The Scream Re-Write

     The Scream is an extremely well-known painting by the late nineteenth and early twentieth century impressionist artist Edvard Munch, a popular Norwegian painter and printmaker.
     Munch was greatly influenced by the era of German Expressionism (early twentieth century), which was why he used psychological themes to base many of his paintings on. The viewer can see this influence in The Scream and can tell that the purpose of this painting was to convey the human emotions of anguish and melancholy. This can be shown in the face that is contorted by the scream. I think the author is able to convey his purpose because the viewer can see the obvious pain in the main subject's pale, genderless face. This face has a huge impact on the viewer, and the first time I saw it, my eye was immediately drawn to it, and the person in the foreground keeps the viewer from being lost in the scenery background.
     Surprisingly, visual rhetoric can be just as strong as rhetoric used in writing and speeches.One particular rhetorical device that stood out to me was the painting's use of opposites. This can be seen in the use of hot colors in the sky, such as the reds, yellows, and oranges, and how they strongly contrast with the cool colors, the greens, and blues, and purples, of the water. Munch used this to create tension in the painting, seeing as the subject is standing by a quite chaotic environment.
     Most artists do not paint for an audience, but rather for themselves. It is believed that Munch suffered from depression, so it is possible that he used the painting as an emotional outlet. However, part of what makes this painting such a classic is that most viewers find this painting to be an appropriate and accurate representation of a feeling that we have felt at one time or another in our lives. The Scream is highly referenced in pop culture. For example, in the scary movie saga Scream, the masked murderer has a mask greatly resembling that of the contorted face.
     The Scream is part of a larger collection by Edvard Munch called The Frieze of Life. The inspiration for this masterpiece came from the mental institution where his sister was kept, and it is said that you could actually hear the screams of the mental patients from the institution. Scary stuff.

La Joconde

     One of the most well known pieces of art world-wide is the Mona Lisa, arguably Leonardo da Vinci's most iconic painting. This portrait of a woman, believed to be Lisa Gherardini (Francesco de Giocondo's wife) was painted between 1503 and 1506, and is currently on display in Paris, France's most frequented art museum, the Louvre. The title of this painting is derived from the Italian word mona (the contraction of madonna) meaning "my lady," and is a polite form of addressing a woman, like the English word "Miss." 

     The Mona Lisa is universally famous for the subject's expression and its almost piercing gaze. Da Vinci effectively uses contrast in this painting, because Lisa's hair and clothing are dark, whereas her face is a much lighter color, drawing the viewer directly to the "Lisa's" face. The Mona Lisa was one of the first paintings to have an aerial perspective, or the effect the atmosphere has on the appearance of an object as it is viewed. "Lisa" is painted in a seated position with a vast landscape as a backdrop used as a calming touch for the viewer.

     The Mona Lisa is a much loved painting, especially by da Vinci himself, so much that he carried it around everywhere he went. It is currently on display on the second floor of the Denon Wing of the Louvre Museum. 

NHL Lockout Follow Up

Hockey fans everywhere rejoice as their favorite sport on skates tentatively returns. In the article, Tentative deal in place to end NHL lockout, in the sports section of FoxNews.com, it seems that the National Hockey League and the Players' Association may have reached an agreement regarding the framework of a new collective bargaining agreement. The compromise came after a sixteen hour negotiating session, and a ten year labor package will soon be finalized and then introduced. If approved, ice hockey training camps will reopen hopefully in the middle of next week.
     The context of this article is the NHL lockout that has been in place since mid-September, greatly affecting hockey fans everywhere including Canada.
     Although it has been two weeks since my last TOW, my spider-senses are not picking up on any rhetorical devices. I think it is safe to say that FoxNews.com does not have the best written articles.
     This article comes from a moderately credible source. Although FoxNews.com is usually quite factual, there was no author associated with this article, so you cannot be certain who wrote it.
     The intended audience for Tentative deal in place to end NHL lockout are ice hockey fans that are eagerly awaiting the return of the NHL. The author's purpose in writing this article is to keep readers updated on the lockout. This can be seen when the author wrote, "The breakthrough came after a 16-hor marathon negotiating session that lasted all day Saturday and into Sunday morning at the Sofitel Hotel. The NHL announced the agreement in principle shortly after 5 a.m. ET Sunday."