2. Introduction
Emphasis is the principle by which an artist draws attention to particular content in a work of art or design
A focal point is a specific place of visual emphasis
An artist can emphasize focal points through the use of line, implied line, value, color—any of the elements of art
Emphasis and focal point usually accentuate concepts, themes, or ideas the artist wants to express

3. Emphasis and Subordination
When an artist emphasizes different elements in a work of art, he or she creates visual relationships and connections between them
The opposite of emphasis is subordination
Subordination draws our attention away from certain areas of a work

4. 1.141 Double-chambered vessel with mouse, Recuay, Peru, 4th–8th century. Ceramic, 6” high. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

5. 1. 142 Jules Olitski, Tin Lizzie Green, 1964
1.142 Jules Olitski, Tin Lizzie Green, Acrylic and oil/wax crayon on canvas, 10’10” x 6’10”. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Massachusetts

6. 1.143 Mark Tobey, Blue Interior, 1959. Tempera on card, 44 x 28”

7. Focal Point
A focal point is the specific part of an area of emphasis to which the artist draws our eye

8. slide 1: Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Landscape with the Fall of Icarus, c. 1555–8. Oil on canvas, mounted on wood, 29 x 44⅛”. Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Brussels, Belgium

9. 1. 145 Artemisia Gentileschi, Judith Decapitating Holofernes, c. 1620
1.145 Artemisia Gentileschi, Judith Decapitating Holofernes, c Oil on canvas, 6’6⅜” x 5’3¾“. Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy

10. 1.145 slide 2: Directional lines in Artemisia Gentileschi's Judith Decapitating Holofernes

11. Emphasis and Focal Point in Action
Artists can use direction, dramatic contrasts, and placement relationships to organize the elements in a work and draw our attention to areas of emphasis and focal points

12. Emphasis and Focal Point in Action: Line
Line is an effective way to focus a viewer’s attention in an artwork

13. 1.146 slide 1: The Emperor Babur Overseeing his Gardeners, India, Mughal period, c Tempera and gouache on paper, 8¾ x 5⅝”. Victoria and Albert Museum, London, England

14. 1.146 slide 2: Detail of The Emperor Babur Overseeing his Gardeners, showing directional lines

15. Emphasis and Focal Point in Action: Contrast
Artists look to create effects of contrast by positioning elements next to one another that are very different
For example, areas of different value, color, or size

16. 1. 147 Francisco de Zurbarán, The Funeral of St. Bonaventure, 1629
1.147 Francisco de Zurbarán, The Funeral of St. Bonaventure, Oil on canvas, 8' 2” x 7' 4”. Musée du Louvre, Paris, France

17. Emphasis and Focal Point in Action: Placement
The placement of elements within a composition controls rhythm and creates multiple focal points

18. 1.148 Ando Hiroshige, “Riverside Bamboo Market, Kyobashi,” from One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, x 10⅜”. James A. Michener Collection, Honolulu Academy of Arts, Hawaii

19. Conclusion
All the elements and principles of art can serve to create emphasis
Both actual and implied lines shape our examination of a work of art by directing the movement of our gaze
Contrasts between different values, colors, or textures can sometimes be so dramatic and distinct that we cannot help but feel drawn to that area of a work

20. Diego Velázquez: Las Meninas
For two videos that explore emphasis and focal point further, click to watch:
Diego Velázquez: Las Meninas

21. Sandro Botticelli: The Birth of Venus

22. Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts
This concludes the PowerPoint slide set for Chapter 1.8
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts
By Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson

23. Picture Credits for Chapter 1.8
1.141 Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Nathan Cummings, 1966, Photo Metropolitan Museum of Art/Art Resource/Scala, Florence Photo © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Courtesy Jules Olitski Warehouse LLC. © Estate of Jules Olitski, DACS, London/VAGA, New York © Estate of Mark Tobey, ARS, NY/DACS, London Courtesy Sotheby’s Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Brussels Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence Victoria & Albert Museum, London Musée du Louvre, Paris James A. Michener Collection, Honolulu Academy of Arts