Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Vocabulary:
Art Criticism: An organized approach to studying a work of art. It has four steps: describe, analyze, interpret and judge.
The 4 Steps:
1. Describe: What do you see in the work of art?
This can include the literal objects, like people, places and things. It can also include the elements of art, like lines, shapes, colors, textures, values, forms and space.
What things do you see? What Elements of Art do you see? In your notes, name three things.
The Banjo Lesson, Henry Tanner, 1893, American.
The 4 Steps:
2. Analyze: How are the Elements of Art organized? In other words, which Principles of Design are being applied in the work of art?
What Principles of Design do you see? Name 2 Principles of deisgn that you see in your notes. Be specific.
The Banjo Lesson, Henry Tanner, 1893, American.
The 4 Steps:
3. Interpret: What is the artist trying to say? This can include either the: - Story a narrative the picture is telling. - Mood - a feeling the artwork is showing. - Meaning - a message the work of art is telling.
.or it can be all three!
The 4 Steps:
2. Judge: Is the work of art successful? A work of art can be successful or unsuccessful technically and conceptually. Technically successful means the artist used the Elements and Principles well, and used their materials well. Conceptually successful means the artist had good ideas and communicated them well to the viewer.
1. DESCRIBE:
Create a list of at least ten things you see in the work of art.
Remember to include actual objects, like people, things and places. Also list Elements of Art, like lines, colors, shape and values. Be specific (i.e. curvy lines in the bottom of the painting, not just lines)
2. ANALYZE
- Identify 2 Principles of Design that the artist used in the artwork. - Explain how the artist used each Principle. Be specific.
3. INTERPRET
Identify and write down 2 possible meanings, moods or stories within the work of art.
Give supporting evidence for each. Cite examples from the artwork.
4. JUDGE
Do you think the work of art was successful? Explain why or why not. Cite examples from the artwork.
This is the famous painting Nighthawks by Edward Hopper. Pick one person in the painting and tell a story about who he or she is.
Aesthetic Criteria
Categorizing works of art.
Vocabulary:
Aesthetics: A set of principles concerned with the nature and appreciation of beauty, especially in art. Subject Matter: What a work of art is of or about.
3 Categories:
1. Realistic (red) 2. Distorted (yellow) 3. Abstract (blue)
1.
2.
3.