Grade 10 Art - Day 21

To compliment the experiential learning that occurs in our studio time, I want to ensure that you understand the Critical Analysis Process.  The four steps of the critical analysis are follows:

• Examining
• Interpreting
• Evaluating
• Reflecting

Examining

In your mind, describe the work without using value words such as "beautiful" or "ugly":
What is the written description on the label or in the program about the work?
What is the title and who is (are) the artist(s)?
When and where was the work created?
Examine the elements of the work (i.e., line movement, light, space).
Examine the technical qualities of the work (i.e., tools, materials, instruments).
Examine the subject matter. What is it all about? Are there recognizable images?


For a little practice, let's examine the following work by Albrecht Dürer, entitled Melancholia:

Melancholy is a feeling of sadness.  How does Dürer create this feeling in this piece?  How do you feel when you look at Melancholia?  What elements and principles of design (have a look at the Word Wall in our class) are at work here?  How do those elements and design contribute to the piece?

Tomorrow we will continue with an interpretation of this piece!