In the Louisa Villea, various shapes are used throughout the painting to add interest. The man-made buildings in the background are basically organized, geometric shapes such as rectangular, square, oval, and triangular.
The natural occurring shapes such as the trees, the birds, and the human form are not as geometrically organized, since straight lines do not appear in nature.
The Louisa Villea also uses negative shapes to enhance the composition. A negative shape is the open space created by the edges of solid shapes around it.
Notice the shapes of the open spaces between the slats of the bench.
Notice, also, how positive and negative shapes were used together in the treeline to create hidden images. Can you find the jockey and thoroughbred horse on the right side of the painting? Can you find the outline of Louisville's founder, Gen. George Rogers Clark as he appears in Louisville's Belvedere statue?
