned again to the objective world and began painting figures into his compositions using expressionistic brush strokes and creating beautiful every day American scenes of the 1950’s through the 1960’s. I am a big fan of Elmer Bischoff and always feel at home studying his paintings, although always knowing my proper place and to view with care.

Elmer Bischoff mixes warm and rich expressionistic colors with two figures to create a beautiful and modern composition inside an American domestic scene.  He invites us to look out over a modern city skyline through three large panoramic windows from an apartment, and much more.

A man and a woman are present.  The man is standing in the left foreground, diagonally away from the woman and with his back to the viewer.  He stands at ease, with hands in pockets as he looks out through the main window.  His legs cut off below the knees, bring him slightly into the viewer’s space creating a subtle boundary.

The woman is in the background to the right; her body faces the viewer, although her face is turned away as she looks out to the left window.  Her presence and position offers balance and contrast to the man’s presence, inviting us to come in a bit closer and view more.  At her right and just below a horizon line of the main window is a cabinet with a lit table lamp and yellow lampshade.  Her hand rests on the cabinet as the glow from the lamp illuminates and contrasts her against the darker background window plane.  This effect enhances her with more warmth and invitation.

At the center foreground, to the right of the man, Bischoff placed a large, comfortable looking armchair facing away from the viewer.  It too, like the man sinks down off the canvas, into the viewer’s space to make even more of a boundary, and narrows the path into the painting, and the window.  Slightly turned to the left, the chair’s position points the viewer a direct line of sight between the man and the woman, past the yellow lampshade, out the window, onto the avenues, along the tall buildings and finally reaching for the far horizon.

The window on the left comes in from off the canvas, creating depth and reaches out to meet the main window, as the window on the right cuts off the canvas, almost parallel to the left, ad infitum.  Curtains are drawn back on the right window, behind the man and highlighted with bright yellows catching some of the light from the yellow lampshade.  They appear to be tied, but also in motion.  More curtains painted in greens, behind the woman and in the right window, appear drawn, but seem to fly out the windows creating light and airy motion with even more expansiveness.

Bischoff mixes strong oranges, rosy pinks and yellows, with busy brushstrokes, vividly lighting up the interior, and surrounding the man.  Absorbing the warmth, he also radiates the glowing essence back out into the apartment reflecting on woman’s face and arms.  As contrast, Bischoff uses light blue for the woman’s dress, (lighter blue because of the lamp light) corresponding to the view out the window and sky.   Dusk sets into the city as the sun dips below the high horizon turning the tall buildings deeper blue, bringing in night and feminine essences through her.

Melancholy and verve, tension and ease, staying in and going out, masculine and feminine; contractions galore are achieved by Bischoff’s obvious palette choices of primarily blues and oranges as complementary colors, but subtle use of small dabs of red painted behind the man’s back to the green curtains behind the woman add to the complications as well.

Bischoff resurrects figures, the human element; back from abstract American art of the 1940’s-1950’s (1) but they are not the same. They are modern, and surrounded by cosmopolitan brilliance, yet they are seemingly again, all alone and isolated as shown in the woman’s blank face.

The yellow lampshade, the brightest object and guiding beacon at the center of the composition is where everything meets.  Its presence could suggest to the viewer to relax and stay for the evening, or a cautionary tale of America in 1969 as the sun sets in the west, on the precipice of post-modernism, and an uncertain future. It invokes an empathetic response, and seems to ask; “will there be more?”

(1) WEBSITE: Elmer Bischoff: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elmer_Bischoff’,'yellow lampshade

The proposed special sign district would be more than a collection of billboards, but would be populated with spectaculars, including; roof signs, wind signs, wall signs, video signs, moving parts and rotating signs.  In addition, any illuminated sign would not be limited in any manner as the type of illumination and L.E.D message centers and Jumbotrons would be allowed.  There is mention inside the legal text of Proposition D, that;  “digital signs of the highest quality digital media should be encouraged“ and “signs that are part of a national campaign for products permitted to be advertised in the sign district should be encouraged before they are exhibited on signs elsewhere.”

