Can you explain composition with respect to a painting?
A proper painting does not have a single subject. It has a number of inter-related subjects that compare and contrast with each other. It is like a musical piece, with low and high moments whose contrasts help to highlight their differences.
One studies a painting to see how central items may relate to things in the background. To try to determine what story is being told.
There are also matters of balance and lighting that are more matters of style than of substance. No painter will ever tell only a single fact with a painting. Since it is worth at least a thousand words, you really ought to get your money’s worth.
Consider DaVinci’s Mona Lisa. The background is a wild and rugged terrain. What is that telling you about the serene and composed expression on the Lady’s face?
Talk to my dad. I have chased his paintings all over the West, trying to compile a photographic collection. When I get ambitious, I will scan the photos I have and post some on photobucket.