Analyzing Art
Visit the National Gallery of Art (
http://www.nga.gov) website and pick out a painting from the Classical, Medieval, Renaissance, Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, or Modern Art time periods. Write a 1-2 page essay in which you include the following items:
http://www.nga.gov) website and pick out a painting from the Classical, Medieval, Renaissance, Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, or Modern Art time periods. Write a 1-2 page essay in which you include the following items:
- Visual Aspect: The first step in analyzing a painting or sculpture’s formal qualities is to describe the object in detail. Then, pose yourself questions concerning its size, composition, relative distance or proximity of represented elements, color, line, lighting, chiaroscuro, imitation vs alteration, and any other artistic elements.
- Contextual Aspect: Can one tell what was the object’s original and intended context? If so, what function did the object fulfill? Does this suggest what type of person the patron might have been?
- Iconographic Aspect: Does this object tell a story? If so, what is that narrative? Is it a secular or religious tale? Can you identify the figures based upon a particular text?
- Historical Aspect: Does this work convey any specific elements which convey what time period and style it was created in? Include information from this week’s reading to highlight aspects of the work that represent the type of art that it is.
- Personal Aspect: Lastly, comment on how the work of art captured your interest. Share your response to the work and its meaning.
As you write your paper, consider how all the elements above come together to create the masterpiece that you are describing. Give the work a context from your own understanding and experience. Be sure to cite