Neon and spectaculars in Las Vegas, the Shinjuku district of Tokyo, and New York’s Times Square are often people’s first impressions of these cities and clearly capture the enormous amount of pedestrian traffic’s attention.  I voted against Proposition D, as I felt that San Francisco is of a different pedigree than other cities, and that adding the advertising before making over, and cleaning up Mid-Market Street is a flawed idea, i.e. people need something else to be drawn to as a destination other than lights and the Warfield and Market Street Cinema Theaters.

Joshua Reynolds, (1) a renowned English portrait painter uses the “Grand Manner” (2) portraiture style; a style in which gives larger than life impressions of the portrayed and the style in which he helped develop.  The showing of idealized and elite status is done through invention, such as adding classical associations, altering body proportions and lowering horizon lines.  Anne Montgomery, a Viscountess, daughter of an Irish parliament member and wife to George, the 4th Viscount Townsend is portrayed.

The first impression is its size and presence, her size and presence.  Anne Montgomery is posing for her portrait, but she’s presented full length with nature as the background, not indoors.  To her right, she is leaning on a classical stone relief carving depicting the Judgment of Paris.  There are only two of the three goddesses present represented in the tale.  A dog sits at the feet of Paris and looks up at two Goddesses, and Paris extends his arm offering the golden apple.  All appear cordial and serene in this miniaturization of the Greek drama.

Anne’s body is also wrapped in a Greek-Roman classical style; a white flowing draped short-waist, diaphanous gown.  Her body is strangely out of proportion, with tiny shoulders and small bust that connects to a smaller waistline and then expands into a much larger abdomen and even thicker, longer and wider thighs, suggesting strength and fertility.  Her right forearm, at the elbow as thick as her neck, suggesting strength and fortitude.

The Ermine mantle shows that she is a Viscountess, but it appears to be nonchalantly flung off her shoulders and over the stone relief shadowing the classical Greek scene.  The mantle then flows off the relief in a diagonal direction wrapping behind Anne’s buttocks and appearing again at her mid thigh and then falling to the ground.  The mantle draws the viewer’s eyes to her thighs and even more accentuates them.

Again, she is outdoors in nature.  A large tree is behind her and the stone relief carving filling most of the background.   Dark storm clouds over her head cover most of the sky.  Darkness is behind her, but a small break of sunshine at the horizon illuminates Anne’s hips at her left.  (Again Reynolds wants us to look at her thighs.)  At the lower left of the painting is the landscape, slanting and rolling in from the horizon line to Anne’s feet giving an appearance that she is elevated and above the earthy plane.

Her skin is white and pale giving her the looks of a very well pedigreed lady, not someone who has seen much life outside of a well controlled and sheltered environment.  Her face however, Reynolds has added pinkish colored rouge on her cheeks, creating a vibrant and youthful glow.  Her head is leaning on her right hand with index finger pointing to her temple, and the appearance of the pink rouge from her cheeks is reflected on her hand.  Her hands seem distorted, poorly depicted, weak, and rubbery.  They do not match the forearms, and this almost upsets the composition as a whole with everything else that has been carefully, adoringly crafted and staged.  If Reynolds is trying to depict her hands in motion, the illusion is missing.

As most of the background is muted and in earthy tones, Anne’s contrasted appearance at the center of everything is illuminating.  The only strong colors are the mantle in red and sash in blue; indicating royalty. The description placard at the Legion of Honor cited the “Grand Manner Style” another style other than what I thought was neoclassical  (because some of the elements presented; the Greek drama portrayal, classical calm expression on the model and her gown) Sir Joshua Reynolds excludes Venus from the classical stone relief and ultimately depicts Anne, as the fairest of all and this is very grand indeed.

(1) WEBSITE: Joshua Reynolds: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua_Reynolds
(2) WEBSITE: Grand Manner: Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Manner’,'Anne Montgomery, Viscountess