Principles of Design
The emphasis of this artwork is the man selling medicine in the center of the painting. He wears a white tuxedo shirt and vest that makes him stand out from everyone else. He is also larger and more central than any other figure in the artwork. Additionally, all of the eyes of the other people in the painting are looking at him.
My eye begins movement at the place of emphasis (man) and then moves to the ferris wheel in the back. From there, it moves to the people at the front of the crowd. Then, my eye flows over to the dancing lady at the far left wearing the orange lei.
Contrast is created when two different elements are put next to each other. The geometric shapes of the houses and ferris wheel in the background create contrast with all of the organic figures in the foreground, which is shown with the pink circle. The blue circles show where light vs. dark contrast occurs. Bright colors next to dull colors also create contrast, which are signified by the green circles.
Asymmetrical Balance is found in this piece because both sides of the painting are different. However, they are still balanced. The large people on the left are balanced out by the amazing amount of detail and interest in the background ferris wheel and buildings, as well as the people in the front row.
Scale & Proportion
The scale of this artwork is 35 3/8 x 40 1/4.”
There are some examples of unusual changes in proportion in this artwork. For example, the man in the center has a large head compared to the rest of his body (circled in pink). Also, the man and the woman to the left of him, both circled in green, are the same height. The red ovals in the picture show that the woman’s torso is the same size or larger than the distance from her hip to her foot.
Repetition and Rhythm
The skin colors and neutrals (black, white, and gray) are repeated throughout the artwork. Rhythm is created by the legs of all of the people on stage. They are closely spaced and haved a “sway” to them that makes them feel like a rhythm.
Unity is created by the repetition of skin tones, dull colors, neutrals (black, white, and gray) and soft, hazy brushwork along the edges of the subjects.
Jack Levine 
