1) 1 to 2 pages in length (double spaced, 12 point font)
2) Must have 4 paragraphs
3) Paragraph Headings (Description, Analysis, Interpretation and Judgement)
4) Must be a formal critique of 1 of the 10 listed Artworks (see list and critique example below )
5) Will be graded for form (writing) and content
6) Sent to Instructor via Canvas message, please embed the essay into the message (copy and paste)
7) DO NOT send as an attachment
Select 1 Artwork (subject of your critique essay):
Mona Lisa, Da Vinci
The Last Supper, Da Vinci
The Starry Night, Van Gogh
The Scream, Edvard Munch
Guernica, Pablo Picasso
The Kiss, Gustav Klimt
Girl With a Pearl Earring, Johannes Vermeer
The Birth of Venus, Sandro Botticelli
Las Meninas, Diego Valasquez
Creation of Adam, Michelangelo
Writing Resources (note: your formal Artwork critique (Midterm) must contain these four sections)
How to write a critique (Artwork)
How to Critique (Links to an external site.)
What is a critique?
A critique is an oral or written discussion strategy used to analyze, describe, and interpret works of art. Critiques help students hone their persuasive oral and writing, information-gathering, and justification skills.
Provide direction and guidance with the critique to ensure that students stay on task and address the purpose and objectives of the lesson.
Below is a sample set of focus questions for an art critique related to four major areas of art criticism: description, analysis, interpretation, judgment. (The number of questions and aspects of specificity will vary according to the art form and number of works in the critique).
Description
Describe the work without using value words such as “beautiful” or “ugly”:
What is the written description on the label or in the program about the work?
What is the title and who is (are) the artist(s)?
When and where was the work created?
Describe the elements of the work (i.e., line movement, light, space).
Describe the technical qualities of the work (i.e., tools, materials, instruments).
Describe the subject matter. What is it all about? Are there recognizable images?
Analysis
Describe how the work is organized as a complete composition:
How is the work constructed or planned (i.e., acts, movements, lines)?
Identify some of the similarities throughout the work (i.e., repetition of lines, two songs in each act).
Identify some of the points of emphasis in the work (i.e., specific scene, figure, movement).
If the work has subjects or characters, what are the relationships between or among them?
Interpretation
Describe how the work makes you think or feel:
Describe the expressive qualities you find in the work. What expressive language would you use to describe the qualities (i.e., tragic, ugly, funny)?
Does the work remind you of other things you have experienced (i.e., analogy or metaphor)?
How does the work relate to other ideas or events in the world and/or in your other studies?
Judgment
Judging a piece of work means giving it rank in relation to other works and of course considering a very important aspect of the visual arts; its originality.
Is it a good artwork?
Criteria: What criteria do I think are most appropriate for judging the artwork?
Evidence: What evidence inside or outside the artwork relates to each criterion?
Judgment: Based on the criteria and evidence, what is my judgment about the quality of the artwork?
Sample Art Critique (The Weeping Women, Picasso, 1937):
picasso_weeping_woman_1937.jpg
Describe:
The Weeping Woman is a painting finished by Pablo Picasso in France, 1937. This type of artwork can be considered to be expressionism. There isnt an actual background scene in the painting. The background is completed with different lines and colors. The woman is the focus point of this painting. She is wearing an accessory on top of her head which demonstrates her elegance. My first impression of the artwork is that the face of the woman is not proportionate and is only painted with lines, no curves. The main colors that are used in this painting are green, yellow, blue, purple, red and black. The painting is set mainly of lined and little curves. The mood and visual effect that this painting portrays can be considered to be suffering, and sadness.
Analyze:
The colors that the author uses can be considered to be quite different as each color conveys a separate impression. The light purple that begins at the bottom top of the womans eyes can convey sadness. The other half of the face is mainly covered in green and yellow; these can be said to interpret other solid emotions that the painter must have towards this woman as she was a vital character in Picassos life. The painting is created with mainly lines which can mean that the woman had strong physical features or that her different emotions were felt passionately as lines are usually seen as strong technical elements. The only curves that are being used are for her hair and eyes. The eyes look quite down or depressive. This is because the woman is crying, which goes back to the main mood which is suffering.
Interpretation:
I believe that Picasso wanted the audience to feel pain and provide a statement that explains how all women feel and the agony that they are consistently in. The audience can see that the woman has peeled away her flesh by corrosive tears to reveal her white bones. The handkerchief she tries to stuff in her mouth seems as a shard of glass. This vivid image can convey pain and hurting. Picasso has expressed the behavior of this woman several times and often describes the constant tears that fall off her eyes. So the feeling conveyed by the artwork is definitely suffering. Picasso wanted us to feel her and understand the pain that she was going through. It was not easy to be a woman during that time since females where often frowned upon. Picasso demonstrates the appreciation that he has for her through this painting as he wants the audience to understand her.
Judge:
Finally, the artists value may be to evoke pain, as mentioned previously. This is due to the colors that Picasso used and the shapes that he draws; not only these technical elements but also the images that the painter uses within the actual face of the woman. The painting relates to the entire female community. This community can understand the painting and know what Picasso was trying to portray. Every woman is able understand and comprehend the message behind this painting as we all feel the same way at one point in our lives. I believe that this is a strong value in the painting. The weak value lies in the different colors that the painter chooses. I found it confusing to interpret other areas of the face as the colors that were used did not seem to match other locations of the face.
