It is useful to analyze a work of art on the computer to better understand the elements that are brought together in the picture. In the painting of a woman in her bath by Pierre Bonnard, the woman, who is probably Bonnard's wife, is rising from her bath in a warmly golden room. The emphasis is on the shapes and design in the painting rather than a realistic depiction of the subject.

As a way of gaining a better understanding of how this complex painting works, we can use the computer to manipulate the image in Paint Shop Pro (or another graphics program) to analyze it further.

The original painting is relatively large, and such a small computer image can not begin to show the probable depth of texture or intensity of color. It is always best to see an original painting but viewing a representation on a computer has its values

 
Zooming in:
A close look at the painting reveals, not only the teapot on a brazier in the corner, but also several bottles and containers on the table.

The patches of yellow, browns and orange are barely organized into forms. Some lines are noticed at the edges of objects, but the artist has not tried to draw realitically.

The features of the woman in the bath are not distinct, but close up the color variations that show a rosy glow on the subjects face are more apparent. We notice that the brown shape near her face is her hand and she is reaching for something or perhaps turning off the water.

The face is barely drawn at all, it is the shapes and colors that are all the artist was interested in painting.

Stepping Back:

In order to take a closer look at overall composition of the painting, we simplify the forms by reducing the size of the image. Making the painting smaller, gives us less and less detail, resulting in more understanding of the shapes and movement in the composition.

This painting is a patchwork of geometric and curving shapes. The angles of window and table contrast with the more amoebic shapes of figure and floor. The strange shape at lower right we decide must be a chair or other furniture which has clothes thrown over it.

While the green floor is a receding cool color, it is still a warm tone of green to unify with the overall warm colors of the painting. It is a yellow green as opposed to a blue-green. The resulting effect is one of a late afternoon golden sun lighting a colorful room.

We can simplify the picture even further by reducing the image to 16 colors. This results in larger patches of single tones and eliminates much of the subtle coloration and detail.

Now we can see the human form is roughly parallel to the dark floor space. From this viewpoint, the figure is only vaguely human and seems more animal due to the unusual pose.

Determining Values:

 The simplified image is now reduced to greyscale to help understand the values in the painting. The results show that there is not a great deal of contrast from lightest light to darkest dark. The painting is predominately of middle values

Again the shapes of the figure and the floor space stand out. This view also seems to explain why it was necessary to use a dark line at upper left to balance the other dark forms. The lines and figure are all in strong diagonal position from lower left to upper right. The viewers eye is led to the pale square of window, the lightest area of nearly solid value.

Smudging:

As a last step in exploring the painting, I magnify the image and use the smudge tool to blur various areas of roughly equal value or color. This brings an understanding of how the shapes relate to one another in the painting. Lines on the wall and tub emphasizes perspective in a design that has little real depth. The various elements of the picture work together like puzzle pieces with shapes that are rounded or straight. Even in this simplified view the painting remains relatively complicated.

Manipulating the image with Paint Shop Pro or another graphic program can give you a different viewpoint into the art. There is no substitute for contemplating an original painting in a museum, but working on an image on the computer is an interesting way to take a closer look at a famous painting.

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