The object of art selected is the Jerusalem painting by Sliman Mansour. This is a painting created in 1996, which measures w670 x h960 mm. The artist is originally from Pakistan.
Figure 1 Jerusalem by Sliman Mansour
The Artwork is a painting, which entails watercolor on paper. There is a thinly painting used, where the brushwork is barely visible. The surface of the painting is smooth and highly finished and polished, making it look like a real image of the city. There is the use of monochromatic Gold color, where all the shapes and the structures are created similarly. The sizes of the buildings are different, a factor that gives the art contrast, with the background being a well laid out landscape of mountains in a desert setting, which is reflection of Jerusalem city. The lines at the end of the shapes of each building also give the art piece the much-needed contrast that makes each building look outstanding and separated from each other. The setting of the art piece is during the day, where there is a reflection of the sunshine on all the buildings, the palm tree, and the mountains. Beyond the mountains, it also depicts the sunset, an implication that the art piece is an evening setting of Jerusalem.
The art piece reflects Jerusalem city, with its buildings, architecture and the landscape of the city in the evening. It is a representation of Arab Art, mostly depicted by the architecture of the buildings, which are clearly a reflection of Arab Art. The work is related to cubism, where the figures of the buildings are in various shapes of squares, circles, just like in the case of cubism art. The reason for settling on this artwork was because of the simplicity on the piece, and the unique use of color, contrast and landscape, which is exceptionally executed by the artists. Sliman Mansour is very skilled and exceptional, where each and every detail of the artwork is perfectly done. From distance, the painting looks like a real-life photography piece, a factor that depicts the expertise and the talent of the artist.
