Art Criticism
and other
Important
Information
about Art
Vocabulary and
Knowledge to Help Art
Growth
What is a Credit Line?
 Credit
line – is a list of important facts
about a work of art.
 Most credit lines contain six facts
NAME of artist
TITLE of the work.
 This
always appears in italics, bold or both.
YEAR
the work of art was created.
 Sometimes,
in case of older works, “c”
appears before the year.
 This is an abbreviation for circa, a Latin word
meaning “about” or “around”.
What is a Credit Line?
 MEDIUM
used by the artist.
 This
is the material used to make art.
 If more than one medium is used, the credit line may
read “mixed media”.
 SIZE
of the work.
 The
first number is always the length, the second
number is the width, and if the work is threedimensional, the third number indicates the depth.
 LOCATION
 The
of the work.
location names the gallery, museum, or collection
in which the work is housed and the city, state and
country.
 The names of donors (a person or people who donate
art to a museum or gallery) may also be included.
Art Criticism
 _____________________ is
the process of
looking at works of art in a guided and logical way.
 The steps are:

Describe ~ the basic information about the artwork.
__________

__________
Analyze ~ is a tool for looking at how an artwork is
put together.

__________
Interpret ~ is your opinion about what the artist is
saying or expressing in the artwork.

Judge
__________
~ is your opportunity to decide whether
you think the work has value and whether the artist was
successful in communicating his or her ideas.
Sketch the Artwork
 Please
do a 4 inch by 5 inch small drawing of this
sculpture.
The Credit Line
Copy the information for this credit line:
Glenna Goodacre,
Vietnam Women’s Memorial, 1993.
Bronze cast, height 92 inches.
National Mall, Washington, D.C.
Step 1 - Describe
 Describe
– is the basic information about
the artwork.
 The describe step asks you to:
 look for what elements of art are being
used.
 observe the artwork carefully.
 read the credit line of an artwork.
 may mean doing some research on the
artist or artwork.
Questions to Ask
 When
describing an artwork these are some
questions you could ask yourself:
 What
medium did the artist use?
 Where do you see repeated shapes?
 What do you notice about the texture?
 When was the artwork made?
 What objects do you recognize?
 What is happening in the artist’s life when the artwork
was created?
 What is happening in the artwork?
 Name some types of lines and shapes you see in the
artwork.
Describe Example Questions




Glenna Goodacre,
Vietnam Women’s Memorial, 1993.
Bronze cast, height 92 inches.
National Mall, Washington, D.C.
These are examples of
describing questions.
Please answer them in
complete sentences.
What do you think
might have been
happening in the
artist’s life when the
artwork was created?
What do you think is
happening in the
artwork?
What types of
shapes/forms/lines do
you see in this
artwork?
Step 2 - Analyze
 Analyze
– is a tool for looking at how an
artwork is put together.
 The analyze step asks you to:
 study the way the artist used and applied
the elements of art from the first step
(describe).
 understand that this is the problem-solving
process of art criticism.
 understand the principles of design and
how they work.
 look at how other parts of the artwork work
together.
Questions to Ask
 When
analyzing an artwork these are some
questions you could ask yourself:
 How
did the artist use lines and shapes?
 How does contrast contribute to the design?
 What helps unify the artwork?
 What colors seem most important?
 How has the artist changed some of the figures and
objects?
 How did the artist show that some objects are farther
away than others?
 Which shapes do you notice first?
 How is this artwork balanced?
Analyze Question Examples




Glenna Goodacre,
Vietnam Women’s Memorial, 1993.
Bronze cast, height 92 inches.
National Mall, Washington, D.C.

