Does size really matter?

Does size really matter?

“Why don’t you paint this on a larger canvas, let’s say a 24” x 36” or bigger?”  I hear at times such unsolicited feedback as if bigger were better.  Other advice givers claim: “painting big is more forgiving!”  I have yet to get a clear explanation for such an argument.

I choose many different canvas sizes from 2”x2”to 24”x36 or larger, in fact my largest painting done on one single canvas and not on several panels assembled together,  is 42”x42” which gave me in real struggle when I attempted to transport it in my SUV.  How do you determine the size of your canvas?  For me, it is often simply a question of pure practicality.  When painting outdoors for example I prefer an 18”x24” canvas;  it is easy to handle and just big enough for my half box French easel without having to worry too much about the wind tipping it over.  More often it is the subject matter that will help me determine the shape and size of the canvas.  The rendition of an expansive landscape might be more convincing on a sizeable format.  Sometimes I prefer squares to rectangles, ovals no thanks…pas pour moi! Driven at times by a desire to experiment I opt for odd sizes such as a 10”x30”.  Then again I often choose a canvas that will fit a standard size frame which is far less expensive.

Needless to say very large paintings seem to make a bigger impact…at least at first glance.  Are big impacts really that desirable? Having a painting smack in your face may be as overbearing and saturating as loud noise or a domineering person.  For sure it will catch attention but after a while it may just become irritating.

There is a correlation between subject matter, intent and size; common sense will guide you.  Yet, when looking at the vast repertoire of past masterpieces, they seem to come in all sizes and shapes; would Mona Lisa or Rhode’s Aphrodite  be better works of art if they were bigger?  In the end it seems to me a good work of art has little to do with its size.