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The Pocket Universal Principles of Art
book

The Pocket Universal Principles of Art

by John A Parks
December 2017
Intermediate to advanced content levelIntermediate to advanced
208 pages
3h 39m
English
Rockport Publishers
Content preview from The Pocket Universal Principles of Art

091 Symmetry

Symmetry is a quality of ideal balance, where each half of a picture or sculpture is a perfect mirror image of the other. In art, symmetry is generally around a vertical axis, an arrangement known as “bilateral symmetry.”

Symmetrical images convey a sense of frontality and stability and can be powerful in creating a sense of presence. This quality has been used over the millennia in religious art.

The downside of symmetry is that its very stability can render it dull. This makes near-symmetry an attractive option: The eye is interested in images that promise symmetry but then deliver subtle differences between the two sides.

See also BalanceReligiosity

The Taj Mahal, 1632–1653.

The Taj Mahal is an architectural essay in quiet ...

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Publisher Resources

ISBN: 9781631595431