"Hamlet" Master Study, pt. 3

Finished, for now. 

Even if I meant to take this study further than this, I am happy with having a general impression of the whole painting. I learned a lot about the colors, like the muted greys appearing bluer than they are because they are surrounded by vivid reds.  I am reminded of how important temperature really is with every study that I do. 

One of my favorite things about realistic color is when I get to put warmth between shadow and light, and Abbey used it in the most subtle ways here. Everything Hamlet touches has a warm edge. His legs against the fur, the cool black of his outfit, and where he comes in contact with Ophelia. That warmth is behind every person in the background, and reflected in the crowns the King and Queen are wearing. 

But more than anything else, this study has taught me how to better use composition to tell a story. 

The most obvious is creating focal points with value and color, but what I never noticed was how Abbey used space. King Claudius is the main antagonist of Hamlet, and is the villain of this painting as well.  Most of the figures are on the right half of it, away from him. There is more space on this side of the throne too. 

In contrast to this, Queen Gertrude is putting distance between her and the King. She is clutching her veil and the bottom of her dress, pulling them in to take up less space on the throne, to shield herself from him. Remember how I mentioned that she is the only one without a neutral expression? 

She is afraid. 

Meanwhile Claudius has his arms stretched out, claiming all the empty space around him and below his feet, as his. Then there are the figures stuffed together into what is left of the painting next to the king, each facing a different direction. Abbey was so meticulous with his compositions that I know all of this was intentional. 

So while I am a little disappointed in myself for not doing a 'full' study like I meant to, I learned about the story Abbey was trying to tell, the story of Hamlet. For me, the rendering and details have always been the least important part of a master study. I want to understand what the artist was trying to say with their painting. Maybe it is something as simple as, 'I just wanted to paint it that way' but for Abbey it is in that bold purple on Hamlet, and the pale hues of Ophelia. In that claustrophobic space on the left, when the right half takes up most of the painting. 

It is the King governing all the space around him, while the Queen is cowering in her corner of the throne. That is so powerful, yet it was understated to the point that I almost missed it. If not for this master study, I may never have noticed.