Essay

Visual Art Critique

Art has always been a vital part of the contemporary society and its development. There is an undeniable fact that it influences the surrounding world in so many different ways. It is impossible to ignore this source of inspiration and life energy. Art is like a treasure box full of jewelry; every time it is opened, it gives a great astonishment from something different. Art is a separate world with its rules and traditions, which gives us a chance to believe in a better life. Pablo Picasso, a famous Spanish painter, said, "The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls". There is no way to disagree with the one who contributed to the glory of visual arts and left so many works of art as a gift to the future generations. Art gives a chance to look inside your mind and fill your soul with thoughts, impressions, and new ideas. That is the reason why I decided to attend one of the largest museums in the United States – Museum of Fine Arts, pride of Boston.

When I decided to attend one of the most visited museums in the world, my mind quickly drew a picture of what I expected to see – an overbearing building of modest proportions with columns welcoming everyone who has an intention to enter it. The picture I drew in my mind matched the one I saw right in front of me. The museum contains different spacious halls with their unique collections and gripping exhibitions. The building looks almost like a castle, but in a short distance, it is a real temple of art. While passing from one hall to another, visitors feel the presence of all the artists who contributed to the glory of art. There is no doubt that all the famous artists might be very proud that millions of people adore their works of art. Everything is so comforting that visitors simply sink in the atmosphere of pure art, forget about problems of the everyday life, and let the high art fill their hearts.

Thousands of exhibits are presented in the famous museum, and each one means something special to every single visitor. Tastes differ, and everyone finds his personality in one work of art or another. An astonishing masterpiece caught my attention and made many visitors forget about reality for a while. It was the painting of George Inness Blue Niagara made in 1884. George Inness was an influential American landscape painter who was deeply inspired by nature. The wide range of his works displays an original and uniquely American style. This great artist managed to show the real beauty of nature and make its colors everlasting simply by using oil and canvas. It is known that during the nineteenth century, Niagara Falls was one of the most attractive natural wonders in North America. Among thousands of tourists, there were many willing to admire Niagara Falls, and George Inness was one of those who came to see it in 1881. Inness was so inspired that when he came to Niagara Falls, he quickly rushed to his friend's studio and immediately started recording his first impressions of the beautiful natural heritage. It must be a great feeling of unity with nature. It is so important to feel every inch of landscape and find a perfect way to depict it on canvas. Inness completed nine paintings in oil and watercolor; the largest one presented in the museum impressed me the most.

While passing dozens of masterpieces belonging to the Art of the Americas Wing, I could not pass by Blue Niagara. This work saturated with majesty of the falls and magic colors of the water and mist makes almost every visitor stop and stare into the beauty of the depicted natural wonder. This piece of art carefully filled with colors ranging from deep blue and emerald green to lavender carries the pure beauty of the waters and the sparkling atmosphere around it.

Thousands of exhibits are presented in the museum, and millions of people visit this place in order to fill their souls with inspiration and real beauty of the non-perfect world. Blue Niagara is that work of art which not only gives the sense of beauty, but wakes up different kinds of thoughts in everyone who decides to sink in its mysterious colors. There is no doubt that this masterpiece is gripping, touching, and absolutely astonishing. In different ways, visitors pay a great attention to it. Blue Niagara possesses universal appeal. There is no doubt that this natural wonder was made by heaven and is meant to impress millions of people. It is not a surprise that people from all over the world come to Niagara Falls just to adore it. Everyone wants to get this experience of unforgettable feelings being close to the pure source of beauty and inspiration.

While looking at this picture, it is so easy to feel the fresh breeze on your skin and hear the sound of water falling down. The majesty of Niagara Falls will always be its special charm. Natural heritage is made for the whole world and is meant to leave traces in souls of millions of people. This masterpiece is a combination of magic supported by the palette of colors and natural beauty. This piece of art is a pure combination of nature, magical colors, and talent. It is the source of life energy, which refreshes your thoughts and your mind, gives powers to fight the problems of your everyday life. There is no need in teleport to see Niagara Falls. It takes almost nothing to see it simply by closing your eyes while standing in front of this masterpiece.

No matter how many masterpieces I may see in my life, this one will stay in my mind forever. I am ready to say with full responsibility that now my dream is to develop my painting skills to the level of George Inness. Another point is to become as good in landscape painting as George Inness was. I was totally impressed when I got acquainted with his other works. George Inness contributed a lot to the development of landscape paintings. It takes so much time to feel the beauty of nature and depict it in your own way on the canvas. Nevertheless there is a big desire in my heart to unite with the nature, hear its sounds, and express on the canvas the way I feel the world. It is so important to leave for the future generations something precious and worth seeing. There is a great hope that the treasure box of art will be filled with other jewels even more astonishing than the old ones. Thousands of other jewels will be in a safe place waiting to inspire the ones who open it.