Only the artist themselves can identify the precise truth behind their works.  They put all of their experiences and emotions into each stroke of the paintbrush.  There is meaning behind every part of their art; the medium, colors, texture, movement, and shapes all included.  While viewing this particular piece of art, the viewer has a continuous stream of thoughts as they attempt to interpret the artist’s original intentions for the piece.  The thoughts of the viewer act as a formula that adds up to equal the theme of the artwork.  The viewer will admire this painting, examining the setting, the two subject’s emotions, types of colors the artist chooses, and the artist’s style of this painting all in order to understand what the artist might have intended the work to mean.  After close reading this image to its fullest, I argue that this painting represents the male figure’s loss for his loved one.  It displays his heartache as he grieves the death of his wife.

It is often helpful to interpret visuals by dividing them up into sections.  For example, by splitting this image into a left and right section, the viewer may examine the art without the biased thoughts of knowing the tone that the opposite section portrays.  At first glance, the audience’s attention is directed towards the left section with the male figure.  His eyes point straight at the ground below his feet while his mouth is slightly open, exaggerating the frown that is on his face,  His entire head hangs down in despair.  The viewer can sense the pain that this man is in just by the language his body is speaking.  His right hand is not just against his heart, but it is grabbing it in pain.  The orange and red colors coming from his hand are to show a literal burning sensation that the man’s heart is feeling from this heartache.  His face is shown with variations of green that symbolize the man’s physical and mental illness.  The artist chooses to clothe the man in all black.  This decision may be made because of a funeral the man is attending, or it may be a black tuxedo for a wedding.  The black clothing is engulfing this man like his depression.

Next, the audience addresses the man’s surroundings in the left section of the artwork.  For example, the viewer’s attention is brought to the bright colors that follow down the man’s left arm.  These colors stand out to the observer because of the contrast of colors.  Orange is a very bright color that draws excessive attention.  This odd shape of orange color is an abstract form that is not as precisely painted like most other shapes in the artwork.  The spontaneity and randomness of the shape, along with the color, leads the viewer to interpret this shape as fire.  The artist wants his audience to visualize the character’s body slowly catching fire.  The fire symbolizes destruction for the man.  The man’s life feels as if it is being torn apart and destroyed.  The man is not even capable of holding himself up.  He has to use the tree’s trunk for support.  Anothernoteable observation about the man is how his entire body is facing away from the right section of the image.  It seems as if he is hiding or separating himself from something.  Not onlyis he facing away from the center of the picture, but he is facing towards the forest inland.  This shows that he is facing towards an unknown world he is about to enter.

The first observable thing from the right section of the painting, is the lighter colors.  The artist’s choice of the white and off white colors illuminates the woman that is shown in the right section.  Based on the style of the woman’s white dress, one assumes it to be a wedding dress.  Her head is looking straight forward and her shoulders are back.  This type of posture demonstrates the woman’s confidence that she is feeling.  The viewer can sense movement in the right section of the painting through the woman’s hair and dress that appear to be blowing in the wind behind her.  Her right hand also demonstrates movement that is directed to the right edge of the picture.  Based on the yellow tones coming from the sky on the right edge of the painting, the woman is walking towards the sun.  The woman is walking into the sun, towards her future.  Her lack of facial features creates a mysterious tone.  There are fewer obvious details about the woman in the right section of the painting  than there is about the man in the left section.  The mysterious aspects of the woman, her illuminating colors and movement towards the sun tell the viewer that she has passed away and is now an angel. 

After gathering and analyzing evidence from each individual halves of the painting, evidence can be gathered about the image as a whole.  This is done by relating the two halves back to each other.  Based on the evidence of the two subject’s attire we can assume that they are married.  The man’s depression and heartache is the result of his wife’s death.  As the man’s wife, the angel, walks into the sun towards her future in the heavens, he walks towards his unknown future of despair and loneliness.  The blue ocean waters painted in the background symbolize both the man and the woman’s rebirth after the wife has passed.  The woman’s confidence and neutral colors show that she is now at peace.  Unfortunately, the man is now a grieving husband who is unsure of what his future may hold without the presence of his beloved wife.  I argue that the artist of this painting intends for his viewers to interpret this painting as a work that demonstrates the physical and emotional pain of losing someone who is unconditionally loved.
