Universal Principles of Art

75 RHYTHM

THE VISUAL COUNTERPART OF A MUSICAL ATTRIBUTE

Usually a musical concept, rhythm has strong visual counterparts and can sometimes be central to a work of art. A sense of dynamic movement working rhythmically across a surface can be compelling on its own or can provide an underpinning for a more complex work. Rhythm in visual art is generally a linear quality. In Michelangelo’s Last Judgment, the linear organization proceeds in a rhythmic fashion from top to bottom, carrying the viewer’s eye down toward hell. In purer form, rhythmic motifs can be found in many tribal artifacts and is sometimes used in a decorative fashion to embellish objects.

While rhythm was usually only a secondary consideration in much art before the modern era, a ...