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1. Introduction to Writing
About Art
Instructor: Mrs. Christine Ege
Introduction to Art – DAD Department
18th March 2015

2. What is Art Criticism?
• Art criticism is responding to, interpreting meaning, and making critical
judgments about specific works of art.
• Art critics help viewers perceive, interpret, and judge artworks.
• Critics tend to focus more on modern and contemporary art from cultures close to
their own.
• Art historians tend to study works made in cultures that are more distant in time
and space.
• When initially introduced to art criticism, many people associate negative
connotations with the word “criticism.”

3. A professional art critic may be:
• A newspaper reporter
• A scholar writing for professional journals or books
• An artist writing about other artists
• Bloggers

4. FOUR LEVELS OF FORMAL
ANALYSIS, WHICH YOU CAN USE
TO EXPLAIN A WORK OF ART!

5. 1. Description
Pure description of the object without
value, judgments, analysis, or
interpretation.

6. Answers the Question “What do you See?”
• The various elements that constitute a description include:
A. Form of art whether architecture, sculpture, painting or one of the minor
arts
B. Medium of work whether clay, stone, steel, paint, etc., and techniques (tools
used)
C. Size and scale of work (relationship to person and / or frame and / or
context)
D. Elements or general shape (architectural structural system) within the
composition, including building or post-lintel construction or painting with
several figures lined up in a row; identification of objects
E. Description of axis whether vertical, diagonal, horizontal, etc.

7. Answers the Question “What do you See?”
• The various elements that constitute a description include:
A. Description of line, including contour as soft, planar, jagged, etc..
B. Description of how line describes shape and space (volume); distinguish
between lines of objects and lines of composition, e.g., thick, thin, variable,
irregular, intermittent, indistinct, etc.
C. Relationships between shapes, e.g., large and small, overlapping, etc.
D. Description of color and color scheme = palette
E. Texture of surface or other comments about execution of work
F. Context of object: original location and date

8. What to Include?
• Artist’s name
• Title of work
• Type of work
• Subject of the painting
• Objects in the painting
• First impression
• Colors used
• Shapes, lines, texture
• Light saturation
• Sensory qualities

9. Example of Description
This is Sunflowers by Vincent Van
Gogh. It is an oil painting on canvas,
and is one of Van Gogh's most famous
paintings. Although the subject of the
painting, a vase of sunflowers, might
be simple, the painting has enchanted
viewers for decades because of its
expressionistic nature and brilliant
use of color.

10. 2. Analysis
Determining what the features suggest
and deciding why the artist used such
features to convey specific ideas.

11. It answers the question “How did the artist do it?”
• The various elements that constitute analysis include:
A. Determination of subject matter through naming iconographic elements,
e.g., historical events, allegory, mythology, etc.
B. Selection of most distinctive features or characteristics whether line, shape,
color, texture, etc.
C. Analysis of the principles of design or composition, e.g., stable, repetitious,
rhythmic, unified, symmetrical, harmonious, geometric, varied, chaotic,
horizontal or vertically oriented, etc.
D. Discussion of how elements or structural system contribute to appearance of
image or function

12. It answers the question “How did the artist do it?”
• The various elements that constitute analysis include:
A. Analysis of use of light and role of color, e.g., contrasty, shadowy, illogical,
warm, cool, symbolic, etc.
B. Treatment of space and landscape, both real and illusionary (including use
of perspective), e.g., compact, deep, shallow, naturalistic, random
C. Portrayal of movement and how it is achieved
D. Effect of particular medium(s) used
E. Your perceptions of balance, proportion and scale (relationships of each part
of the composition to the whole and to each other part) and your emotions
F. Reaction to object or monument

13. What to Include?
• Color
• Shapes, forms and lines
• Texture
• Light and shadow
• How each technical element contributes to the mood, meaning
and aesthetic sensation of the artwork

14. Example of Analysis
How simple it seems to be, a mixture of
yellow, ochre, green, and cream. Colors
of the everyday mixed with light to create
another world. Light seems to emanate
from the painting as if the sun were truly
shining from the adequately named
sunflowers. Splashing paint onto the
canvas in quick, thick strokes of paint
Van Gogh was able to create a world of
line and color, which entrances us to this
day.

15. 3. Interpretation
Establishing the broader context for
this type of art

16. It answers the question. “Why did the
artist create it and what does it mean”?
• The various elements that constitute interpretation include:
A. Main idea, overall meaning of the work
B. Interpretive statement: can I express what I think the artwork is about in one
sentence?
C. Evidence: what evidence inside or outside the artwork supports my
interpretation?

17. What to Include?
• Communicate the artist's statement.
• Describe what you think the artist is trying to say through the work of art
• Expound on the feeling conveyed by the artwork.
• Describe that the artwork means to you, and why.
• Explain what you feel is the artist’s intended purpose for creating that
particular work of art.
• Examine why the artist made the choices in technique, materials and subject matter and
how they relate to the intended purpose.
• Identify symbols in the artwork and describe how they relate to the artist's
technical choices and contribute to the artist’s execution of the intended
purpose.

18. Example of
Interpretation
Sunflowers was created at a time when Van
Gogh was looking for a reprise from the
world in which he was living. It was with
his move from The Netherlands to the
south of France that Van Gogh began
exploring different forms of self
expression. We can see his struggle to find
a happier side of himself in the flowers
themselves. If we take each flower
individually we can see that some are
standing upright in full bloom, while
others are wilting away. This must have
been exactly how Van Gogh was feeling at
the time, caught half way between a world
of utter happiness, and severe depression.

19. 4. Judgment
Judging a piece of work means giving
it rank in relation to other works and
of course considering a very important
aspect of the visual arts; it originality.

20. Asks the Question: Is it a good
artwork?
• The various elements that constitute interpretation include:
A. Criteria: what criteria do I think are most appropriate for judging the
artwork?
B. Evidence: what evidence inside or outside the artwork relates to each
criterion?
C. Judgment: Based on the criteria and evidence, what is my judgment
about the quality of artwork?

21. What to Include?
• State what you think the artwork’s value is.
• For example, its value may be to evoke nostalgia, to incite anger or to
impart beauty.
• Explain why you feel this way.
• Describe the artwork’s relevance to the art community and to
people as a whole.
• Explain where you feel the artwork has strong value and where
you think it falls short.

22. Example of Judgment
Although Sunflowers is one of the most
famous painting in the world, its
subject matter is quite mundane.
Compared to the content exhibited in
other works by Vincent Van Gogh, and
other Neo-Impressionists of the time,
Sunflowers falls quite short. Its
popularity today speaks a lot to the
drive of the modern viewer of art
towards nostalgia, and therefore
discredits a lot of what Van Gogh was
striving for in this painting.

23. Tips
• Remember, there are no incorrect descriptions when you critique
artwork.
• Your goal is NOT to say whether or not the art is good, but rather to
impart as best you can the visceral response the artwork incites.
• Use art vocabulary to help you write your art critique.
• Use a lot of description words.
• Try to avoid talking about yourself.
• You are talking about the piece of work, NOT IF YOU LIKE IT OR
NOT.

24. YOUR TURN TO TRY
Use Vincent Van
Gogh’s Starry
Night to help
you write your
own piece of art
criticism