<Student Name> <Course/Year/Section> ARTSOCS Arts and Societies

VISUAL ART ANALYSIS <Date> Prof. Aldwin Manguiat

<Title of Work of Art (Date) by Artist> <Actual Size> <Medium>

Ex: Antipolo Fiesta (1947) by Fernando Amorsolo 51 X 76 Oil on canvas

<Title of Analysis> Ex: The Abundant Feast

IMPORTANT NOTE:

1. This given format must be strictly followed. Must be typewritten Must use Times New Roman, 12 Must double-space the body, NOT the heading Must be at least three fully-written pages

2. Always italicize the title of the work of art in your analysis. 3. Mention the artists full name once. Subsequently, use his/her last name. 4. Your analysis should demonstrate evidence of having consulted at least two other sources beyond the art form itself. Such resources are not limited to books. They may include interviews with gallery personnel (if seen in a museum/exhibit), interviews with artists (if possible), informational brochures, or reliable websites. 5. Practice academic honesty. All sources are to be included in a bibliography which can be cited either by footnote, endnote or parenthetically within the body of the paper itself. Review/research the correct formatting of bibliography. 6. For the entire content of the analysis, refer to the given guidelines. 7.

GUIDELINES FOR ANALYSIS

Knowing how to write a formal analysis of a work of art is a fundamental skill learned in an art appreciation-level class. Use this sheet as a guide when writing a formal analysis paper. Consider the following when analyzing a work of art. Not everything applies to every work of art, nor is it always useful to consider things in the order given. In any analysis, keep in mind the following: HOW and WHY is this significant work of art?

PART I: GENERAL INFORMATION

In many cases, this information can be found on a label or in a gallery guidebook. There may be an artists statement available in the gallery. If so, indicate in your text or by a footnote or endnote to your paper where you got the information. Subject Matter (Who or What is Represented?) Artist (Who created it? Often this is not known. If there is a name, refer to this person as the artist, not author. Refer to this person by his/her last name, not familiarly by their first name.) Date (When was it made? Is it a copy of something older? Was it made before or after other similar works?) Provenance (Where was it made? For whom? Is it typical of the art of a geographical area?)

Location (Where is the work of art now? Where was it originally located? If it is not in its original location, does the viewer see it as the artist intended? Can it be seen on all sides, or just on one?)

Technique and Medium (What materials is it made of? How was it executed? How big or small is it?)

PART II: BRIEF DESCRITPTION

In a few sentences describe the work. What does it look like? Is it a representation of something? Tell what is shown. Is it an abstraction of something? Tell what the subject is and what aspects are emphasized. Is it a non-objective work? Tell what elements are dominant. This section is not an analysis of the work yet, though some terms used in Part III might be used here. This section is primarily a few sentences to give the reader a sense of what the work looks like or how it appears.

PART III: STUDY OF FORM

This is the key part of your paper. It should be the longest section of the paper. Be sure and think about whether the work of art selected is a two-dimensional or three-dimensional work. Study the relationship among the art elements and the principles of design used by the artist.

Art Elements

Line (straight, curved, angular, flowing, horizontal, vertical, diagonal, contour, thick, thin, implied etc.)

Shape/Form (what shapes are created and how) Color (primary, secondary, mixed, complimentary, contrasting, warm, cool, color harmony, psychology/meaning of colors Hue, Intensity and Value (flat, strong, contrasting, even, uneven, light, shadow)

Texture (real, implied, rough, smooth, fine, coarse, plain, irregular) Space (depth, overlapping, kinds of perspective) Perspective (linear, aerial) Volume (solid or thick, shady or light)

Principles of Design Harmony (color, line, shape/form, texture) Balance (symmetry, asymmetry) Emphasis (what is the point of attraction, what is subordinated/ not given so much attention) Scale and Proportion (weight, how objects or figures relate to each other and the setting) Rhythm

PART IV: OPINION AND CONCLUSION

This is the part of the paper where you go beyond description and offer a conclusion and your own informed opinion about the work. Any statements you make about the work should be based on the analysis in Part III above.

In this section, discuss how and why the key elements and principles of art used by the artist create meaning. Support your discussion of content with facts about the work.

For supplemental guide, kindly visit: http://www.uwgb.edu/malloyk/art_criticism_and_formal_analysi.htm