Assignment Content
An important skill you will learn in this course is how to describe and interpret a work of visual art. The guide below will help you know what to look for and what to say when writing about a specific artwork. This guide is designed to help you look carefully so that your experience and opinion can be more thoughtful, meaningful, and valuable.
Choose ONE of the artworks illustrated below. Write a description and interpretation of what you see. Write 1 paragraph for each section (this is a total of 4 paragraphs for the completed analysis). You will need to do some research in order to find factual information for paragraph 1.
This should be written as an essay, not an outline.
You are not required to have a citations section, but if you do research beyond the coursework readings and videos, please include a list of references at the end of your analysis.
Paragraph 1: Introduction (25 points)
Present the FACTUAL INFORMATION relating to the artwork. Include as much of the following information as you can:
ARTIST(S) – name, collaboration, anonymous, etc.
DATE – specific date, approximate date, century, etc.
MEDIA – drawing, painting, sculpture, architecture
TECHNIQUE – shading, perspective, glazing, impasto, carving, casting, post-and-lintel, steel frame, etc.
STYLE – Classical, Gothic, Expressionism, Surrealism, Pop, Post-Modern, etc.
Paragraph 2: Art Elements (25 points)
Describe each ART ELEMENT that you see in the artwork. Start with the most prominent element and how that element is primarily used in the artwork. Provide specific examples and include as many as you can:
LINES – vertical, horizontal, curved, straight, thick, thin, long, short, etc.
SHAPES – circular, square, triangular, biomorphic, shapes of specific objects, etc.
TEXTURE – rough, shiny, wood, skin, water, dots, stripes, etc.
VALUES – light, dark, medium, high contrast, blended, etc.
COLORS – bright, dull, red, yellow, blue, black, white, etc.
Paragraph 3: Design Qualities (25 points)
Describe each of the DESIGN QUALITIES that you see in the artwork. Start with the most prominent and include as many as you can:
SIZE – actual measurements, largest part, smallest part, repeated sizes, etc.
EMPHASIS – most important part, most important art element, etc.
MOVEMENT – actual movement, implied movement, up, down, rapid, slow, chaotic, rhythmic, etc.
SPACE – actual space, sculptural (3 dimensional), flat (2 dimensional), top, bottom, right, left, center, illusionistic, overlapping, etc.
UNITY – visual balance, repetition, variation, complex, simple, etc.
Paragraph 4: Interpret the Meaning of the Work (25 points)
Discuss the meaning of the artwork. Consider each of the following and include as many as you can:
SUBJECT MATTER – What do you see in the artwork? still life, landscape, figure, formal, etc.
THEME – religion, politics, sex, nature, imagination, emotions, etc.
PURPOSE – decorative, expressive, commercial, etc.
CULTURAL CONTEXT – historical time/place/events significant to the artwork
PERSONAL RESPONSE – emotions, thoughts, ideas, opinions, etc.
https://blackboard.odessa.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-1062365-dt-content-rid-4048934_1/xid-4048934_1
