Chez Victoire 

Hélène Guinepied created this watercolour painting, Chez Victoire, to illustrate a scene with nature and architecture. The overall effect is calming. The structure of the composition divides the view into three horizontal bands. The lower register is dominated by the pond, whose surface reflects the world above. The middle ground gives spatial support to the architecture sitting high above the immediate landscape. The top register is a narrow band of sky with a cool palette. The use of line throughout the artwork has a semiotic function that creates a sense of movement. For example, the lines in the water suggest ripples and the continuous flow. The painting operates as a series of signs that point towards the artist's impression of place. Ultimately, the visual language presented in Guinepied's watercolor reminds us that artworks function as cultural texts.