Mooncakes with Golden Pomelo. Oil on canvas, 45.8 x 55.2cm. Georgette Chen. c.1965
Description
There are some odd-shaped dark orange biscuits lying on the bottom left corner of the table next to the white plate of mooncakes. Besides the small biscuits, there is a pink bowl containing another shape mooncake. There are mooncakes with different red Chinese letterings on them in the middle of the table, some stacked up. There is a roll of Chinese wrapping paper behind the stacks of mooncake. The paper is white with red design on it. There is a yellowish green pomelo with white and orange net wrapped around it placed at the back of the table behind the roll of wrapping paper. It has a Chinese character on it.
At the top left hand corner, there is a lantern that is cropped out of the painting. Only the crimson dangling strings are seen. At the top right hand corner of the painting, there are two packets of small biscuits, one green and one red. The green on is at the right side of the red one. They are conical in shape and is like a netting holding the biscuits.
The background is creamy yellow while the table is woody yellow.
Formal Analysis
The colours used in this painting is very warm and dull. She used mainly analogous colours. used a mixture of primary and secondary colours. Her subject matters are in 3-dimensional shape. Her brushstrokes are very visible, in a painterly style. The composition of the painting is balanced.
Interpretation
She painted mooncakes so that it is a mix of Chinese and Western culture. Chinese culture is shown through the subject matters while the Western culture is shown through the oil paint and the style, strokes of painting. I think this is because georgette chen grew up in an environment that is both Chinese and Western. I think she used warm colours because she felt happy about celebrating the Mid Autumn Festival.
Evaluation
I think this painting successful because she completely delivered the meaning of this painting through the use of the art techniques and subject matters.
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