Edgar Payne and the Double Image


This wonderful piece by American painter, Edgar Payne, uses the technique of the "double image" to demonstrate man's relationship to nature. Two Indians ride on horseback through a desert canyon. The giant rock walls take on the form of architectural motifs, suggesting ancient temples or monumental sculptures. Payne uses this double image to impress the human imagination onto the rugged stone, as though to say that the cliff sides hold within them the potential for these shapes, which will only be released by the human mind. This theme is emphasized by the careful use of lighting, wherin the sunlight and cast shadows describe the path of the riders such that as they wander through it, they "illuminate" nature's potential.

"Indians on Horseback, Canyon de Chelley, Monument Valley, Arizona" 25 x 30 inches, oil on canvas

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