HOW TO ANALYSE A PICTURE

STEP 1: INTRODUCE the document (genre, origin, topic/theme…)

STEP 2: DESCRIBE the picture (general impression, …)
STEP 3: ANALYSE and INTERPRET (context, reactions, …)
STEP 4: CONCLUDE / GIVE YOUR OPINION about the picture

STEP 1: INTRODUCE THE PICTURE

● Genre
The document is a painting / a cartoon / a comic strip / a poster / an ad (advert,
advertisement) / a mural / a drawing / a photo / a website homepage…

● Title
This painting/mural is entitled…. / the title of this mural is ….

● Origin
The document comes from …
It was published in …
The artist is …
It was created in / by …

● Topic / theme
The document represents …
It is about …
It deals with …
It shows …

STEP 2: DESCRIBE THE PICTURE

● General impression(s)
We can see / notice …
The scene takes place in …
The scene is set in …
The main character(s) is / are …

● Use the present continuous (BE + V-ing) and the vocabulary in the grid below to describe a
picture!
The man in the foreground is + V-ing …
There is/are …. who is/are + V-ing

● Focus
The focus of the picture is….
The viewer’s attention is drawn to …

STEP 3: ANALYSE AND INTERPRET

● What are the artist’s intentions?
We can easily imagine that …
As we can see …, we can deduce that …
The cartoonist / the artist / the painter / the photographer ….criticizes …
The artist’s goal (purpose, aim) is probably to denounce / show …
The artist wants to make us aware of (+ noun)
The aim of the artist is to highlight …
The artist may want to raise the controversial issue of …
Perhaps the artist wanted to convey an impression of …

STEP 4: GIVE YOUR OPINION

● your feelings and opinion
I think this picture is quite + adj because …
I think it brilliantly illustrates …
I think the artist is very talented because …
What strikes / shocks / surprises me in this artwork is …
As far as I’m concerned …
Personally, …
To me, …
To my mind, …

● some useful adjectives

Shocking – funny / humorous – ironic – witty – original – stereotyped – conformist-
straightforward – moving- dull / flat / boring – poignant – scary / frightening – challenging –
provocative – convincing – unconvincing – exaggerated – etc.

In the At the top In the

top top
left- right-
hand In the distance hand
corner corner
In the background

On the In the middle On the

left right
In the foreground

In the In the
bottom bottom
left- left-
hand At the bottom hand
corner corner