Feldmans

METHOD
how to look at art

Perceptual
-realistic, the
way we see it

Expressive
-some things
recognizable,
but exaggerated
or simplified

Non -objective
nothing is
recognizable, only
the elements and
principles

What we will learn

How to analyze artwork

What we will do

Analyze an artwork as a class

Analyze an artwork in pairs
You need:

pencil
sketchbook
review notes

Describe
1. Artist, Title, Date, Medium
2. Descriptive sentence (What is happening in the artwork?)
3. What are the 3 most important elements of art you see?

Analyze
What are the 3 most important principles of design you see?
Support with examples from the artwork and the elements.

Interpret
1. Is the artwork perceptual, expressive, or non-objective? Why?
2. What is the meaning, or mood, or purpose of the artwork?
Support with at least one element and one principle from the describe and
analyze steps.

Judge
Is the artwork successful and do you like it? Explain why.

Andrew Wyeth, Christinas World, 1948, Tempera paint

Describe
what are the visual facts?

1. Artist, Title, Date, Medium

2. What is happening in the artwork?
(descriptive sentence)
3. What are the 3 most important
elements of art you see?

Describe

1. Andrew Wyeth, Christinas World,

1948, Tempera
2. A girl is laying in an empty field
staring up to a house in the distance.
3. Space, Color, Texture

Describe

1. Wyeth creates deep SPACE by making the

woman larger and closer, with the house
smaller and higher in the composition.

Describe

2. The majority of the composition is dull

yellow, brown in COLOR except for the soft
pink of the womans dress.

Describe

3. The small brushstrokes making up the grass

create a rough implied TEXTURE in contrast
to the soft and smooth texture of the dress and
skin of the woman.

Analyze
how do the elements of art
work together to create
the entire composition?

What are the 3 most important

principles of design you see?

Analyze

1. Movement created by space

2. Emphasis created by color
3. Contrast between textures

Analyze

1. The deep SPACE between the woman and

the house, as well as the fact that the woman
is facing away from us towards the house
creates visual MOVEMENT from her to the
horizon line.

Analyze

2. Because the majority of the composition

is darker earthy yellow and brown COLORS
there is EMPHASIS on the girl who is
wearing a more vibrant pink dress and has
light colored skin.

Analyze

3. There is CONTRAST between the rough

texture of the grass and the smooth
TEXTURES of the womans skin and dress.

Interpret
What is the artist trying
to communicate?

1. Is the artwork perceptual, expressive, or non-objective?

Why?
2. What is the meaning, or mood, or purpose of the artwork?
Support with at least one element and one principle from
the describe and analyze steps.

Interpret

1. Is the artwork perceptual, expressive, or non-objective?

Why?
2. What is the meaning, or mood, or purpose of the artwork?
Support with at least one element and one principle from
the describe and analyze steps.

Interpret

1. PERCEPTUAL because Wyeth uses realistic color, texture, and

form.
2. The CONTRAST of textures and color between the girl and the
field emphasize her in the painting. Because of her twisted body
and frail arm she looks injured and cannot reach the house that is
far away in SPACE but wants to return there.

Judge
opinion

Was the artwork successful or not? Why?

Do you like it? Explain why?

Judge

1. I think this artwork is successful and I like it because of how

Wyeth creates a sense of mystery through the posture of the
woman and his use of a lot of negative SPACE. I also like the
CONTRAST between all the brown in the painting and the
pink of her dress.