PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Chapter 1.10
Content and Analysis
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 1.10 Content and Analysis
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Introduction
 The artist uses a visual language to communicate ideas,
beliefs, emotions, and opinions
 Content: Subject
 Analysis: Finding meaning
 Imitation and individual style

Learning from the masters

Developing a unique style
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Chapter 1.10 Content and Analysis
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Content
 Content refers to the meaning and the subject of a work
of art
 Identifying the subject of an artwork:

Representational (one can identify the subject)

Non-objective (unrecognizable subject matter)
 Abstraction
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
1.161 Equestrian statue of
Marcus Aurelius, c. 175 CE.
Bronze, 11’6” high. Musei
Capitolini, Rome, Italy
1.162 José de Rivera, Infinity, 1967. Stainless steel sculpture in front of National Museum of American History,
Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
1.163 Allan Houser, Reverie,
1981. Bronze, 25 x 23 x 13”,
edition of 10. Allan Houser
Archives
Chapter 1.10 Content and Analysis
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Modes of Analysis
 Iconographic
 Biographical
 Feminist
 Contextual
 Psychological
 Formal (or visual)
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Chapter 1.10 Content and Analysis
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Iconographic Analysis
 Interprets signs and symbols within an artwork
 Historical and religious references
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
1.164 Audrey Flack, Marilyn
Monroe, 1977. Oil over acrylic
on canvas, 8 x 8’. Collection of
the University of Arizona
Museum of Art, Tucson
Chapter 1.10 Content and Analysis
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Audrey Flack: Photorealism and Vanitas
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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Chapter 1.10 Content and Analysis
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Biographical Analysis
 Relates artist’s life and experiences to artwork
 Considers gender, race, nationality, and class
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
1.165 Eva Hesse,
Hang-Up, 1966. Acrylic, cloth,
wood, cord, and steel, 72 x 84
x 78”. Art Institute of Chicago
Chapter 1.10 Content and Analysis
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Feminist Analysis
 Role of women as:

Artists

Subjects

Viewers
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
1.166 Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Grande Odalisque, 1814. Oil on canvas, 35⅞ x 63¾”. Musée du Louvre, Paris, France
Chapter 1.10 Content and Analysis
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Contextual Analysis
 Interprets artwork based on time and place in which it
was made
 Considers historical, religious, political, economic, and
social factors
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
1.167 Leni Riefenstahl, still from Triumph of the Will, 1934
Chapter 1.10 Content and Analysis
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Psychological Analysis
 Considers the mental state of the artist when the artwork
was being made and uses this to help interpret the work
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
1.168 Edward Hopper, Nighthawks, 1942. Oil on canvas, 33⅛ x 60”. Art Institute of Chicago
Chapter 1.10 Content and Analysis
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Formal Analysis
 Considers the elements and principles used by the artist

Elements of art: line, shape, form, mass, volume, color, texture,
space, time and motion, and value

Principles of art: contrast, balance, unity, variety, rhythm,
emphasis, pattern, proportion, and scale
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
1.169 Diego de Silva y
Velázquez, Las Meninas,
c. 1656. Oil on canvas,
10’5¼” x 9’¾”. Museo Nacional
del Prado, Madrid, Spain
1.170 Detail of Diego de Silva
y Velázquez, Las Meninas
Chapter 1.10 Content and Analysis
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
What Is the Meaning of Las Meninas?
 Velázquez used Las Meninas to show his importance as
a painter and his intimacy with the royal family
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Chapter 1.10 Content and Analysis
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Diego Velázquez: Las Meninas
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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Chapter 1.10 Content and Analysis
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Imitation and Individual Style
 Artists often train themselves by studying and copying
earlier masterpieces
 By referring to earlier masterpieces in new artworks,
artists associate themselves with other artists who preceded
them
 By studying other artworks, artists may learn how to
differentiate themselves
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
1.171 Picasso, Las Meninas, first in a series, 1957. Oil on canvas, 6’4⅜” × 8’6⅜”. Museo Picasso, Barcelona, Spain
Chapter 1.10 Content and Analysis
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Comparison
 Compare the original Las Meninas by Velázquez with the
reinterpretation by Picasso
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
1.172 Thomas Struth, Museo del Prado 7, 2005. Chromogenic print, 5’⅞” × 7’2”
Chapter 1.10 Content and Analysis
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Conclusion
 Artworks can be representational or non-objective; the
degree to which they are non-objective is based upon the
level of abstraction
 Best interpretations are based on synthesis of several
modes of analysis
 Artists often look to earlier artists for inspiration
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Chapter 1.10 Content and Analysis
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
For a video that uses formal analysis, watch:
Thomas Cole: The Oxbow
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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Chapter 1.10 Content and Analysis
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
For a video that uses formal and contextual analysis, watch:
Sandro Botticelli: The Birth of Venus
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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Chapter 1.10 Content and Analysis
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
For a video that uses biographical and psychological analysis, watch:
Vincent van Gogh in His Own Words
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Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Chapter 1.10 Content and Analysis
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
This concludes the PowerPoint slide set for Chapter 1.10
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts
By Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
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Chapter 1.10 Content and Analysis
PART 1
FUNDAMENTALS
Picture Credits for Chapter 1.10
1.161
iStockphoto.com
1.162
© Andia/Alamy
1.163
Allan Houser archives © Cliinde LLC
1.164
Collection University of Arizona Museum of Art, Tucson, Museum purchase with funds provided by the Edward J.
Gallagher, Jr Memorial Fund 1982.35.1. © the artist
1.165
The Art Institute of Chicago, Gift of Arthur Keating and Mr. and Mrs. Edward Morris by exchange, April 1988. © The
Estate of Eva Hesse. Hauser & Wirth. Photo Susan Einstein, courtesy The Art Institute of Chicago
1.166
Musée du Louvre, Paris
1.167
Courtesy Archiv LRP
1.168
The Art Institute of Chicago, Friends of American Art Collection, 1942.51
1.169
Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid
1.170
Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid
1.171
© Succession Picasso/DACS, London 2011
1.172
© 2012 Thomas Struth
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