1.3.6: Repetition and Rhythm

Repetition and Rhythm

by Jon McCallum

Whenever a certain element or quality of an artwork is repeated, some sort of visual rhythm is likely present. Rhythm is a kind expressive or organizational strategy that imbues a work of art with a sense of motion-like energy as our eyes dance to the visual "music" of the repeated parts. Just as the human ear loves hearing repeated patterns of a drum beat or a guitar strum, so the human eye loves recognizing the interplay of repeated parts.

Some different types of rhythm include:

• regular
• progressive
• flowing
• chaotic
• alternating

Rhythm Example 1: Regular, Alternating and Chaotic Rhythms. Image created and contributed by Jon McCallum.

In Rhythm Example 1 several different kinds of rhythm are present. The pacing of the circles, being equally spaced from each other and equally in size, creates a strong sense of regularity. We can easily expect that pattern to continue on and on exactly the same as it travels beyond the edges of the design. This circles, shifting from a dark value to a lighter value one after the next is a fitting example of an alternating rhythm. In contrast to the even beat of the circles, the long rectangles (or wide lines) feel random — some are tilted one way, some another — some are thicker, some are thinner — some are darker, some are lighter — some are closer together, some more distant. While a repetition does not need so many differences to be described as a loose, wild, or chaotic rhythm, it helps make the example more obvious.

Rhythm Example 2: Flowing and Progressive Rhythms. Image created and contributed by Jon McCallum.

Rhythm Example 2 shows rhythms that are more transitional in nature. The dark blue circles progress from small to large in a slightly curved yet regular paced rhythm. The implied curve could also be described as a flow. In the background, a thick, wavy, purple line transitions from top to bottom, becoming gradually less curvy and less purple and less thick with every step in the sequence. The steps of the sequence are fairly regularly spaced. Notably different that the wavy line at top, the perfectly straight, horizontal, red line has found it's resting place at the bottom of the picture plane.

Moving from the examples above to observe some actual works will reveal that artistic rhythms tend to be more complex to recognize and describe. But learning to do so is worth the engagement.

The most obvious components carrying Rhythm and Repetition in Van Gogh's Starry Night can be seen in the glowing yellow orbs, the stars themselves, as the title affirms. Notice how some are larger, some smaller. Notice how some have a larger glowing orb and some have less. See how they are somewhat regularly spaced from each other and yet there are fairly large gaps here and there. The rhythm could thus be expressed as a sort of natural randomness — not really regular and yet not really chaotic either. One could go on to describe how the yellow, triangular shaped reflections on the surface of the water carry a similar kind of rhythm. With this artwork there is a very distinctive rhythm present that has more to do with Van Gogh's technique that a particular element. Look closely and note the numerous brushstrokes. (To zoom in, you may need to click on the "Wikimedia Commons" link given just below the image to open the painting in a new page — you may also be able to click again on that image to zoom in even closer.) Notice how various areas have similar kinds of brushstrokes — similar is size, angle, and direction. Some areas have more of a horizontal rhythm. In other areas, such as the lower left, the brushstrokes are set at a 45-degree angle. So, while brushstrokes are not necessarily an element, although they do have a certain shape to them and could be described in that way, it is more readily understood that the repeated visual quality is bringing rhythm to this work.

(Van Gogh is well-known for thickly globbing his paints onto his canvases. I was shocked by this when I saw some of his works in person. Many of his paintings are literally deep, not just metaphorically deep. Unfortunately, this quality gets significantly lost when viewing flat prints or digital copies of his work. No wonder he was a "starving artist" — he couldn't be frugal with his paints — hah!)

Vincent Van Gogh, Starry Night on the Rhone, oil on canvas, 1888, 72 x 92 cm, Wikipedia Commons. Public domain.

Although Van Gogh's Starry Night (above) and Käthe Kollwitz's Self-Portrait (below) are significantly different from each other, they carry the similar approach of revealing their marks in such a way that an added sense of rhythm is built into each image. Observe the wonder of Kollwitz's work, how the human face is so evident, and so accurately drawn, and so full of a heavy, tired, sad kind of emotion. And yet, the work is made up of numerous, seemingly scribbled lines. It may boggle our sense of logic that so many loose scribbles could add up to something so well drawn and so emotive. Notice the many different kinds of line quality — in some places thick and bold, in other places thin and delicate. On the outer edges, the lines are more random and loose and are understood as mere lines. But in the face, the lines add up to something more. They become shadows, texture, the essence of a particular human being. Rhythm is definitely evident here through the many repetitions of line. What adjectives would you use to describe it — maybe a different adjective for different areas?

Käthe Kollwitz, Self-Portrait with Hand on the Forehead, etching and drypoint, 1910, 44 x 31 cm, Wikipedia Commons. Public domain.

As explained in some earlier sections, the Principles often overlap with each other. Think about how the Principle of Repetition and Rhythm is similar to, but distinct from, the Principle of Directional Forces. Certainly, the two may overlap in a given artwork by repeated elements being arranged in a certain way so that our eyes are directed some particular point of emphasis. However, with Repetition and Rhythm our eyes are not necessarily directed in any particular direction. The Principle of Repetition and Rhythm is more about the energy of the pattern itself.

This Principle often overlaps with the Principle of Unity and Variety, which is largely due to the fact that the more an element or particular quality is repeated, the more it will feel like it belongs in the artwork. The sense of belonging inherently affirms the Unity of a work. And often the repetitions will not be exactly the same — an echoed shape of a circle, for instance, may still appear as a circle, but alter in size, color, value, texture, etc. This brings visual spice to an artwork — the repeated but altered shape possessing qualities of both Unity and Variety all at once. Amazing!

Whenever you see a repeated element or quality in an artwork, pause. Consider what sort of rhythm may be at play. Is the rhythm predictable, wild and unexpected, sequential, more flowy, or something other? How does the "visual music" of the rhythm support the possible mood or meaning of the work?

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Content on this page was written by Jon McCallum, 2024.