CONTEMPORARY PHILIPPINE

ARTS

Lesson 3 (Part 1):

Critiquing an Artwork

Prepared by: EEGimotea

Preparation:

Prayer

Checking of Attendance / Energizer

Rules and Regulations (Reminders)

RECAPITULATION:
Objectives:
1. Identify the components of an art
critique.
2. Cite examples of contemporary
artworks in your locality, and
3. Evaluate these artworks based on the
components of an art critique.
MOTIVATION:
Read and answer the following in your
notebook:
1. Do you have a favorite piece of art? What is it?
Describe it

2. What is its form?

3. Why is it your favorite?

ACTIVITY
Observe the artwork below and answer the
questions. Write your answers in your notebook
ANALYSIS:
•An art critique is a detailed analysis and
evaluation of a work of art.
•Different people may have different
interpretations of a single artwork and they
may have varying reactions to it but to achieve
a more detailed, thoughtful critique, a few
basic guidelines could be used.
ABSTRACTION
COMPONENTS
OF AN ART
CRITIQUE
Description: the visual facts
• An art critique can be written by first providing some basic
information about the artwork like the title of the work,
artist’s name, when the piece was created, where it was
made, the types of media used to create the work (e.g., oil
paint on canvas), and the exact size of the work.
• When describing the artwork, use neutral terms and be
objective.
• Your description should include things like form and scale of
the artwork.
Example:

“This is a huge landscape painting of a volcano,

showing thick clouds around it, with an orange
sky in the background. Down in the foreground
are green rice terraces and 3 men walking on
the paddies…”
• Avoid using adjectives like “beautiful” or “ugly”.
• At this point, you are not judging, you are simply talking
about what you see.
• This is also the part where you describe the artwork in
terms of the elements of art used.
What kinds of colors do you see? Are there lines in the
work? If so, what kinds of lines are they? What sort of
textures do you see? What are the shapes used?
And so on…
Analysis: the use of design principles
• Discuss how the artwork uses the principles of
design.
• In this step consider the most significant art
principles (discussed in the previous modules)
that are used in the artwork.
• Describe how the artist used them to organize
the elements: Balance, Contrast, Movement,
Proportion, etc.
The following questions may guide you:
• Balance: How do the colors, lines, shapes, and textures work
together? Are they balanced and harmonious or is the artwork
imbalanced in some way?
• Contrast: Does the work use contrasting colors and textures?
• Movement: Do you notice a particular movement in terms of
patterns and variations of lines, shapes, and colors in the
artwork?
• Proportion: Do the sizes of the elements appear the way you
would expect?
• Others: Using the rule of thirds, what do you think is the
subject of the piece? What is its focal point? Try to identify
which parts of the work are emphasized.
• In addition, look for the themes in the work and
discuss how the artist used the elements of art
(line, color, shape, etc.) to express these themes.
• Themes might include things like symbolism and
religious or mythological imagery, or the use of a
particular color scheme to give the work a
particular mood or meaning.
Interpretation: the meaning of the artwork
• seeks to explain the meaning of the work based on what you
have learned so far about the piece. (What do you think is the
message behind this artwork? What do you think the artist is
trying to convey?)
• In this component, you can be a little more subjective.
• Use expressive language to discuss your reaction to the
artwork.
• For example, does the artwork depict a particular mood like
sadness, hope, peace? Would you describe the work as
beautiful or ugly?
• Backup your interpretation with examples from
your description and analysis.
• For example, “I think this painting is a visual
metaphor of the sufferings of the Filipinos during
the Spanish colonial period.
• This is indicated by the dark color scheme used in
the painting, figuratively depicting the dark era of
our history...”
Judgment: personal evaluation
• Decide whether you think the work is successful or
not.
• Explain how you are judging the work.
• Summarize why you think it is successful or
unsuccessful.
• For example, “I believe this work is successful because
the use of light, shape, and texture all work together
harmoniously to portray the mood of the subject.”
Here are a few questions to consider:
• Do you think the work says what the artist wanted
it to say?
• Did the artist use their tools and techniques well?
• Why do you think this work has intrinsic value or
worth?
• Do you find that the work communicates an idea,
feeling or principle that would have value for
others?
 EXAMPLE OF AN
ART CRITIQUE

Taken from https://16julianas.weebly.com/art-critique-example.html

Description:
The Weeping Woman is a painting finished by Pablo Picasso
in France, 1937. This type of artwork can be considered to be
expressionism. There isn’t an actual background scene in the
painting. The background is completed with different lines and
colors. The woman is the focus point of this painting. She is
wearing an accessory on top of her head which demonstrates her
elegance. My first impression of the artwork is that the face of the
woman is not proportionate and is only painted with lines, no
curves. The main colors that are used in this painting are green,
yellow, blue, purple, red and black. The painting is set mainly of
lined and little curves. The mood and visual effect that this painting
portrays can be considered to be suffering, and sadness.
Analyze:
Interpretation:
Judge:
QUESTIONS & CLARIFICATIONS???
THANK YOU…
APPLICATION
GENERALIZATION
EVALUATION