D’Alleva, Anne. Look! : the Fundamentals of Art History. 3rd ed., Pearson Prentice Hall, 2010.

Chapters 2 and 3
Notes:
FORMAL ANALYSIS
 A description of the work and an attempt to understand what the artist was trying to
convey
 Formal Elements
 Colour: Including saturation, hue, value, and whether a particular range of colours
is used (such as primary or secondary)
 Line
 Space and Mass
 Scale: relative size both within the work and compared to the viewer. Consistent
scale or scale for emphasis?
 Composition: How are the other elements arranged and used together?
 What does the artist emphasize? What’s your eye drawn to? Focal point?
 What elements are used to emphasize this aspect?
 Underlying pattern?
 Is the composition unified or are the aspects distinct from each other?
 Emotion/Idea behind the piece? How is this achieved?
 Large scale or small scale? Horizontal or vertical? Impact on viewer?
 Figurative or abstract?
 Form
 Pictorial Space
 Light (and Shadow): including chiaroscuro
 Texture
 Pattern
 Other Formal Components
 Title
 Artist’s Name
 Date
 Medium
 Size
 Location
 Questions/elements to think about in formal analysis of 2D art
 Colour! Contrasting or blended? Range of colour? Lights and darks? Overall
sense/emotion evoked by colour? Emphasis made by colour?
 Are marks of a brush/pencil etc. visible? Does this make the piece look unfinished
or add any other aspect to the work?
 Light/dark contrast. Does this give depth or no?
  Is an illusion of depth received?
 How are forms defined? Line or shading?
 Texture
 Questions/elements to think about in formal analysis of Sculpture and 3D art
 Implied viewpoint?
 Materials
 Is the volume of the work emphasized or does it portray a sense of flatness?
 Do lights and shadows on the piece emphasize 3D form or flatness? Create a
sense of movement or convey some other sense?
 Colour? How does this impact perception? Emphasis? More or less 3D looking
because of colour?
 Texture and finish?
 Questions/elements to think about in formal analysis of architecture
 Plan/Layout
 An Elevation (one side of a building)
 Section (side view of internal layout)
 Scale (in relation to people)
 Are parts of the building emphasized?
 Geometric shapes? Soft forms?
 How does it appear from the outside (including openings, doors, windows)
 Solidity? Negative space? Does light and shadow break up the solidity?
 Ornaments on the building? Impact of these ornaments of perception?
 How does the building fit in the environment? Blend in? Contrast sharply?
 Interior plan/arrangement. Help or hinder movement through the building for
viewing?
 Questions/elements to think about in formal analysis of Installation Art
 Made for a specific location, creates the environment
 Sense of space. How does it fit/work with surroundings?
 Does the viewer interact with it?
 Scale compared to viewer
 Light, colour, texture, and their effect on sense of space
 Does it change?
 Questions/elements to think about in formal analysis of Performance and Video Art
 The artist’s movements, gestures, sounds, dialogue, words, music etc.
 Improvised or rehearsed?
 Is the audience involved or merely spectating?
 Is the space suited to/modified for the performance?
 Presentation of the artist themselves: costume, clothing, etc.
 Questions/elements to think about in formal analysis of Digital Art
 In what aspect was technology used?
 What aspects are unique to digital art and would not have otherwise been
possible?
 Heightened sense of fantasy or reality?
  Does it change the viewer’s interaction or perspective due to being digital?
 Questions/elements to think about in formal analysis of Textile and Decorative Art
 (Textiles, ceramics, decorative objects)
 Function
 Materials
 Texture
 Simplicity / complexity
 Shape and form
 Do decorative elements reference function?
 Colour and line
 What techniques were used to create this?
CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS
 An attempt to understand the art within a cultural moment
 This could be today, its own time, or some other time
 Analysis of the social, political, spiritual, economic significance
 Art and social context affect each other
 Questions/elements to think about in a contextual analysis
 Patron(s), artist(s), and viewers of the work
 Artist’s comments/records
 Patron’s motives and level of participation. Contract/correspondence
 Who could see the work? Under what circumstances? Viewers’ response?
 When and where was this art originally made and kept?
 When or why was it used or viewed?
 Materials
 Techniques?
 What was the political, social, religious climate at the time?
 Subject and how they’re depicted
 Political, religious, social messages in the art?
 Was anything about this work new or different? Why?
 Museums
 This is art out of context. Most art wasn’t made for a museum.
 Museums can change our understanding of a piece by how they display it
 Everyone’s bias, museums included
 Challenge your assumptions

LOOK! Book Chapter 4

Notes:
WRITING ART HISTORY PAPERS
 Opinion vs. Interpretation
  Art history isn’t merely a matter of opinion. Art history is about interpretation, a
supported and informed opinion.
 Formal Analysis
 To do a proper formal analysis, stare at the piece for a long time before even
taking notes on it.
 Then, write a very detailed description. Don’t leave anything out!
 Take a break, then repeat the above 2 steps.
 Notice if a theme emerges, from this you can pull your thesis statement/topic
sentence/or whatnot
 Draw the work, when you notice new details, write them down
 Take another good long look at the work once you’ve drafted your paper
 Basic contextual information will probably be necessary
 In your paper, focus on interpretation rather than pure description (don’t describe
from top to bottom, left to right)
 Comparison papers
 It may be better to discuss the two works together, rather than separately
 “This means that your introductory paragraph presents a thesis about what
the juxtaposition of the two works means; then each paragraph of the body
takes up a different issue in turn.” (Page 81)
 Use obvious similarities and differences as a starting point to comparing
the two works
 Only include descriptions of the details that pertain to your argument (stay
on topic)
 Developing a thesis
 Go through your notes to find themes you want to focus on
 Introductory Paragraph
 Try writing it after you write the body paragraphs
 Introduce your artworks, state your thesis and your point of view on the artworks
 Body Paragraphs
 Stay on topic – make an outline beforehand
 Make sure descriptions and formal analysis support your argument
 Avoid generalizations
 Be sure to separate your opinions from the artists intentions. Make it clear what’s
what.
 Conclusion
 Summarize
 Extend your argument by pointing to related issues
 Editing
 Take a short break before editing if possible