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Formal Art Analysis

Andrew Lee
Art 1
Simon Pennington
11/27/13

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Andrew Lee
Simon Pennington
Art 1
24 November 2013
Analysis of Slab Man and Courtesan with Hat
The Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University has a trove of amazing works, and each
done by phenomenal artists, some even heading their own movements in the history of art. With
the addition of the flesh and metal exhibitions, which have just been added in early November of
this year, it made it very challenging to pick two pieces to analyze. After much internal debate, I
opted with Duane Hansons Slab Man and Pablo Picassos Courtesan with Hat because of the
meaning that is derived from the works. The two pieces are both different mediums of work and
are also from very different periods in art history. Slab Man is a sculpture composed of vinyl,
resin, and fiberglass then polychromed in oil and was created in 1974-1975 in USA. Where as
Courtesan with Hat is an oil painting done on paperboard and was created in France in the spring
of 1901. They are located in different locations in the Cantor Arts Center and for very good
reasons as well.
For those who have not heard of Duane Hanson, you may have been fooled by one of his
sculptures in an art museum. His lifelike sculptures all sharing a common theme, of modeling the
average American, and yet adds a unique touch to each. Slab Man is no exception. The life-sized
sculpture is an accurate representation of the stereotypical blue-collar worker that was the
average American in the 1970s, but with a twist. Slab Man, also referred to as David or Dave
as a reference to the name patch on his shirt, is wearing a white-collared shirt. As a depiction of a
cementer worker, Dave is a Caucasian male, brown haired, and looking to be in late 20s to 30s

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in age. From my measurements, he appears to be 59 to 510 in height although not fully erect
in pose. He also is wearing what I believed to be the standard outfit for laborers of his class. He
wears a stained and dirty short-sleeved collared shirt, stained either from the nature of his work
or possibly poor hygiene, and that in no way attempts to hide the fact that he is overweight, a
pair of grey pants, which has heavy signs of wear, and work boots that look to not fit properly. In
addition, he has with him a pair of Boss working gloves and a rectangular cement trowel. He
also has a gold band on his left hand ring and a leather strapped watch. All of these items are
representational and resemble real life replicas. Surprisingly, he is clean-shaven on the face,
although he has noticeable amounts of forearm and chest hair. The details of the piece are
meticulous and thoughtfully constructed. The proportions of the limbs are typical of that of a
human. Even the wrinkles and complexion of his skin match what is expected in the mind of the
observer.
Aside from the physical details, there are qualities to Slab Man that are detected almost
instantly; where as others are noticed more gradually. The tactile textures of his shirt, pants, and
boots so closely mimic that seen in everyday life that it does not bring any special attention to
them, allowing the viewer to immediately feel a sense of familiarity and comfort. The choice of
colors also appear to be very basic, yet are used in such a way to highlight Duane Hansons
craftsmanship when it comes to sculptures. Slab Man is posed in a peculiar way for the observer,
not inviting, but not discouraging either. His facial expression is blank and neutral, as if his
thoughts are at the cross section of the work he has accomplished and the work he has yet to do.
The implied lines of the piece are far from sharp, almost soft as the lines make acute angles with
another, allowing comfortable viewing from all sides. With its head cocked at an angle and
staring downward at the floor in front of it, Duane Hanson allows the observer to join the piece

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in that particular moment without feeling as if intruding. It is also important to note that there are
overhead lights that give depth to Dave, highlighting parts of his upper body and bringing
attention the protruding stomach. It may have been unique to my own viewing, but the longer I
spent analyzing Slab Man the more uncomfortable I began to feel of the piece because it felt so
real, and it was definitely a unique experience. While the formal analysis of the piece is
important, what is more is its connection back to art.
The nametag of David intentionally allows for this piece to be compared and contrasted
with Michelangelos statue of David, and to send a message. In many ways the two pieces,
Duane Hansons Slab Man and Michelangelos David, are the two polar ends of beauty in man.
Slab Man, in one end, invokes the attributes of primitive man dressed in modern laborer clothing.
The hairy chest, the lightly defined bushy unibrow, and the sagging stomach hits home when you
think of caveman. This highly contrasts with David, which represents the idealized version of
man with well-defined musculature, incredible physique, and fearless gaze. By comparing the
two you are able to see how much we as mankind has allowed ourselves to fall from the
Renaissance vision of man, which I believe to be the main function of the piece.
The second piece I chose was Pablo Picassos Courtesan with Hat, and was one that
easily catches the eye from afar. When you think of Picasso you tend to associate the great
Cubism movement and even his Blue and Rose Period, but this piece came before that. Created
when he was in his early 20s, Picasso really showcases his skill and brushwork in the painting.
The function of the piece is to capture the subtleties of Parisian life in a time when art was
flourishing, and show his affection for this courtesan. From the first glance, what comes to mind
is the subject matter, the lady. Literally, the courtesan, a high-class prostitute, with a white hat is
sitting down seems to be the only static figure throughout the piece. Her expression is

