Term 2 - Visual Communication Study of the Elements:
The first thing that came to mind that I wanted to review first was Judith Leyster’s “The Last Drop, (The Gay Cavalier)”. It’s an interesting piece that depicts two men carelessly indulging themselves in drinking and smoking, while unaware of the presence of the skeleton (Death), who appears to be warning them that their time is almost up. Aside from the symbolism of the painting there is a lot to take in based on the eight elements.
“The Last Drop, (The Gay Cavalier)”
Leyster, Judith - Wiki.org 4/5/2023
The first thing that appears to catch attention is the standing man’s right arm/torso which is the most illuminated by the candle and guides the gaze up and down the man’s body and gradually towards the skeleton’s head or pants of the sitting man. From there it leads the view to the bottle which the drinking man is holding due to its overlapping scale, and as we look down, the highlights from the sitting man’s pants lead towards the bright red colors of the standing man, thus looping back the to the starting point. As our gaze continuously follows the loop we also catch details on the side such as the standing man’s cup, his pipe, the skeleton’s hourglass, and the skull it’s carrying. While the painting is being made by organic forms, if we were to simplify it, we can see lines that direct our vision as well as the dots that create Dots that catch our view, some more so than others.
The scale of the figures take up the entire space of the canvas, likely to cover up the baren background and maintain focus on the three characters in the foreground. While it’s a good use of space, I feel like it makes the scene a bit cramped, especially with the skeleton barely peeking out between them. Though it could have been intentional to depict the carefree perspective of the two drunken men that are completely oblivious to the presence of “death”. Out of sight, out of mind as they say.
The colors are also very murky and some areas dark, like that of a chiaroscuro scene, except for the standing man’s contrasting red jacket and pants, the blue colors of the sitting man’s pants, and the skeleton’s skulls and torso who is being lit up by the candle it holds. With that, it’s clear that Leyster wanted the standing man to be the main focus in guiding the viewer, especially when the bright colors on him show the textures and details of his clothes. In second, the skeleton is the next center of focus to clue the viewer into the narrative of the painting, while the sitting man is there to obscure it. Though because the standing man’s red attire stands out so much, it appears that it lacks some volume in terms of darker darks, compared to the sitting man, making the composition lack balance, and breaking the chiaroscuro theme.
Even so, Judith Leyster’s piece is an intriguing and ominous piece to behold that displays many elements that compose it.
What do you think? Agree or disagree? Hope your studies are going well! 