These are examples of
analyzing questions.
Please answer them in
complete sentences.
What repeated
shapes do you
observe?
Which shapes do you
notice first?
How do you think the
artist balanced this
artwork?
What action is
happening in this
artwork?
Step 3 - Interpret
 Interpret
– is your opinion about what the artist
is saying or expressing in the artwork.
 The interpret step asks you to:
 find the idea of the artworks meaning.
 find the message the artist is trying to share.
 may require you to understand the culture
the artist is from.
 may require you to understand the time
period in which the artwork was made.
Questions to Ask
 When
interpreting an artwork these are some
questions you could ask yourself:
 How might an artwork of this type have been used?
 Does its form reveal its function? Explain.
 What does this artwork tell you about the artist’s
culture?
 What do you think the artist was expressing?
 Why do you think the artist chose to paint the subject
in a non-realistic/abstract/realistic way?
 How did the artist show that some objects are farther
away than others?
 How do you think the artist feels about the subject?
Why do you think so?
 What mood does the sculpture show?
 Tell about what the artist was saying.
 What symbols do you see, and what do they mean?
Interpret Question Examples




Glenna Goodacre,
Vietnam Women’s Memorial, 1993.
Bronze cast, height 92 inches.
National Mall, Washington, D.C.
These are examples of
interpreting questions.
Please answer them in
complete sentences.
What mood does this
sculpture show?
Tell about what the
artist is saying.
What symbols do you
see, and what do they
mean?
Step 4 - Judge
 Judge
– is your opportunity to decide
whether you think the work has value and
whether the artist was successful in
communicating his or her ideas.
 The judge step asks you to:
 decide if the artist was successful in
communicating his or her ideas.
 decide if the work has value.
 compare it to other works that are
similar.
 base your judgment on what you
learned in the first three steps.
Questions to Ask
 When
judging an artwork these are some
questions you could ask yourself:
 What
do you like best about this artwork? Why?
 How does this artwork compare to other similar
artworks you have seen?
 If you were to make a artwork, what changes, if any,
would you make? Why?
 How well do you think the artwork reflects the time
and culture in which it was made?
 In what area of a museum might you find this artwork?
Explain.
 What are its qualities?
 Where in your community would you place this
sculpture?
 How would you change it?
Judge Question Examples



Glenna Goodacre,
Vietnam Women’s Memorial, 1993.
Bronze cast, height 92 inches.
National Mall, Washington, D.C.

These are examples
of judging questions.
Please answer them
in complete
sentences.
What are its qualities
(strengths)?
Where in your
community would
you place this
sculpture?
How would you
change this
sculpture and why?
Compare and Contrast these two artworks.
Pietà, Michelangelo, 1499
Marble, height 174 cm,
width at the base 195 cm
Basilica di San Pietro, Vatican
Glenna Goodacre, Vietnam
Women’s Memorial, 1993.
Bronze cast, height 92 inches.
National Mall, Washington, D.C.
Critique – the action of talking or
thinking about art in a
nonjudgmental way. This is to be
done in a supporting manner.
Careers in Art
 Art Critic – a person who expresses a
reasoned opinion on any matter concerning
art.
 Aesthetician – a person who wonders about
art or beauty and asks questions about why
art was made and how it fits into society.
 Art Historian – a person who studies art – its
histories and contributions to cultures and
societies.
 Artist – a person who makes art.
 Art Teacher(Instructor) – a person who
teaches art.
 Steps
to Developing Successful Artwork:
 Project
Expectations
 Rubric
- explicit set of criteria used for assessing a
particular type of work.
 Brainstorming
- to produce ideas and ways of
solving problems; to help stimulate creative
thinking.
 Thumbnail drawings/sketches – small, very rough,
rapidly produced drawings used to work through
an idea, or to try out different compositions.
 Rough Draft – This drawing is usually in proportion
with your final and is more detailed and shows the
colors you plan to use.
 Final Project
Function
– the role of an artwork.
There
are three different broad
categories, and they are practical,
cultural and personal.
 Practical
- meets daily needs like chairs,
dishes, buildings and clothes.
 Cultural – allows you to learn about other
groups of people and their history like the
statues of heroes, their religion and customs.
 Personal – is used for expressing a feeling or
thought that a person may have or maybe
just made to make something beautiful.