How To Look at A Piece of Art
Art comes to you proposing frankly to give nothing but the highest quality to your
moments as they pass.
Walter Pater
When
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you are looking at a piece of art you can consider three areas:
The Elements of Art
Content
Viewer's Response
While not all these areas will be relevant for all art, in examining and considering art, you
will discover that many aspects of art correspond to elements of literature.
The Elements of Art
Style: Art usually has certain basic elements. Is it realistic or abstract, Eastern or
Western, ancient or modern?
Medium: Art has a particular medium. The medium may be watercolor or oil paint,
stone glass, ink, or some other material. The medium affects the style and for of the
art.
Composition: Composition refers to the arrangement of parts within an area. Is the
work symmetrical or unbalanced? How is the design organized?
Space and Distance: Every work of art exists within certain spatial limits. How does
the artist express distance is it infinite? Closely limited? Is there perspective? Is
everything equally close or far away?
Rhythm and Accent: Like music, fine art has a rhythmic basis-indicated by dark and
light accents, line pattern, and color—to keep the eye moving around the piece of art.
Color, Light, and Shadow: The artist’s use of color or gradations of black and white is
central to the work of art. Color and shadow can express mood, contour, form,
distance, and depth.
Style: The overall approach of the artist, or how he or she “sees” the subject is the
artist’s style. Style directly reflects the culture and era of a particular artist.
Content
Subject or Theme: Most realistic or recognizable images have a subject such as a
landscape, a person, a sports event, or a battle. (Abstract art, however, is pure form;
unlike realistic art it has no recognizable subject.)
Viewer’s Response
Reaction: Simply put how does the piece make you feel? Does it inspire you, captivate
you, or unsettle you? The response that you have to a work of art is paramount to a
conversation with the artist that created the work. It is important that you articulate
your response.