Minute Man
French took the pose of the renowned antique Apollo Belvedere marble statue and adapted it to his modern times by substituting a musket for a bow and arrows and using a plow to symbolize the farmer-patriot he commemorated in the bronze Minute Man. In turn, Danny O selected and adapted the profile view of that monument; the view that best captures the dynamism of the figure leaving his livelihood to defend his country. French used realistically depicted three-dimensional forms, as well as highlights and shadows to animate his monochromatic bronze statue. Danny O relies primarily on color—often very subtle colors—to create the sense of motion inherent to the memorial.
Note the warmth of the reds and yellows throughout the composition and the concentration of dark tones that root the figure’s lower right leg to the base. Note too, the yellows on the right and left margins and along the bottom that help to balance the illustration. Those deft touches of color denote Danny O’s mastery of his art form just as the resonance of French’s figurative forms show his early excellence in his art. |