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melancholy as she stares to the right and yet radiated by the sun, which adds a sense of mystery
to the cause of her sadness. Besides the facial features and part of her chest, the foreground of the
painting is done in short strokes, creating this rhythm and fluidness around the lady figure, as if
to symbolize the going on of life without her. Also, the short strokes add visual texture to the
piece all the while creating a sense of motion away from her. And while the hat is painted with
only two different colors, Picasso achieves this illusionary texture to it, that feels aesthetically
pleasing, and it is important to note that it is the only object in the painting that is done in this
fashion, possibly to symbolize a veil or halo. The flowers on the bottom left hand corner look as
if thrown to the side, which adds to the mood of the painting. In terms of color, the palette used
seems darker than that of other impressionist pieces, and seems to be a possible start of his Blue
Period, although the darker cooler colors are met with more warm colors that come from the
right to create this asymmetrical balance throughout the work. Not to mention the color white
that dominates the entire painting. A color that usually is associated with innocence and purity is
used for the courtesan. Her face, her hat, her dress, and even her gloves are bursting with white
as if to make her almost angelic. There also is this contrast of colors that adds atmosphere
perspective, adding a sense of depth and another dimension to the two dimensional work. You
can almost feel how she is closer to you then the background and the sun strikes her hat at an
angle helps by making her protrude out of the painting towards the viewer.
Aside from the other brilliant works done by Picasso, I liked Courtesan with Hat for its
simplicity. As he is well known for Cubism, it was a big refresher to see a piece of work signed
by the name that is not a mess of shapes and objects that blend closely resemble a sense of
surrealism. Although this piece shares the theme of sexuality with Picassos other works, such as
Les Demoiselles d'Avignon and Two Friends, you can sense that the affection he had for the

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courtesan. The piece was also a great for its sense of balance between emotions and color.
Comparing it with Picassos Blue Period work, Courtesan with Hat is only momentarily sad in a
romantic and adoring way. When I see the piece, the mystery behind her melancholy is not
apparent and so it is provocative. The mystery lets the mind wonder. Maybe she is engaged in
mnage a trois and yet her heart longs for one specific being. Or even possibly the social
conditions in which she lives in are too much for her to bear. Do the blossomed flowers by her
side have meaning beyond its function? And lastly why her? The blend of colors leave mystery
behind the emotion Picasso wants to conveyit is not spelled out for the observer. All these
things let you concentrate on the painting and temporarily forget the goings on of your own life,
and that is why I enjoy the piece.
The two pieces do differ greatly and so it is hard to compare the two side by side. For
starters, by being in different mediums there are different senses that are evoked. Where short
and pressured brush strokes make sense to add texture to a dress, it would not appeal the same
way to the visual sense if it were done on a sculpture. Similarly, it is very hard, if at all possible,
to add mass and volume to the Courtesan with Hat like Hansons Slab Man does, and the effect it
would have on the viewer would be drastically different. Although I did enjoy the two pieces the
reasons I picked them were unique. Functionally, Duane Hanson allows us Americans to observe,
analyze, and even become intimate with a member of our society without the taboo1. To achieve
a similar effect in a painting would take tremendous effort. I would say that it would be hard for
a sculpture to replicate the mood reflected in Picassos work, and to an extent that is true, but
Rodin has created sculptures that do this. All in all my, view is that each medium allows the artist

Wall text, Freidenrich Family Gallery, Cantor Arts Center, Stanford, California.

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to appeal to the observers senses in different ways, and that both Pablo Picasso and Duane
Hanson did phenomenal jobs in accomplishing what they set out to do, which is make us think.

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Works Cited
Hanson, Duane. Slab Man. 1974-1975. Vinyl, resin, and fiber glass, polychromed in oil. Cantor
Arts Center, Stanford, California.
Picasso, Pablo. Courtesan with Hat. Spring 1901. Oil on paperboard. Cantor Arts Center,
Stanford, California.