'Mama, Papa is wounded!' - 1927 oil on canvas
A painting with a title as iconic as this one, must have a hidden meaning upon what is actually happening. In the painting the background conveys a grey wasteland, darkening around the edges of the horizon. Tiny yellow and grey figures stand in the middle of the painting, possibly showing the health of the one being full and the other (the grey bean) dying. Linking the title to the story of the painting. A boy crying for his mother to help his or her dad. Spikes grow on trees might resemble the child's terror in witnessing his fathers falling. Reflecting on the child's emotions, the black, clouding, smoke shows confusion.
'Promontory palace' - 1930 Oil on canvas
This three dimensional toned artwork, is made up of almost all black and white shades. Emphasising on coloured features spotted around the painting. A long river cascades down the work underneath a cliff. The whole artwork has a eerie, cartoony atmosphere. The meaning of 'Promontory' is a building on a higher level, for example: a cliff. A building, possibly a factory positioned high up is ironically called a 'palace' when it is not nearly as majestic, or higher class looking. The pollution is the sky is depicted by the smooth, grey shades. The whole Atmosphere of the work is dark and industrious. In my opinion this artwork conveys a caricature vibe and when its lacks in colour, it outs emphasis on the smaller buildings.
'the sun in its jewel case' - 1937 Oil on canvas
This being Tanguy's late artworks it displays another barren, wasteland, using defined shadows to show emphasis on the smaller structures. Odd shapes put together and smaller items scattered across the navy grey ground add to the works meaning. This surrealistic painting depicts the earth and the sky merging together in a gradual tone. Yves Tanguy showed us what he wanted to display in this painting that best described his views on Earth being the suns jewel. Tanguy's thought give a poetic take on the artwork. Surrealism made the painting's meaning, more complex and hidden, drawing viewers in to learn its symbols. The title 'The Sun in its Jewel Case' gives a total different image of what the painting would look like to a viewer whom has never seen this artwork before. Instead the viewer comes across this image. A surrealistic painting can be quite confusing and often at times hard to deconstruct the artist's hidden message or story.