Types of Composition in Painting

Classical and Modern Composition

Composition is the arrangement of a picture’s elements on a surface to create a visually pleasing whole.

The article describes central composition as common in Renaissance painting and later periods: the most important elements occupy the centre, with other objects arranged around them. Another approach associated with Renaissance painting is triangular composition. A triangle whose base lies near the bottom of the image creates a sense of balance. Raphael’s depictions of the Madonna and Child offer examples of this arrangement.

Raphael Sanzio of Urbino / Madonna and Child

Date: 1505

Original size: 59.5 × 44 cm

Location: National Gallery of Art, Washington

In the approach to modern painting described here, the subject extends across the canvas. Instead of directing the viewer’s gaze towards a single centre, the painter invites it to move around the whole picture. The composition may seem to continue beyond the canvas. Light or dark colours can be used to bring order to its dispersed elements.

Wassily Kandinsky, 1913 – State Tretyakov Gallery

Turan Vardar
Rekor Sanat – Art Teacher