This essay shows my interpretation on Juan Ulna’s painting, “Picnic in Normandy’. I made this essay for my Articulates class. Rearm… The painting is at the Barras Museum, University of the Philippines – Dilemma, Guenon City, Philippines. If you have time to visit our university, drop by at the Barras Museum cozy there are lots of things to appreciate there. 🙂 The painting entitled, Picnic in Normandy, is the painting that caught my attention when I visited the Barras Museum. It is an oil painting on canvas made by Juan Incision Ulna.
From its name, the painting depicts women and men having a picnic at a certain place in Normandy. Light colors were used in the painting to accentuate the beauty of the place – a place surrounded with flowers. Ideally, the painting is colorful so there is an emphasis on the changing qualities of light on color and texture of the images. Visible brush strokes and unusual visual angles are used on the painting. The painting is not that detailed. The flowers can be seen at a momentary glance, but when I looked at them closer, I noticed that the flowers were just flecks and dabs of color.
Same is true with the other images on the painting. It seems like Ulna emphasizes more on the overall effect of the painting rather than on the details. In addition to this, Ulna did not use dark colors probably because he tries to convey a fresh and light image of a landscape. Maybe, he wants his audience to feel fresh and feel relaxed as they look at the painting. At first glance, I was really captured by the painting. Its beauty and freshness really delighted me. Feeling all this boils down to the realization that I responded on the painting in the sensory level.
There was this one lady in the painting who was holding a bouquet of flowers. She was looking over the horizon, as if she could see more beyond that. I felt that the woman was thinking of her future, probably of her married life because of the bouquet of flowers she is holding. Who will she marry? Will she be happy? Will she be satisfied with their life? These questions seem to flood the lady mind. Another woman in the painting is picking some flowers. She seems delighted. I also noticed that she wears a ring on her ring finger. I think she’s already married and lives apply with her family.
The other three women and two men in the painting are having a conversation. They are enjoying themselves on the food and wine. My response on the emotional level is more of the lady I first mentioned. The scene reminded me of our province. Back at our town, I Just sit at our backyard and wait for the sunset. That, for me, is a pleasurable experience. Moreover, I am sometimes like the lady for I also wonder of the future. The men and women who were having a conversation made me think of my family and friends. It made me think of my experiences where in I Just unwind.
It made me realized how important it is to take a rest from all the daily stresses of life. Taking the intellectual level, the painting depicts the usual habit of the people during the late sass’s. Having a picnic, I suppose, is the best recreation for the folks back then. It is the best time for them to just unwind and rest from their work. I also noticed that they are really dressed up even though they were Just out on the grassland. Somehow, Ulna tries to show a landscape. He, probably, tries to snow now people connect Witt nature.
The painting manifests how people use nature to unwind themselves. The painting also shows the importance of recreation. The painting made me realize how opposite our world today is with the kind of world they have before. Today, we use various technologies or gadgets to relax ourselves. Before, they use nature to unwind themselves. I see how different the people today with the people before. People before are satisfied with simple things. Why did I respond to this painting? I responded to it because the first time I saw it, it made me realize how beautiful nature is, how marvelous it is to attach.
I somehow felt the people’s desire to be happy. L, too, desire to be happy. I realized how simple life is back then. They do simple things and for them it was really worth it. The things that made me really like the painting is its fresh look. The use of light colors helped a lot. The painting made me realize how great Juan Ulna is as a painter. It is simple, but it conveys a relevant meaning. The painting reminded me that nature can provide peace that no technology can offer – but sadly, most people today take for granted that reality.