Four-Step Critical Analysis Process • Step 1: Describe – What do you see? o Credit line information such as title, artist, date created, size, medium, location, genre. o What do you see in the art work? Use objective observations and identification skills. All descriptions must be observable facts. o EXAMPLE: “Starry Night, Vincent Van Gogh, 1832…I see a large cypress tree in the foreground. I can tell it is a cypress by the shape. The majority of the picture is taken up by a night sky. There are many stars in the sky. Etc….” • Step 2: Analyze—How is the work organized? o Focus on how the Elements of Art and Principles of Design have been used in the artwork. You are still collecting clues, not guessing! How do the Principles organize the Elements? Use specific evidence from the art. This will help you discover how the artist might have created moods, messages, or ideas. o EXAMPLE: “The night sky is dark blue, and it is filled with vibrant yellow stars. The pattern of the stars moves the viewer’s eye back and forth throughout the painting. The repetition of the yellow into the village lights help give the picture unity. Etc….” • Step 3: Interpret – “What is the artist saying?” o Using the information from the description and analysis, explain what the artist might be trying to communicate. What is the mood or the meaning of the artwork? Make some guesses and provide some evidence for your thinking using the Elements and Principles. Your interpretation might be different from someone else’s. o Answer the question, “I think________________, because I see __________________.” o EXAMPLE: “I think the artist is trying to show a connection between a sleepy peaceful mood and the quiet little town, because the artists uses the some colors and kinds of lines in the sky and the village. I see the colors and the soft, swirling lines in the sky, and it makes me think the artist was trying to show that even a dark sky can have lots to see. Etc….” • Step 4: Judge – “Is this a successful piece of art?” o Now you can finally express your own personal opinion about the piece of art. Your opinion, however, is still based on what you’ve discovered through description, analysis, and interpretation, all backed up with visual evidence and the language of art. This is a carefully thought out decision in which you decided if the art was successful or not successful, not necessarily a like or dislike. o Answer this questions, “I think this work is (not) successful because _____________________.” o EXAMPLE: “I think this work is successful because it the colors and lines are organized in an interesting, swirly way that grabs my attention. The work is almost like a lullaby because the yellow stars twinkle in the sky like peaceful little notes over the sleepy town. Etc

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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