Looking at Art A Guide for Teachers and Students of Maryland Art and History
Looking at Art
A Guide for Teachers
and Students of Maryland Art and History
What are the first steps in looking at a work of art?
Learning the Colors--Primary Colors are RED, YELLOW, and BLUE. All other colors, except black and white can be mixed from these three colors.
Looking at Line--Lines help define a work of art and will instantly lead a viewer's eye to a different part of the work. A horizontal or flat line leads the eye across or from side to side. A vertical line leads the eye up and down. Curved lines may lead the eye back and forth or give you a sense of motion.
What is Perspective? Think about standing on a train track and watching the lines of the track getting smaller as they get further away from you. Perspective makes these parallel track lines look like they merge in the distance. Perspective makes objects in the background look smaller and less detailed. Perspective makes color less intense if it is further away. Perspective gives a painting depth. If an artist does not use perspective his or her image looks flat.
What was the artist's intent? This can always be tricky, but use your mind and your emotions. If you looking at a portrait of a person, what is the expression on the sitter's face? How is the sitter dressed? What is in the background? All of these things may give you a clue as to how the artist wanted others to see the person in the portrait.
Looking at Composition--Composition is how an artist arranges things. Is the work of art balanced? Is the main action off center? Artists create different compositions to lead your eye around a painting or to emphasize particular aspects of the work of art.
Looking at Light--When you turn on the light, you can see things you could not see before. Similarly, artists use light vs. dark to highlight certain objects or features. Sometimes, light is used symbolically, perhaps to represent purity or innocence. Conversely, dark may be used to symbolize evil, chaos, or weakness.
Texture--Even though you are usually not permitted to touch important works of art, you can "feel things with your eyes." What would it feel like if it could be touched? Would it be rough, smooth, wavy, scratchy?
Materials--What is the work of art made of? Different materials have different connotations. Wood gives things a natural feel. Marble has connotations of strength and power. Glass can be fragile and elegant. Gold makes us think of royalty, of value, even of the sun.
What is American Art ?
Early American artists contributed to their society in many ways. Some made furniture, some painted signs for merchandise, some painted famous Americans like George Washington, some made silver and ceramics for use in the home. Indeed, objects like silver and porcelain tea sets, were very important in those days. They showed other people that you had money, that you afford luxury goods. In a similar way, images and symbols like those made by sign painters were very important because not everyone could read. Recognizing a painting of a shoe told a passer-by that he was about to enter a cobbler's store. Whether they painted signs or carved woodwork, many early American artists are now unknown to us. But, some truly made a mark on their society and have, in turn, made a mark on our own. The Hammond-Harwood House gives us a look at one of those early Americans--Charles Willson Peale.
How to Interpret a painting !
William Buckland by Charles Wilson Peale
| Let's
take a look at this image. What can we tell about Mr. Buckland
and Mr. Peale based on what we have learned?
1. When was Mr.
Buckland painted? Clue: Look at his clothes, his 2. Who was
this man? What did he do for a living? Clue: Look 3. What do
you think Charles Willson Peale thought of this 4. How does
the artist use light to get your attention? Clue: 5. Why do
you think Mr. Peale painted a building in the |
ACTIVITY
If you hired an artist
to paint you....
what would you want to look
like ?
Return to Main Page | Return to Education Page | Contact Us !