Guidelines for a Formal Analysis of Art Knowing how to write a formal analysis of a work of art is a fundamental skill learned in an art appreciation-level class. Students in art history surveys and upper-level classes further develop this skill. Use the outline and objectives listed below as a basic guild for writing a formal analysis paper. Consider the following when analyzing a work of art. Categorize your writing into three parts: general information about the artwork, a brief description of what you see, and the actual formal analysis. Keep in mind that not everything applies to every work of art, nor is it always useful to consider things in a firm order given. In any analysis, keep in mind the following: How and Why is this a significant work of art? General Information to consider Artist Information (What person or group made it?) Date (When was it made? Is it a copy of something older? Was it made before or after other similar works?) Provenance (Where was it made? For whom? Is it typical of the art of a geographical area?) Location (Where is the work of art now? Where was it originally located? Does the viewer look up at it, or down at it? If it is not in its original location, does the viewer see it as the artist intended? Can it be seen on all sides, or just on one?) Technique and Medium (What materials is it made of? How was it executed? How big or small is it?) Subject Matter (Who or What is Represented?) Brief Description In a few sentences describe the work. What does it look like? Is it a representation of something? Tell what is shown. Is it an abstraction of something? Tell what the subject is and what aspects are emphasized. Is it nonobjective work? Tell what elements are dominant. This section is not an analysis of the work yet, though some terms might be used here. This section is primarily a few sentences to give the reader a sense of what the work looks like and briefly explains the narrative if applicable. Describe, Analyze, Interpret, Evaluate This is the key part of your paper. It should be the longest section of the paper. Each of the 4 aspects should have an equal share of writing. Go through each factor below for the Elements and Principles and ask yourself; “how is the artist using lines(?), how is the artist using texture, how is the artist using space, etc. Do this for each of the 7 design elements listed below. Remember there are specific terms and concepts associated with each design element and you should explain these intelligently. Try to articulate and explain these as if the reader has never seen the artwork before and is relying on your description to understand the artwork. Next, do this again for the design principles; How is the artist using a balance(?), how is the artist using variety, is there repetition, etc. And do this for each design principle we covered earlier in the semester. Remember there are specific terms and concepts associated with each design principle and you should explain these intelligently. Things to Consider for Describing Elements. How does the artist use implied lines to direct the viewer’s eyes throughout the composition? How is the artist using space and adding depth through linear and atmospheric perspective? Is there texture and what does it do to the work? Describe: Art Elements Line (diagonal, curvilinear, converging lines, compositional lines, contour, implied, hard, soft, gesture,) Shape (size, organic, geometric, shape variety) Value (tints, shades, tones, value scale, light source, depth, contrast, flat, volume, balance, emphasis, shadows) Color, (color schemes, contrast, complementary, analogous, vibrance, tone, saturation, hue) Texture and Pattern (real, implied, repeating, variation) Space (5 depth cues, linear and atmospheric perspective, intervals, spacing) Time and Motion if applicable Analyze: Principles of Design: How are elements being used to create principles? Unity and Variety Balance (symmetry, asymmetry) Emphasis and Subordination (contrast, focal point, hierarchy, scale, placement, visual weight) Scale and Proportion (how objects or figures relate to each other and the setting, hierarchical scale, human scale, disproportion) Movement (viewer eye movement not actual movement- unless the art is performance, kinetic, or 4D art.) Rhythm/Repetition Variety Contrast Positive/Negative Relationship (figure-ground relationship) Aspects of composition such as the rule of thirds, golden rule, compositional lines, triangular, central design, central, etc. Interpret: Understanding the artworks Context is critical for understanding Meaning and Symbolism, Purpose and Content, or the Idea of the work. In this section, discuss how and why the key objects, elements, and principles of art used by the artist create meaning. Try to identify all the symbolism in the work if applicable. If it is non-objective artwork, please discuss those tenets and philosophy. This section is the combination of what an object symbolizes to the artist and what it means to the viewer. You probably will have to do outside research on some of the symbols you may see. Make sure you document all outside information correctly. Evaluate: This is the part of the paper where you go beyond description and offer a conclusion and your own informed opinion/evaluation about the artwork. Try to write objectively and not subjectively. Any statements you make about the work should be based on the analysis and components listed above. Support your discussion of content with facts about the work, don’t just simply state an opinion. General Suggestions Your textbook contains all of the terminologies I’ll be looking for so go back and refresh your memory especially Chapter 2. Make sure to include a photo of the artwork! Use vocabulary from the class. We have covered a lot of terminologies so far and this is an assessment for you to demonstrate how well you understand the course vernacular. The writing requirement is a minimum of 1000 words. This is just a minimum, and you should write whatever length you need to support your thoughts thoroughly. Be specific: Try not to use broad or vague terms like “mood of the painting” If you are trying to describe elements that make you feel melancholy, be specific about what exactly makes you feel sorrow. Another example of how to add specificity is instead of calling an artwork a “picture”, rather say “drawing” or “painting” or “photograph” to be more precise. Always support your statements with specific visual information from the artwork. Always provide support for your opinion! What is it, specifically, that helped form your opinion? It is ok to do outside research and cite it as support of your thoughts. Remember that any information you use from another source, whether it be your textbook, a wall panel, a museum catalog, a dictionary of art, the internet, must be documented with an in-text citation and or footnote and be included in works cited page. Failure to do so is considered plagiarism and violates the behavioral standards of the university. If you do not understand what plagiarism is, refer to this link at the APSU policy here: Always italicize or underline titles of works of art. If the title is long, you must use the full title the first time you mention it but may shorten the title for subsequent listings. Allow time to proofread your paper. Read it out loud and see if it makes sense. If you need help on the technical aspects of writing, use the University Writing Center or On-Line Writing Lab. -Please follow instructions. Thank you! I have attached an example of what the formal analysis is suppose to be like. Then I attached the grading rubric for you to make sure everything is all good. Please contact me if you have any questions.
