A painting / picture

Four are the sufficient causes or reasons or principles, ontologically speaking, for an oil painting, for example, can exist: efficient, material, formal, and final.

1. Efficient cause. In order to a painting exist, it is needed, above all, an artist that make or effect it.

2. Material cause. The painter cannot make a painting without a canvas, oil paintings, et cetera, id est, the matter.

3. Formal cause. He/she will not know how to make it if before he does not conceptualize in his/her mind the form to represent the subject with the matter.

4. Final cause. He/she will not decide to make it without a finality that appeals to him/her –for example, to sell it to earn money, and/or to get  it exhibited in a gallery or museum.

Now, to paint, you need some materials:

I. Easel.

II. Canvas.

lll. Canvas preparation.

IV. Oil paintings.

V. Artist’s brushes.

VI. Lighting.

VII. A model, or an image from reality or imagination (or a combination of both), or a photograph, or an existing painting, made by himself/herself or by another artist, or a drawing...

Also, other elements are required, which are not material:

A) Time.

B) Knowledge.

C) Work.

D) Talent.

E) Patience.

Finally, some elements are needed for the implementation:

1) Observation.

2) Imagination.

3) Idea.

4) Inspiration.

5) Perspective.

6) Focal point(s).

7) Contours.

8) Strokes.

9) Form.

10) Background.

11) Combination.

12) Image.

13) Number.

14) Rhythm.

15) Golden ratio, phi  (name in “English and Latin”, of the Greek letter φ [phi] to honor the Greek sculptor Phidias [c. 490-430 B.C.]): φ = (1 + √ 5) / 2 = 1.61803398874989 ... or farther, 8/5 = 1.6 (and this “one, dot, six” is not the real φ, but a pseudo-approximation). By multiplying the number φ (phi) by its “anti-φ” (“anti-phi”), id est, by its reciprocal, you get the υnit (that is, the number one).

Let's see: 1.61803398874989 × 0.61803398874989 = 1.

φ (phi) is obtained by performing the operations in the formula noted above, id est, one plus the square root of five, and the result is divided by two.

(1 + 2.2360679774997896964091736687313) / 2 =

3.2360679774997896964091736687313 / 2 =

1.61803398874989...

More simple: φ = (1 + 2.2360679) / 2 =

3.2360679 / 2 = 1.6180339...

We can get the reciprocal of φ (phi), which is 1/φ, by following the directions set by the following formula: 1/φ = 2 / (1 + √ 5): two divided by the result of adding one plus the square root of five:

2 / (1 + √ 5) =

2 / (1 + 2.2360679774997896964091736687313) =

2 / 3.2360679774997896964091736687313 =

0.61803398874989...

If we already know the value of φ (phi), which is 1.61803398874989... we rather can divide “one by phi”: 1/φ =

1 / 1.61803398874989… = 0.61803398874989...

16) Composition.

17) Color.

18) “Final” fine brushstrokes.

19) Retouches and corrections.

The fine arts are related to each other (a truism).

Some examples:

Architecture and music:

The German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer (Danzig, 1788-Frankfurt am Main, 1860) wrote that “Architecture is frozen music” (Architektur ist gefrorene Musik).

Literature and music:

Mexican writer José Revueltas (Santiago Papasquiaro, Durango, 1914-Mexico City, 1976), in his story “What only one [and no one else] listens to” (“Lo que sólo uno escucha”) narrates a miracle occurred in a seemingly ordinary day in the life of Rafael, a married violinist, an alcoholic, that does not dare to tell his wife that he has “accomplished the greatest imaginable feat”: he managed to play a high level piece of music, thanks to his mastery.

         José Revueltas had a brother violinist, talented composer, and alcoholic, in his day despised by the musicians, record producers and politicians of Mexico City, because of his political affiliation: Socialist: Silvestre Revueltas (1899-1940).

Music, literature, and painting (and dance):

There are at least two songs from rock groups that deal about pictures.

1) One is from the British rock band Dire Straits.

         It was composed by Scottish guitarist and vocalist Mark Knopfler, and is called “In the gallery”. It was included in the eponymous album Dire Straits, in 1978.

         It's about a painter –Harry*– that was despised in life, and after his death, his works were exhibited and put up for sale in a gallery.

*He was actually a sculptor of the city of Leeds, England, Harry Philips.

On youtube you can hear this song:

In the gallery ← (please click)

In the gallery

Harry made a bareback rider, proud and free, upon a horse.

and a fine coal miner for the NCB* that was a fallen angel,

and Jesus on the cross.

A skating ballerina, you should have seen her do the skater’s waltz.

*National Coal Board, in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Some people have got to paint and draw.

Harry had to work in clay and stone.

Like the waves coming to the shore, it was in his blood and in his bones.

He was ignored by all the trendy boys in London, yes an in Leeds.

He might as well have been making toys or strings of beads.

He couldn’t be; no, he couldn’t be in the gallery, no, no, in the

gallery.

And then you get an artist, he says he doesn’t want to paint at all.

He takes an empty canvas and sticks it on the wall.

The birds of a feather all the phonies and all of the fakes.

While the dealers they get together and they decide who gets the breaks.

And who’s going to be, hu-huh, who’s going to be in the gallery, in the gallery.

No lies, he wouldn’t compromise, no junk, no string.

And all the lies we subsidize that just don’t mean a thing, thing.

I’ve got to say he passed away in obscurity.

And now all the vultures, they’re coming down from the tree.

He’s going to be, yeah, he’s going to be in the gal-gal-gallery, yeah, in the gallery.

Harry made a bareback rider, made a bareback rider...

2) The second song is performed by the British rock group Uriah Heep, 1977. It was composed by a musician named Jack Williams, and was entitled “The dance”. Included in the album Innocent victim, has “strange and fantastic lyrics”, framed in a “hypnotic music”

         The vocalist is John Lawton.

         This second song, besides including music and painting, contains dance, at least in the lyrics or literature.

On youtube you can hear this song:

The dance ← (please click)

The dance

See the picture in the hall, framed in magic on the wall.

Ain’t it funny how it glows?, what’s on the inside no one knows.

What makes this picture so inviting to those who stand outside it.

Maybe it’s the dancers or maybe it’s the dance the dancer dances.

Thousands fill the gallery, they paid their price to see a dream

they can make believe for free.

Two hours’ worth of fantasy.

Maybe they pretend the picture’s them, or maybe

they just love to sit and blend.

Maybe it’s the dancer, or maybe it’s the dance the dancer dances.

Tonight the picture has no frame, colours unleash

and float away, to each and every one of you.

Tonight the spirit brings the news. You become a part of it all.

Thousands turn to one in the hall, you become the dancer, and

we become the dance the dancer dances…

The dance… the dance… the dance… the dance...

– 

By  Alejandro Ochoa G.
Guadalajara, State of Jalisco, Mexico.

Please excuse me for any grammar and/or spelling errors. Spanish is my mother tongue.