The Silent Language of Artistic Representations in Landscape: Alentejo (Portugal) and Yellowstone (USA)

摘要

Investigators are interested in the interdisciplinary relationships and interactions between professions and how these knowledge bases influence each another. Such interaction has occurred between landscape painting and landscape architectural planning and design. The representation of landscapes by artists has assisted in the management of the landscape. In our study, we present two examples: the Alentejo area of Portugal painted by a variety of landscape painters, and the Yellowstone area of the United States of America painted by Thomas Moran. The analysis of the Alentejo is examined through structural elements of the painting, revealing the essential perceived composition an characterization of the landscape. The story of the Yellowstone paintings is presented as color documentation of landscape images for the American federal government and aesthetic evaluation during an era when color photography did not yet exist. The results suggest the perception of the Alentejo is comprised of a hilly oak savanna of green and brown, fenceless, with a building or two on the horizon. This landscape character is now appreciated, preserved, and managed in part by various governmental agencies and NGOs. The Yellowstone region is a surreal environment composed of unusual colors, landscape formations, geysers, and hot-springs, where the watercolor paintings contributed to the federal formation of an iconic national park.