What does looking at art mean? Contemporary artist Alejandro Cesarco discusses this question while browsing Giacometti and other art presented together at The Met
looking-art
Must art be Beautiful? And just what is beauty anyway?
Must art be beautiful? Picasso’s Old Guitarist
There are two main types of shapes—geometric and organic.
Shape and Form
Proportion refers to the relationship of parts of a body or form to one another and of the parts to the whole.
Proportion and scale
When an image or object is repeated throughout a work of art, or a part of a work, this is called either pattern or repetition.
Pattern, repetition and rhythm, variety and unity
Movement refers to a sense of motion as the eye is guided through a work.
Movement
Balancing the elements in a work of art — symmetry, asymmetry, radial symmetry, and emphasis.
Balance, symmetry, and emphasis
Texture is the feeling of a surface, real or represented.
Texture
Space is used to refer to depth, real or represented.
Space
Artists can use colors for many reasons, including setting moods and highlighting importance.
Color
Line is the most basic visual element.
Line
Describing is a key skill for art historians and any museum visitor, learn how.
Describing what you see: sculpture
Whether setting the mood or celebrating the divine, artists play with light. Sometimes, they even sculpt with it.
Light and shadow
What makes paintings feel as deep as the view from a window or as flat as a wall?
Surface and Depth
Artists use various strategies to set up a dynamic relationship between artwork, maker, and viewer.
The Power to Look
We can approach an artwork as a physical object, a visual experience, a cultural artifact—or as all three.
Introduction to art historical analysis
Start by looking closely—really closely. Now let’s talk about scale, composition, space, form, line, color, tone…
How to do visual (formal) analysis
Pay attention! Identifying symptoms and solving crimes require many of the same skills as art historical analysis.
How art can help you analyze
These museum professionals do it for a living. Stop, take a breath, and open your eyes—it’s your answer that counts.
Why art matters (why look at art?)
This painting captures a particular moment in the artist’s studio—and a particular day in European history.
Browse Smarthistory images for teaching & learning!
