For my realistic painting, I chose The View of the Waterfall at Tivoli because the beauty of the scenery really caught my eye. 

As I first observed it, my initial reaction was to look up into the sky and the immediate horizon that contrasted with it. My eyes then shifted to the stone faces illuminated by the setting sun and the buildings, and then followed the waterfall down to where the people were. Overall, my eyes moved as they would have if I was physically at the waterfall. The painter places the viewer at the base of the scene and places the elements of higher elevation on the sides, invoking the initial reaction of looking upwards.

There is a sense of warmth and softness in the painting, sourcing from the warm colors and various other aspects. The people in the painting are wearing clothes that expose skin. Even though there are many rocks, they are rounded and overgrown with vegetation. 

Although there is an immediate foreground, the focus seems to be more towards the background, or rather even a lack of focus - the painting has a way of making you relax and not focus on any specific part, but rather step back and enjoy the painting as a whole. 

As I let my eyes wander, I became more aware of the minor details and interactions between the objects in the painting. In the bottom left, there is a man conversing with two women and it seems like the conversation is going well. There is no visible tension, and the women both seem interested in what the man has to say. In the bottom right, there is a man with his dog, further giving a therapeutic feel to the scene. The buildings in the background have vegetation on them, emphasizing a balance between man and nature. The waterfall, a powerful natural phenomenon, is depicted in a calm manner as well; you can see the rock wall behind the waterfall at points and there is not so much splashing. Overall, the atmosphere is very harmonious and calming.