The Old Man and the Sea

Description

“The Old Man and the Sea” depicts an old man sitting in a tiny boat in the middle of the sea. The man is a fisherman and is out to sea alone. There is nothing around him but the vast sea and the sky. Tired and determined…
The painting is composed in a vertical format and according to the rule of thirds. The old man is at the center of the picture. The boat and the sea horizon are symmetrically placed around him. This composition emphasizes the man’s loneliness and smallness in the face of the vastness of the sea.
The painting is generally painted in cold and gloomy tones. The dominant colors are gray, blue and brown. These colors emphasize the width and depth of the sea and the sky. The man’s face and hands are painted in warmer tones. This symbolizes his vitality and hope.
The old man in the painting symbolizes the struggle for life and man’s loneliness in the face of nature. The small boat represents the fragility of man and his helplessness in the face of the power of nature. The vast sea symbolizes infinity and the fear of the unknown.
The painting “The Old Man and the Sea” was inspired by Ernest Hemingway’s novel of the same name. The novel tells the story of an old fisherman’s struggle with a giant marlin. The painting symbolizes this struggle.