Description and Formal Analysis of "And the Bridegroom"

Amanda Sullivan

FNDN 1800A

February 28, 2009

Description and Formal Analysis of And the Bridegroom

Description: My chosen painting is titled And the Bridegroom. It was painted by Lucian Freud in 1993. It measures 91.25” x 77.25” with the larger dimension being the vertical measurement. The medium its oil on canvas. The painting depicts a nude man and woman lying on a small cot that has been covered with a large, wrinkled gray cloth. The figures and the cot on which they lie are centered both vertically and horizontally in the canvas. The only other piece of furniture visible in the room is a weathered black dressing screen located behind the bed. Behind the screen, a portion of a window with the blinds pulled down is visible on a very aged looking wall with peeling yellow wallpaper. The floor appears to be hardwood, the graying tones of which make it look aged as well. The boards run vertically on the canvas, perpendicular to the horizontal cot and figures. The male figure is lying on his back, his face partially turned away from the viewer. His right arm rests above his head. His right leg is bent and upright, while the left lies outstretched, with the foot hanging over the left bottom corner of the bed. He appears to be quite large and of a sturdy build. His head is bald, and his skin is of a medium tone. The female figure is lying on her side facing the viewer. Her knees are bent and her right foot is resting on the male figures left thigh. Her elbows are also bent, with her left arm partially obscuring her face, while her long brown hair drapes over the top of the bed. She is small and slender, and her skin tone is noticeably paler than that the male figure. Both figures appear to be sleeping.

Formal elements: The painting has numerous strong verticals and horizontals. The bed, figures, and wall trim draw the eye horizontally across the canvas while the vertical lines of the dressing screen and the vertical brush strokes in the wall and floor...