What type of balance is elements are equally distributed on either side of a central vertical axis?

There are three different types of balance: symmetrical, asymmetrical and radial. The human figure in this diagram is symmetrically balanced; the same on the left and right sides of a central axis. The tree is asymmetrically balanced; its branches are not distributed equally on each side but their total weight is balanced left and right. The sun is an example of radial balance; all its rays are equal in length from the center.

This silver cross is symmetrically balanced: it's right and left side show the same decoration and cut-outs. The bird is perfectly centered, each wing extending into an arm of the cross.

This sculpture is asymmetrically balanced. The weight of the shape on the right side is balanced by the number of smaller objects on the left side, and the space that they seem to enfold.

Two-dimensional works of art such as paintings, prints and photographs use the principle of balance to organize objects and shapes in a composition. This diagram shows how art elements balance around a center point just as a see-saw balances. If the art elements do not balance, the visual scale will tip and give the viewer the sensation that parts of the composition are falling out of the picture.

The mother and child in this painting are placed at the center of the composition, directly on the central vertical and horizontal axes. The symmetrical balance is reinforced by matching figures on either side of the throne and by the artist's equally strong emphasis on horizontal divisions of the composition.

In another panel of the Daddi triptych, an asymmetrical balance occurs when the three smaller shapes on the right balance the large figure on the left of the composition. The strong diagonal division created by the mountain reinforces this asymmetry.