Module 3

Art Criticism and Aesthetic Judgment

Based on the book, Art Talk by

Rosalin Ragans

Henri Matisse. Purple Robe and Anemones. 1937. Oil on canvas. 28 ¼ x 23 ¼” The Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore, Maryland. The Cone Collection. , formed by Dr. Claribel Cone and Miss Elita Cone of Baltimore, Maryland.

Lesson One:In this lesson we will learn how to

critique a work of art.

• Art Criticism: Learning from a Work of Art

• Words to Learn– Criteria

• Standards of judgment

– Aesthetics• The philosophy or study of the nature and value of

art

– Art criticism• An organized approach for studying a work of art

Why study art criticism?

• Art criticism is a sequential approach for looking at and talking about art.

• Art will mean something different to every viewer based on his/her life experiences.

• Learning art criticism will help you interpret works of art.

• This will make your aesthetic experience, or your personal interaction with a work of art more meaningful and more memorable.

The steps of Art Criticism

• Description– The facts of the art

work• The subject line• The subject, objects

and details• The elements of art

used in the work

• Analysis– Discovering how the

principles of art are used to organize the art elements Alma Thomas. Iris, Tulips, Jonquils, and Crocuses.

1969. Acrylic on canvas. 60 x 50”. The National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C. Gift of Wallace and Wilhemina Holiday.

The steps of Art Criticism

• Interpretation– Explain or tell the

meaning of a work of art

• Your interpretation must be based on the visual facts and clues you collected during your first two steps. Your interpretation can be based on your feelings, but your feelings must be backed up by observation of what you actually see in the artwork.

Jose Clemente Orozco. Barricade. 1931. Oil on canvas. 55 x 45”. The Museum of Modern Art, New york, New York. Given Anonymously. Estate of Jose Clemente Orozco/SOMAAP. Mexico/ Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY.

The steps of Art Criticism

• Judgment– Determining the degree of artistic merit

• You make the decision as to whether or not the artwork is successful– Decide if you like the work– Based on an aesthetic theory, decide whether or not the work is

successful» A work might be very successful aesthetically, but you might not

want to live with it.

Leo Twiggs, Blue Wall, 1969 - Batik and paint on cotton mounted on board - 22 x 29 3/8 inches (frame) Collection of the artist

Art CriticismExample

Claude MonetThe Stroll, Camille Monet and Her Son Jean 1875

Lesson Two

• Aesthetics: Thinking About a Work of Art– Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy

concerned with the nature and value of art– Instead of being called “beautiful” a good

work is “successful”– Not all successful work is beautiful!

The Bed by

Robert Rauschenberg

Aesthetic Theories and the Quality of Art

• The aesthetic qualities that are discussed most often by aestheticians (specialists in aesthetics) are the literal qualities, the design qualities, and the expressive qualities.

• The literal qualities are the realistic qualities that appear in the subject of the work

Aesthetic Qualities

• The design qualities are how well the work is organized– Is it balanced?– Does it have rhythm?– Is there variety?– Is the work unified?

Aesthetic Qualities

• Expressive Qualities are those that convey ideas and moods.– Look at the content of the work– Does it evoke emotion?

Imitationalism

• Focusing on the realistic representation of the art: does it look like something you would see in real life?

Tourists 1970Duane Hanson

Formalism• Formalists place

an emphasis on the design qualities: the arrangement of the elements of art.

Piet Mondrian Composition with Grey and Light Brown 1918

Emotionalism

• Emotionalists require that a work of art must evoke a response of feelings, a change of mood, or emotion.

The Scream Edward Munch

Functionalism• Functionalists

examine the purpose of the object: does it function properly?

Courtesy of Harvard Magazine

The objects in this work are easy to recognize-trees, mountains, and night sky-but the colors are not what you might expect. Why do you think the artist used these colors? What does he appear to be saying?

Ernest Ludwig Kirchner. Winter Landscape in Moonlight. 1919. Oil on Canvas. 47 ½” x 47 ½”. The Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, Michigan.

Art History: Learning About a Work of Art

• You can develop your appreciation for a work of art by gathering information about the artist and the time period in which the work was created.

• This is a four-step approach.

• The four steps make up art history operations.

Art History Operations

• Description: When, where and by whom was the work done?

• Analysis: What is the style of the work and can the work be associated with an art movement?

• Interpretation: How did time and place affect the artist’s style, in terms of subject matter, composition, and content?

• Judgment: Is the work considered to be significant in the history of art?

Individual Style

• Individual style is the artist’s personal way of using the elements and principles of art to express feelings and ideas.

Man Striding1960A depiction of Giacometti’s long forms and irregular, rough surfaces.