One of the beauties of art is that it can connect you with people across time and culture. This connection can bring empathy, understanding, and incredible learning experiences that transform your view of the world. But it usually requires a little bit of effort in the form of art analysis. In this article, I cover three simple steps on how to analyze art. These steps will help you get more out of art and will help you enjoy your next art museum visit even more. The three steps are simple:
- Observe
- Interpret
- Synthesize
Let me dive into each of these further so you can really apply them. And for a more in-depth understanding of art analysis, you can watch my video on How to Analyze Art | Visual and Contextual Analysis. This video gets a bit more technical, as I talk about visual and contextual analysis, which are common terms within art analysis.
How to Analyze Art
Observing Art
This step should be obvious. To understand and connect with art, you need to sit with the art. Stop and observe. Now, you don’t need to do this with every art piece that you see. But when art catches your attention whether because it creates a strong emotional reaction, looks odd, looks beautiful, or seems familiar – stop! Even if an artwork doesn’t catch your attention, you can stop to see if you can find some sort of meaning.
Once you stop, there’s multiple ways you can observe:
- What do you see in the art? This could include colors, shapes, lines, familiar events or people, animals, landscapes, location, etc.
- What is the art piece’s title and date? What is the historical context or description (often found on the plaque next to an art piece, or you can look it up online)?
- How did the artist create this art? Is it a painting, sculpture, etc.? Does it look realistic, abstract, etc.?
- What emotions does this artwork give you?
Observing the art is just the first step. But now it gets fun.
(To understand how to observe art in greater depth, download my Art Analysis PDF.)
Interpreting Art
After observing the art, now it’s time to interpret. This involves asking and answering the why’s? Why did the artist use these colors? Or, why does the painting have this title? Why is this particular person depicted in the artwork or why was the artwork created during this year? And maybe one of the best questions you can ask – Why am I experiencing this emotion?
Sometimes there are facts surrounding the “why’s” that we can research. Through written record, we may know why the artist used certain colors. Maybe the artist was a part of an art movement that was experimenting with a technique. The artist may have been trained in a certain way or simply told us why he or she created the artwork in a certain way. Or, maybe the artist used symbolism that was common for that time.
But sometimes, there are not facts surrounding the “why’s”. And that’s okay! You don’t even have to do the research on the “why’s” if you don’t want to. Many artists want their art to have various experiences for the viewers that are just natural. This is when you can start to make the art personal to your unique life. You can realize that the art is for YOU. And this brings us to the final step.
Synthesizing Art
After observing and interpreting, it’s time to synthesize or create your own conclusions. This involves bringing together all the facts and ideas you’ve come up with so far. Then, you can decide why you do or don’t like the art. You can decide on a central theme, message, or takeaway. You can decide if there is an important meaning you are going to take away that may in fact change your life.
Final Takeaways on How to Analyze Art
Sometimes the power of art just hits you. You may see a painting, and the emotions immediately become overwhelming. Or you may immediately understand the meaning behind the artwork based on your own knowledge and/or experiences.
On the other hand, a lot of artwork becomes powerful after going through the process of art analysis. By understanding how to analyze art through observing, interpreting, and synthesizing, you can open doors to a new world that makes the art powerful to your unique life. This power can impact your life in so many ways that often brings empathy, understanding, clarity, and direction for you individually.