Movement in an Artwork

How has an artwork incorporated movement that is powerful to me? That's a difficult question to answer. Having seen so much work over the years it is hard to remember which work had the most impact. In recent memory the work that incorporated movement that had a impact on me would have to be Alex Ross' painting "Captain America Sam Wilson". The work screams with instability, strength and softness simultaneously. The horizon line begins at the top left and dives to the bottom right half of the drawing space. Just beneath that line is the skyline of a city. This instantly creates a visual instability and draws my attention. The central figure is Sam Wilson in his Captain America costume and Falcon persona goggles with wings. His arms are outstretched diagonally. His wings are spread in a curve that stretches from the upper left corner to the bottom left corner as his body follows the slant of the horizon line. Alex Ross composition is difficult to ignore. The softness of the sunlight hits the cityscape in the background making the city a sandy yellow color. The red, blue and white of Sam's costume contrasts the the background.The work is overlapped with a close up profile view of Sam holding the Captain America shield with his head facing the lower left corner. An elderly gentleman is painted on the right in the same atmosphere as the city in the background. Mr. Ross does an incredible job of moving the viewer's eye from the top left with the diagonal horizon line then to the bottom left of the work with the curve of the central figure's wings. For many years I have been a fan of Alex Ross' work. The first time I saw this painting, it made me hold my breath for a brief moment. For a second or two it seemed as if I was flying along with Sam. The "Captain America Sam Wilson" work captured my attention so much that I purchased a copy of the painting.

https://www.alexrossart.com/Alex-Ross-Captain-America-Sam-Wilson-Painting_p_101.html