Assignment_2_posts

__**By Ekaterina**__ __**Gordeyeva**__

At this pic__t__ure we could see a family, which is held in the evening at home. Here is cozy atmosphere. We see the family as well as portraits behind them. Among the portraits is a mirror in whic__h__ display some of the family members. But there is nobody, who has such appearance. I mean, this reflection does not belong to the character. Therefore, it is more characters, who reflected in a mirror. We could mention a man’s and woman’s reflections. But the main point is the spectators (we) look straight to the mirror. So, we could understand that it is our reflections. It gives as a possibility to be involved to this scene and this family.

The second reason, which shows our presence in the room, is that, the artist paints a portrait, but he looks straight to us. It means that he makes a portrait of spectators (us). But on the walls only portraits of the members of the family. So we are again involved to the scene and we are the object of artist’s painting, we do communicate with him.

The third reason for our finding is the facial expressions of three ladies in the front. They look at us, it seems that they want to talk to us. The dog is about to bark or growl at us. Once again we are more than involved to this situation. We are taking active part in this scene: we are talking to the ladies, the artist draws a portrait of us, a dog is angry with us. We are a part of this family. Besides, we could see our reflection in the mirror. Why the author decided to draw this picture this particular way? I’m sure, that the author made on purpose to show that we are a part of his reality. We do live at the same time. He knows us quite well. But we are not frighten, on the contrary, we are glad to be a member of this family and to be involved to this scene.

When we look at this picture at the beginning we see just the group of people. I suppose it’s a family and their servants. Then we start to feel not so comfortable because we notice eyes of all these people and even of dog are looking at us. The position of the artist and the canvas gives us the impression than we are the models of the artist. Besides, he is looking straight at us with brush in his hand. But we understand that we are not the part of this picture. We are of different realities, even of different dimensions. We begin to find out the model which is being painted and observed and at last notice one very interesting detail. We see the mirror on the opposite wall. And in it we see the reflection, not of us, but of couple – man and woman. We realize that they exactly are the models of the artist. Everybody is looking at them with great interest. And we really begin to feel as the heroes of this picture. We understand that we are not these man and woman but we can feel what they feel, can look at the world from their point of view. It gives us great impression of being in this reality.
 * By Elena Men'shikova**