Did you know that lines in art can make you feel a certain way? Artists know this, and choose their lines carefully. Vertical lines are very orderly and rule based. They make you feel safe and organized. Horizontal lines are quiet and peaceful. They make you feel calm and sleepy. Diagonal lines are active lines. They show excitement and draw your eye right to them.
Mondrian was very concerned with how his lines were used. In this picture, Rhythm of Lines, he uses vertical and horizontal lines to create peaceful harmony in his picture. Your eyes follow the lines up and down and back and forth across the picture as if you were following roads through a city.
Because there are no major surprises, the regular patterns it creates are pleasing. How would it be different if one of the lines suddenly bent? Would it draw your eye to it? Would it interupt the pattern of following the lines around the artwork? How would it be different if there were no horizontals at all? No verticals?
Lines do make a difference.
