HW Assignment- Art Criticism Paper (50 pts.)
Art Major II
Assignment Goal:
Art criticism is the discussion or evaluation of visual art. One of art criticism's goals is the
pursuit of a rational basis for art appreciation. You will put yourself in the position of an art
critic for this assignment, and go through the four-step formal critique process. “Formal”
implies that the critique is based on a scholarly process.
Directions:
1. Choose an artwork to critique.
 The artwork must not be a famous or well-known piece (i.e. we should not be able
to find it, or its artist, on Wikipedia).
 Choose an artwork that interests you in some way (this does not mean you have to
love it)
 Suggested websites to search for an artwork:
o Ebsqart.com
o Pinterest.com
 Print out a color copy of the artwork to turn in with your essay (mandatory!)
2. Type a four-paragraph essay critiquing the artwork. You may use all class notes and
materials as references, especially the handout outlining the four steps of a formal art
critique. Your paragraphs must be structured in this format and order:
1. Description
2. Analysis
3. Interpretation
4. Judgment
3. Do not quote or cite any other resource. The essay should be 100% of our own
creation. Any evidence of plagiarism will result in a zero!
4. Refer to the rubric to make sure you are meeting all criteria of the assignment.
HW Assignment – Art Criticism Paper
Grading Rubric (50 pts.)
Name: ______________________________
CRITERIA
Paragraph 1: Description
 Pure description of the
artwork without value
judgments, analysis, or
interpretation.
 Answer the question, “What
do you see?”
Paragraph 2: Analysis
 Determining what the
features suggest and
deciding why the artist used
such features to convey
specific ideas.
 Answer the question, “How
did the artist create it?”
Paragraph 3: Interpretation
 Establishing the broader
context for the artwork based
on the visual clues you
collected in prior steps.
 Answer the question, “Why
did the artist create it, and
what does it mean?”
Paragraph 4: Judgment
 Determine the degree of
artistic merit.
 Answer the question, “Is the
artwork successful?”
SCORE
POINTS
10
10
10
10
Spelling, Grammar, Sentence
Structure
 Paper is written well, and proofread
 No sentence fragments or misplaced
punctuation
 Written in the third person
 Every 3 major errors = 1 point
deduction
Lateness
 Subtract 10% of grade for each class
period the project is late
Total Points
10
-5 pts.
per
day
50
Due: _________
COMMENTS