Introduction to Text
Read the Introduction to your text book focusing on pages 21-36. Answer the following
questions in well thought out answers. Your answers should show critical reflection.
There are a list of terms and concepts that should be used as part of your study materials for the
first test. As always, information and ideas that occur in assignments should be considered as
part of your study materials for the module test.
Terms, people and concepts:
Aesthetics, beauty, symbols, fine and applied art, the Renaissance, “art for art’s sake,”
descriptive analysis, value judgement, formal criticism, artisanship, clarity, coherence,
universality, focal points, structure, Goethe’s formula for judging art and literature,
1. What is meant by “formal criticism?” What information is considered irrelevant in formal
criticism?
2. What is meant by “contextual criticism?” Give any example of information that might be used
in discussing the painting below when practicing contextual criticism.
Kerry James Marshall
Den Mother, 1996
acrylic on paper on wood
41” x 40”
This painting is included in chapter 1 on page 59.
3. You book gives examples of 3 painters on pages 30-33. The authors perform a strict exercise
in stylistic description, a very important part of formal criticism or formal analysis. In the
exercise they ask you to determine which of the 3 painters painted a fourth painting, based on
formal choices of value contrast, type of brush stroke, boldness of outline, etc. This is a very
easy exercise as the paintings are so different. I am giving you a slightly more challenging
exercise below. First, describe the stylistic characteristics of each painting as done in the
book for their examples. Take your time and describe the use of color, the degree of realism,
the arrangement of the figures, the use of light and dark (value), the use of curving lines or
straight lines, etc. You will do this carefully for each painting. (In #4 you will determine
which of these artists painting a fourth painting.)
#1
Description:
#2
Description:
#3
Description:
4. Based on your stylistic analyses of the above paintings, which painter painted this painting?
(#1, #2, or #3?)