Art Aesthetics &

Criticism
How to “Read” Art
 4 steps of art criticism
• Description

• Analysis

• Interpretation

• Judgment

Paul Klee. Ad Parnassum. 1932. Oil

on canvas. (39 x 49 in.).
 step 1: description
Gathering Facts...

• What is the name of the artist?

• What kind of artwork is it?

• What is the name of the artwork?

• When was it created? Hughie Lee-Smith. The Piper. 1953. Oil on

canvas. (22 x 35 1/4 in.).
• Name some other major events
in history that occurred at the
same time as the artwork.
 step 1: description
• List the literal objects in the
painting (trees, people, animals,
mountains, rivers, etc.)

• Consider the significant art

elements that are present in the
artwork and describe them.

•Line •Texture Hughie Lee-Smith. The Piper. 1953. Oil on

•Shape •Color canvas. (22 x 35 1/4 in.).
•Form •Value

•Space
Vincent Van Gogh. The Starry Night. 1889. Oil on canvas. (29 x 36 1/4 in.).
 step 2: analysis
• How are the principles of art used to organize the art elements?
• Rhythm • Pattern • Proportion • Variety
• Movement • Balance • Emphasis • Unity

Hughie Lee-Smith. The Piper. 1953. Oil on canvas.

(22 x 35 1/4 in.).
 step 2: analysis
Which of the following Qualities did the artist give to the artwork?

• Imitationalism (Literal Quality): focuses on a

realistic representation.

• Formalism (Formal Quality): Places emphasis

on the arrangement of the elements of art
using the principles of art.

• Emotionalism (Expressive Qualities): Requires

that an artwork must evoke a response of
feelings, moods, or emotions in the viewer.
Vincent Van Gogh. The Starry Night. 1889. Oil on canvas. (29 x 36 1/4 in.).
 step 3: interpretation
• Based on what you have learned so
far about the artwork, what do you
think the artist is trying to say?

• Why did the artist create this

artwork?

• What do you think it means?

• What feelings do you have when

looking at this artwork? Hughie Lee-Smith. The Piper. 1953. Oil on
canvas. (22 x 35 1/4 in.).

• Do you think there are things in the

artwork that represent other things
- symbols?
Vincent Van Gogh. The Starry Night. 1889. Oil on canvas. (29 x 36 1/4 in.).
 step 4: judgment
• Do you like the artwork?

• Do you think it is an important

artwork?

• Would you display it at home?

• Is it “good” enough for a museum?

• Justify your opinion! Explain

your opinion using observations
Hughie Lee-Smith. The Piper. 1953. Oil on
canvas. (22 x 35 1/4 in.).
from the previous three steps.
Vincent Van Gogh. The Starry Night. 1889. Oil on canvas. (29 x 36 1/4 in.).
 Now you try it...
Write a DESCRIPTION for the following slide.
Pablo Picasso. Guernica. 1889. Oil on canvas. (11 x 23 ft.).
 Guernica History
• Spanish Dictator, Francisco Franco granted Adolf Hitler
permission to practice his new war strategy of bombing cities on a
small Basque village in Northern Spain.
•On April 27, 1937 - market day - Hitler’s air force bombed
Guernica for three hours killing over 1600 people.
•Picasso began making sketches for the mural one week after the
bombing and completed the canvas on June 6, 1937.
•Analysis: Which principles of design did Picasso use?
• Balance •Visual Movement
• Unity • Variety
• Emphasis • Proportion
•Interpretation: What was Picasso trying to say?

• What is the bull a symbol of?

• Why does the texture on the horse look like newspaper?
• Why does all this happen in a room?
• Why are there two “lights”?
• Why does the warrior have a flower and a broken sword?
•Judgment: Do you like it, or not - and why?