Emil Armin
A Closer Look
Emil Armin produces a sense of depth in Wild West by changing the values of his colors. One way to change the value of a color is to mix in its complement, its opposite on the color wheel. For instance, red and green are complementary, as are yellow and violet, and blue and orange. Armin uses complementary colors to create shadows on his horses. Now it's your turn to create an artwork. Try to create depth by mixing complementary colors.
About the Painting
Although many of Emil Armin's paintings depict scenes of Chicago, Wild West shows life in a western town. Armin liked to paint the city because it was noisy and full of movement but he seems to have found just as much excitement in this country scene. The horses almost appear to be dancing across the colorful landscape. Armin is considered a Modernist and is known for using bright colors and strong brush strokes. He may have been influenced by Paul Gauguin and André Derain.
About the Artist
When he was a boy Emil Armin lived in Romania. Young Emil liked to carve wood and draw, and his teachers thought he had a lot of talent. Both his parents died when he was ten and his brothers and sisters brought him up. When he was twenty-one he immigrated to the United States and studied at the Art Institute of Chicago. Armin lived in Chicago for the rest of his long life and became one of Chicago’s most famous artists.
Write About It
- Make a list of what you see.
- How did the artist use the elements and principles of design?
- What do you think the painting means? How does it make you feel?
- Select two paintings to compare & contrast.
