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Formal Analysis Paper Example 3. VISIT OUR GALLERIES SEE UPCOMING EXHIBITS. Contact. School of Art and Design. Windgate Center of Art + Design, Room 202. 2801 S University Avenue. Little Rock, AR 72204. 501-916-3182. 501-683-7022 (fax)
Important fundamentals. “ Introduction: Learning to look and think critically,” a chapter in Reframing Art History (our free art history textbook) Introduction: Close looking and approaches to art (our free art history textbook)—especially useful for materials related to formal (visual) analysis.
new A Level History of Art specification (first assessment summer 2019). The pack contains exemplar student responses for sample question paper 1: Visual analysis and themes.
From artists who reimagined what art could look like to paintings that introduced tropes that would be revisited for centuries to come, these 10 works make remarkable statements about the societies in which they were produced and the generations of art that followed.
- Marc Chagall, Young Girl in Pursuit, Ca. 1927-28
- Salvador Dalí, Persistence of Memory, 1931
- Edvard Munch, Separation, 1896
- Luis Felipe Noé, Cerrado por Brujería [Closed by Sorcery], 1963
- Pablo Picasso, Girl Before A Mirror, 1932
- Lawrence Beall Smith, Don’T Let That Shadow Touch them, 1942
- George Tooker, The Subway, 1950
- Kara Walker, Darkytown Rebellion, 2001
This one is so simple and straight-forward, but it always sparks the imagination of the students. Questions to Ask: How does this artwork make you feel? What choices does the artist make to make you feel that? Who is this woman? Why is there a woman in her hair? What is the meaning of this artwork?
Everyone knows this one. I read some study one time that said Salvador Dalí was the most recognized artist name among people interviewed on the street. I found that to be fascinating. From the melting clocks to the sleeping head, to the ants crawling all over the pocket watch, to is that a snake coming out of his nose?, this one has a lot for stude...
Students love coming up with stories about this one. He is having a heart attack, and the woman is an angel taking him away. The woman is the ghost of his wife who has passed. And more, lots of great stories. The artist’s use of line, color, and contrast adds meaning to the student’s interpretations.
This is one of my all time top artworks to discuss with students. I usually show it on the first day of class in my community college art appreciation class. I wrote a whole post about it here.
This painting made me weep when I saw it the first time. It’s stunning in person. Read more about it on 5 Artworks that Promote Introspection. This is a great one to have students write about at the beginning of class.
I love connecting history and art. I include this piece of propaganda art on one of my tests for students to write about. You would be surprised how many students don’t recognize the swastika. In addition to discussing the power images have on our feelings and decision, the historical significance of the image is an important discussion to have wit...
Creepy, suspicious men and multiple perspectives make this one a fun one to talk about with students. The lone, solitary woman with the concerned expression makes us think, and why is she holding her stomach? Lots to talk about.
This one has some sensitive subject matter. I wouldn’t hesitate to use this for a college class, but only you can decide if it works for your students. I actually got in an argument with one of my friends in front of one of Kara Walker’s artworks like this one. I love art that sparks opinion and discussion. I don’t shy away from big topics in my cl...
“Art history is relevant” is not how the discipline of art history is typically framed in popular discourse. Most people picture art historians as wealthy, white, intellectually conservative, and disconnected from the rest of the world.
People also ask
How can art be analyzed in a historical context?
Is art history relevant?
Why is the method important for understanding art in its historical context?
How do art historians analyze function?
Why do art historians use visual analysis?
Why are so many people drawn to art history?
At the most basic level, art historians analyze function by identifying types—an altarpiece, portrait, Book of Hours, tomb, palace, etc. Studying the history and use of a given type provides a context for understanding specific examples.
