Chalk Cliffs on Rügen was painted in 1818 on the island of Rügen in the Baltic Sea. Here is a painting by the German Romantic artist Caspar David Friedrich in which the repoussoir technique is most apparent. Chalk Cliffs on Rügen (1818) by Caspar David Friedrich. A spatial contrast is generated, often helped along by casting the foreground area in shadow, thereby serving to direct the viewer’s attention toward the main subject of the work. Often this contrast is made by setting near and far against one another. In art, the meaning of repoussoir is “a thing or person that emphasises another by contrast”. (The word is pronounced reh-poo-swahr if it helps.) It comes from the French verb répousser, meaning “to push back”. The word for this technique is repoussoir, and it refers to an object in a painting that is positioned in the foreground and to one side. Well, they all utilise a powerful technique that helps to draw the viewer’s eye into the painting. So what’s happening in all of these paintings? The effect is to elevate the temple both visually and symbolically, as it is uniquely bathed in this glowing light. Also take note of the column on the right-hand side, which again sits in shadow. Notice again how the foreground lies in shadow - a shadow that runs diagonally upwards from left to right. The painting looks over the famous ruins of the Parthenon, located at the Acropolis, the ancient citadel above the Greek city of Athens.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, United States. The Parthenon (1871) by Frederic Edwin Church. It was painted in 1871 by Frederic Edwin Church, the American artist and member of the Hudson River School of landscape painters. Here’s another image that shares the same attribute. Try to notice where your gaze is drawn to… Take a moment to let your eyes roam around each image. Notice the contrast between the glowing light in the background and the shadowy trees in the foreground.
The landscapes of Claude Lorrain were some of the first images to consciously use this particular effect, which has since become a favourite technique of painters. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. The question is: can you spot the similarity between Paris Street Rainy Day - painted by Gustave Caillebotte in 1877 - and the painting shown below, The Roman Campagna, painted by another French artist Claude Lorrain in around 1639? Pastoral Landscape: The Roman Campagna (c.1639) by Claude Lorrain. Meanwhile on the left the street opens out, giving us a view of modern Paris in the late 19th century. On the right side of the image, a couple walks toward us. The street teems with umbrellas, hats and frock coats. Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Can You Spot What All these Paintings Have in Common? A powerful trick that so many paintings employ Paris Street Rainy Day (1877) by Gustave Caillebotte.
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