DESCRIBE WHAT YOU SEE & FEEL

What distinguishes a simple art description from genuine art-historical analysis is the ability to observe, recognise and understand how every element – such as colour, line, light, space, composition etc. – contributes to the meaning of a work of art. Here, we provide you with a comprehensive guide to observing, analysing, understanding and interpreting pictures, enabling you to desribe and read art like an expert.

THE BASICS

HOW YOU DESCRIBE PICTURES

BE AWARE OF THREE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF ART-HISTORICAL ANALYSIS:


1. DESCRIBE ONLY WHAT YOU HAVE REALLY LOOKED AT

Begin by carefully observing the work of art and describing what you can actually see. Resist the temptation to jump to conclusions or rely on what you already know. First train your eye to recognise the visual elements; only then explore their art-historical significance and context.

2. ALWAYS CONSIDER FORM & CONTENT TOGETHER

Do not simply ask what is depicted, but also why it has been represented in precisely this way. The composition, colours, lines, light, space and arrangement of figures are not merely decorative elements: they are essential to the way a work of art communicates its meaning.

3. EVERY INTERPRETATION MUST BE SUPPORTED BY VISUAL EVIDENCE 

Whenever you identify a particular mood, emotion or meaning, ask yourself what in the painting actually creates it. Is it the colour palette, the lighting, the figures' postures, their expressions and gazes, or the overall composition? Your interpretation should always be based on what you can observe and demonstrate in the work itself.

This is what distinguishes a simple description of an artwork from a genuine art-historical analysis: learning not only to recognise what we see, but to understand how and why the artist has created it.


AS YOU DESCRIBE PICTURES, YOU OBSERVE, ANALYSE, EXAMINE, DECODE & INTERPRET ITS MANY LAYERS:


OBSERVE

LOOK AT THE PICTURE

  • Identification
  • Subject Matter
  • Figures and Objects 
    etc.

ANALYSE

UNDERSTAND ITS VISUAL STRUCTURE

  • Composition
  • Open and Closed Form
  • Pictorial Space
  • Line and Form
  • Colour
  • Light and Shadow
  • Movement and Dynamics
    etc.

EXAMINE

EXPLORE ITS ARTISTIC LANGUAGE

  • Technique and Material
  • Figures and Expressions
  • Artistic Style
    etc.

DECODE

DISCOVER ITS MEANING

  • Iconography
  • Symbolism
  • Narrative
  • Historical and Cultural Context
    etc.

INTERPRET

UNDERSTAND THE ARTWORK AS A WHOLE

  • Interpretation
  • Artistic Intention
  • Historical Significance
  • Personal and Contemporary Relevance
    etc.