The Look Of Gaze

Starting by focusing on eye,this study will classify two kinds of eyes-the eye of painted figures gazing at audiences and the eye of audiences fixed on the painting,along with relevant case studies.From earlier period of Renaissance to the twentieth century,the eye of painted figures,accompanying the advancement of art,has existed in paintings.With the development of human society and the evolution of spirit of the times,the meaning of the eye has undergone several stages of change.Paintings have a superior evoking capacity to that of languages.As a result,from the Middle Age to earlier period of Renaissance,the eye,bearing the effect of moralizing people and harmonizing human relations,had been introduced in holy paintings;from the beginning of the Renaissance,painted figures gazing at audiences had often been used as a representation for a signature of their painters,that is,having a function similar to a signature as these artists deliberately arranged the eye contact between the self-painted figures and the audiences;then,the eye of artists gazing at audiences developed into an independent self-portrait,with a function to record and express everything about themselves;since the beginning of the nineteenth century,the eye of painted figures gazing at audiences had been used to demonstrate a spirit of rebellion.Artists started to arouse the mood of audiences by manipulating the eye.Eye is of reciprocal in nature.In the latter part of this study,we will discuss the eye of the audiences gazing at paintings.This kind of eye is divided into two caterogies,of which,the first one is that,in considering the presence of the audiences,artists create paintings to be seen by audiences in a fixed position,while the second is that artists arrange a fixed point for paintings to be seen.Due to different cultural backgrounds between eastern and western world,in using the eye,a linear perspective has been created in the west while in the east,an isometric perspective has been established.By conducting case study on classical paintings with different perspectives,rationality of artists’ method to use eye to present a complete watching experience for the audiences is elaborated.This study will discuss the significance of the eye,the identities of painted figures gazing at audiences,the social and cultural environment implied in the eyes of the figures,as well as significance and form expressed by the eye when acting as the language for paintings.The study will discover a context in the history of art for the eye contact which has been arranged by chance for art practices,thereby transforming the eye gazing at audiences into the supportable language of art.