THEN:

As you look at the artwork and discover more about it, you should eventually form a personal point of view, or thesis, about some aspect of the work. When you begin to write your essay, or organize your presentation, you will want to clearly state your thesis early on. The rest of your essay or presentation will support or qualify this point of view.

The process of appreciating and evaluating a work of art can be organized into three broad steps:

• Description
• Analysis
• Interpretation

What is it? Painting, sculpture, portrait, landscape, manuscript, etc. Each art form has its own history and traditions – are these relevant or interesting?

What is the medium? What materials and techniques were used to make it? Have materials been used in a new way? How does the process affect the meaning of the work? Was it made quickly, or over a long period of time?

What condition is it in? Is it damaged, or are parts missing? Has it been repaired or renovated? Has its appearance changed?

What is the subject matter? Can you recognize any of the people, places, things portrayed?

Content Analysis

What is going on in the work? Can you recognize anything? Is there an obvious story or message?

When, where, and by whom was it made? What is this work’s cultural context? Each culture and each age sees the world somewhat differently. What was happening historically, culturally and technologically at the time it was made? What can you find out about the artists’ experiences and concerns? How were the original audience’s knowledge and values different from ours?

Did other cultures influence the artwork? How do you know this – did you read it or can you see the influence yourself?

Is there any symbolism that reveals meanings not immediately apparent?

What is the context of the artwork now? (e.g. Is it considered an important work? Has it influenced other artists? Where and how is it displayed or used?)

Formal Analysis - How things are arranged.

What are the visual elements of the image and how – according to what principles - are they composed within the format (the boundaries of the picture or sculpture)?

Ask yourself how the artist has used the elements and principles of design within the format to best express his or her idea, message and feelings.

FORMAT :

What is the shape of the painting, or the overall form of the sculpture?

How large is it? How large is it in proportion to other things around it such as trees, buildings, furniture, other artwork, etc.?

For two-dimensional works, describe the edges of the view. What is included? Can you imagine what might have been visible outside the edges of the picture?

ELEMENTS:

LINE - Are there thick, thin, curvy, jagged, or straight lines?

VALUE - Is there a range of tones from dark to light? (Squint your eyes). Where is the darkest value? The lightest?

COLOR – What colors have been used? What kind of color scheme do you see (many colors, only one or two, light colors, dark colors, etc)? Describe the colors in terms of their harmony or contrast with each other.

LIGHT - Does there appear to be a strong sense of light in the image?

Is it harsh or soft? Is the light coming from a particular direction?

SHAPE - Do you see geometric or organic shapes? Do positive shapes, such as objects, dominate the composition, or are there more negative shapes that represent voids? Is there one principle shape or is it composed of interrelating combinations of shapes?

SPACE - Is the space deep or shallow? How has the artist created a sense of space? (By overlapping objects, position on the picture plane, linear perspective, atmospheric perspective, other ways?)

TEXTURE - Do you see the illusion of textures within the image? Is there an actual texture on the surface of the image?

PRINCIPLES:

DOMINANCE/EMPHASIS - Close your eyes. When you open them and look at the image, What is the first thing that you notice? Why? What does the arrangement of the parts of the picture or sculpture draw your attention to in the image?

CONTRAST - Are there strong visual contrasts—lights and darks, textures, solids and voids, etc.?

REPETITION/RHYTHM/PATTERN - Repetition of visual elements can create unity—a sense of order or wholeness that holds the work together visually. What elements are repeated? Do they form a strong visual rhythm? Do they form a pattern?

Do they contribute to a sense of unity?

MOVEMENT – How does your eye move around the format? How do rhythms and patterns contribute a sense of visual movement?

VARIETY - Variety creates interest. Can you see a variety of visual elements such as different values, different shapes, textures, etc.?

BALANCE - Is the visual weight on one side of the image about the same as the other? How about the top to bottom and diagonally? Is the work symmetrical or asymmetrical?

UNITY – Does the work hold together as an overall entity, or is it pleasing in parts yet unsatisfactory as a whole? (Or pleasing as a whole in spite of less successful parts?)

What feelings do you get from the work? What is its mood? Does it capture a mood or emotion that you have already experienced? Can you imagine the artist’s feelings while producing the work? How does the artist’s use of the elements and principles of design contribute to the mood?

By now you should be able to formulate a thesis.

Your interpretation should back up your thesis statement. (Indeed, your thesis should be based on your interpretation.)

These questions are only starting points. They may not apply to all artworks. More, and very different questions may arise as you do your research. For example, you may ask "How has this work been explained by Western art historians?" or "How have women been represented in this art form?"