(*NOTE: Picture is sideways - left side is the top.*)

When I first looked at this painting, for a moment I really was not sure what I was looking at. I originally stared at the center of the painting and worked my way outwards, but the dark boundaries didn't really trigger a response in my mind. My confusion was halted when I reached the top of the painting to see what resembled a pair of eyes. From there my eyes traveled down the painting, looking over the body of this human form. 

When humans see each other, one of the first things (I think?) that we look for is the eyes - I think the artist plays on this by making the eyes one of the more recognizable features. From there, the viewer can piece together that the mess is actually a body. 

The distinction between foreground and background isn't very apparent, and that is mostly why I couldn't discern what I was looking at at first. 

The color scheme is all over the place - they are placed in areas that clash with immediate surrounding areas, and there the black edges are created in a way that it mixes with the other colors and creates a sense of dirtiness. 

Overall, this painting made me feel very uncomfortable. The eyes, while they are clearly eyes, do not closely resemble human eyes at all. The pupils are very thin and tall rather than circular, making me feel like I was looking at some sort of creature. All the other characteristics of the woman are exaggerated to look extremely unflattering (at least to me, sorry!) to a very unrealistic extent. The shoulders are impossibly broad. The skin is an abnormal pink, fleshy color rather than a fair-pale or a healthy tan. Overall the complete antithesis of a "traditional lady".

Comparison

I had completely opposite reactions to the different pieces of art. The first was a calming experience where I could almost project myself into the scene of the painting while the second made me feel extremely uncomfortable.

 I feel the first painter did a very good job depicting the scene that he wanted to depict. Everything was laid out in a way where I could slowly look over the scenery and take in the smaller details at my own, relaxed pace, all the while feeling the warmth and harmony from the color scheme and object interactions. 

I cannot say that I know what the second painter was trying to get across completely, but I did feel a certain impact from the way the painting was laid out. The sudden realization that the mess I was looking at was actually depicting a human left me quite astonished and appalled to a certain extent.