We don’t need degrees in art to know how to critique and appreciate them – here’s a quick run through on the main metrics we can use to analyze art.

Photo credit: Cognitive Daily

1.     Describe (what you see)

• Who created the artwork
• When it was created and how events surrounding its creation might have affected it
• What you see in the artwork (List literal objects, shapes, colours, textures, time of day, overall visual effect or mood)

2.     Analyze (how the artist did it)

• Consider most significant art principles that were used in the work and describe how the artist used them
• Analyze use of light and colour
• Discuss balance, proportion and scale
• Discuss emotional reaction to the artwork

3.     Interpret (why the artist created it and what it means)

• Include what the main idea could be and what evidence supports your interpretation

4.     Judge (if it’s a good artwork)

• Establish your criteria
• Produce evidence that relates to each criterion
• Based on this evidence, what your judgment about the quality of artwork