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Students often think that they are writing for the teacher, but this is a misconception; when you write, you are the teacher. An essay on art is an attempt to help someone to see the work as you see it.” (Sylvan Barnet, A Short Guide to Writing About Art)

Identification

You should first identify the work of art by answering as many of the following questions as you can: Who made it (name of artist)? What is it’s title? When was it made? Where was it made (country of origin)? What is it made of (medium)? Why was it made (purpose or function)? Sometimes knowing for whom it was made and the piece’s intended location can be helpful as well.

Brief description

Next you want to briefly describe the work’s physical appearance (size, color, overall shape, condition if it is old, etc.) and subject matter (what is being represented). Description deals with the relatively obvious, reporting what anyone might see, but it doesn’t tell us what the work of art really means. This requires analysis.

Analysis—Formal elements

In order to understand and get at the real meaning of a work of art, you need to analyze it. Discussion of the following should help you do that. First, look at the formal elements of the painting. These are visual elements—what you see as you look at the painting. You need to examine how these various elements are used and what they contribute to the overall impact of the work. As you are looking, consider: 

Medium (what the object is made of) Be attentive to particular kinds of brushstrokes or ways in which the artist handled the substance that forms the object.
Technique (how the object was made) Notice whether the object was drawn, painted, engraved, carved, cast, etc. and how the artist carried out those processes. Is it large or small? What is the overall shape of the piece? How does this relate to other similar pieces by this artist? 
Composition (the arrangement of elements in the work): Is there a focal point? Is the work crowded, open, varied, repetitious? Are any motifs or shapes repeated throughout the painting? 
Color What colors are used? What is the intensity of the colors (bright or muted?) Are they similar throughout, or is there contrast between warm and cool colors anywhere in the painting? How is color used to create a mood? 
Line What type of lines or strokes are used? Dainty and light? Bold and jagged? How does the type of line used affect the mood of the work?

When writing, try to express what you see with as much precision as possible.

Analysis—style

Each artist has a particular way of choosing and fitting together these formal elements into what amounts to a distinctly personal look. This is called the artist’s personal style. (The personal style is what makes a Monet look different from a Rembrandt). It can also be observed that that works of art from the same period and culture tend to share similar visual characteristics. This is known as a period style. (You will find more similarities between the work of Monet and Renoir, both 19^th century Impressionist painters than you will between Rembrandt and Monet, who painted in different time periods). However, you can often see similarities, since artists learn and are influenced by artists who come before them—note the influence of African masks on the work of Picasso. It is necessary to analyze an artist’s personal style as well as the period style (what he/she has in common with others from the same time period) to get a complete understanding of their work.

Analysis--content

Content is different from subject matter.To get at the content of a work of art, you need to interpret how the subject matter interacts with the formal elements (color, line, composition, medium, technique) to communicate to the viewer certain emotions and feelings.

Personal response

Finally, express your own personal feelings about the work of art. What is your personal response to it? What do you like or dislike about it?

Selected Art Resources at the Camden County Library

Analysis of art

• Annotated art: the world’s greatest paintings explored and explained - Ref




• A dictionary of art titles The origins of the names and titles of 3,000 works of art - Ref 703 Roo




• International dictionary of art and artists: Art - Ref 709.2 Int




• Short guide to writing about art - Ready Reference 808.0667 Bar (ask at reference desk)




• Writing about art - Ref

Auction prices/records of art sales

• Davenport’s art reference and price guide – Ref 702.9 Dav

Biographical Information

General information on well known and lesser known artists

• Grove’s Dictionary of Art – Ref 703 Dic

General—usually only more well known artists

• Contemporary artists – Ref 927.5 Con




• Dictionary of contemporary American artists – Ref 709.2273 Cum




• Encyclopedia of world art – Ref 703 Enc




• International Dictionary of art and artists: artists - Ref 709.2 Int




• Painting of the Golden Age: A biographical dictionary of 17^th century European painters – Ref 927.5904 Gea

General—but includes lesser known artists, too

• Bryan’s dictionary of painters and engravers – Ref 927.5 Bry




• Dictionary of American artists, sculptors, and engravers – Ref 927.5 Dic




• Index to artistic biography – Ref 016.7092




• Mantle Fielding’s dictionary of American painters, sculptors, and engravers — Ref 709.22 Fie




• New York Historical Society’s dictionary of artists in America – Ref 927.5




• New Who was who in American art – Ref 927.5
  

• Who Who’s who in American art – Ref 927.5 Con

African American artists

• Afro American artists – Ref 927.5 Ced 
  

• Saint James guide to black artists – Ref 927.5 St. James

Native American artists

• Saint James guide to native North American artists – Ref 972. 0403 Sai

Women artists

• American women sculptors – Ref 927.3082 Rub




• Contemporary women artists – Ref 927.0922 Con




• Dictionary of women artists – Ref 927.0922Dic




• North American women artists of the twentieth century – Ref 927.5 Nor




• Women artists:1550-1950 – Ref 927.59 Har

Local artists

• Philadelphia: three centuries of American art – Ref 709.7307 Phi

Specialized art fields

• Contemporary designers – Ref 927.4544 Con




• Dictionary of nineteenth century British book illustrators – Ref 741.64 Hou




• Dictionary of twentieth century British book illustrators – Ref 927.4164 Hor




• The Illustrator in America:1880-1980 – Ref 927.416 Ree




• Museum of American Folk Art encyclopedia of twentieth century American folk art and artists – Ref 927.0922 Ros




• Self taught, outsider, and folk art: a guide to American artists, locations, and resources – Ref 745.025 Sel

Indexes

• American printmakers, 1880-1945: an index to reproductions and biocritical information – Ref 016.7699 Wil




• Illustration index – Ref 016.7416 Van  




• Index to artistic biography – Ref 016.7092 Hav




• Index to reproductions of American paintings – Ref 759.1 Mon




• Index to reproductions of European paintings – Ref 759 Mon




• Sculpture index – Ref 730.16 Cla

Museums, galleries, and exhibitions

• American art directory– Ref 702.5 Ame




• Art in America guide to galleries, museums, and artists – Ref 702.5 Art




• Art now gallery guide: Philadelphia – ask at periodicals desk 
  

• Official museum directory – Ref 069.025 Off

Schools and educational opportunities

• American art directory – Ref 702.5 Ame




• Artist’s communities: a directory of residencies in the United States that offer time and space for creativity – Ref 700.973 Art




• Peterson’s professional degree programs in the visual and performing arts – JCIC Ref 700.7117 Pet

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Last Reviewed: June 16, 2010