How To Do a Short Closed Analysis in Art

Sep 27, 2011
Jade Wildy

Closed Analysis of Art - Giotto di Bondone [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Doing a short closed analysis can also help to develop a keener eye for the details in artworks and is formed from four basic elements.

A closed analysis of an artwork is essentially a visual dissection of the various elements of an artwork and what they mean. Also known as a Closed Reading it allows art historians to compare different paintings or artworks and assess the similarities and contrasts. Closed Analyses can be just a few paragraphs or several volumes and is used to determine the main features.

Doing a short closed analysis can also help art students to develop a keener eye for the details in paintings and is forms from four basic elements.

Description – What can you see?

Medium - the medium of an art works is what is used to make it. Is it a porcelain cast bowl or made of bronze? Is the painting an oil painting or has it been painted in acrylic paints? Knowing what medium the artwork has can provide information about where the artwork was made (certain clays were only available in certain places), when (acrylic paint didn't exist at the time an artist like Michelangelo was painting the Sistine Chapel) or by whom (some artists only work in a specific medium).
Basic compositional elements - the composition of a work refers to the things you can visually see for example in a painting of St.Francis of Assisi we can see an image of a man looking up at a crucifix, palms up-raised, with a human skull at the bottom.
Depth and perspective - the depth and perspective of an artwork help determine the realism of an artwork, and may play a part in telling the viewer something about the artwork. Essentially assessing the depth of an artwork involves looking at whether the work seems to shrink into the background and are there elements of the composition that overlap. The perspective refers to both the elements and if there are in proportion to each other as well as the angle of an artwork. The Statue of David in Florence has elements like the hands and head that are actually out of perspective to the rest of the body. This has been done intentionally so the statue looks in proportion to the viewer standing below.
Palette, tone and texture - the palette describes the colours that have been used in the composition, where as the tone is the different shades of the same colour. thus the palette can include a range of different tones of the same colour. Does the painting use a muted palette of mainly browns, greys and blacks? Does the bowl use only different tones of blue? The texture refers to how the surface of the artwork looks or feels. Is it rough or smooth? Has the surface of the painting been heaped up to create lumps? Has the embroidery been made on smooth silk with rough twine?

Analysis – What else can be seen in the artwork?

Theme or subject matter - this describes the overall theme of the artwork, which may be clear to the viewer as with religious artworks, for example, or less clear like a sculpture made entirely from plastic containers. When the theme is less clear, it is important to speculate on what the theme might be. It can also include a specific subject matter, like for example the working poor.
Analysis of composition – this looks closely at the distinctive features including light (is it a dark painting or bright and open looking), space (are there bits crammed all over the place or only a few elements and how are they placed in relation to each other), balance (is every thing positioned at the top of the composition or evenly spaced), emotion (what is the feeling that the painting encourages, does it feel angry, clinical or maybe reflective).
Reaction to the work - this details how you feel but can be extended to include how other people have reacted. Does the work suggest some sort of action, as with a political work or does it have a sense that it is purely for entertainment?

Interpretation – Why was it created and what does it mean?

Main idea - the main idea includes the themes and subject matter and draws on what has been identified about the artwork in the description and analysis. It draws from all the observations about the work to express what the work is about, how this message is conveyed through composition, colour and how these things have created a 'mood'.
Interpretive statement - this is a brief statement from what has been identified as the main idea or ideas. In a Short Closed Analysis this may be no longer than a single sentence, and is intended to sum up and directly express the conclusions about the work.
Evidence - this refers to specific elements to reinforce the conclusions made. For example, the use of the colour purple to signify royalty, the expression on a persons face combined with the dark colours to suggest foreboding or the placement of symbolic items like a dog, which suggests carnality. This section may also include outside references like a reoccurring figure in an artists others works.

Judgement – is it s good work?

Criteria is used to judge it – The criteria includes style (is the artist demonstrating a personal flair or is it quite typical), cultural significance (how important is it within its own culture? for example a plain white cloth may have more significance for what it symbolises to a culture than a decorative one), movement (how influential was this work compared to other works in the same movement, was it 'before it's time?), technical skill (how well has it been done?).
Value based on Criteria - this details the significance of the work based on all of the above criteria.

Visual Analysis forms a core part of art history both in the identification of trends in particular works to identify works that may be from the same artist or group of artists and in assessing an art works value. It is an integral skill to learn for art history.

References

Malloy, Kaoime. “Art Criticism And Formal Analysis Outline..” University of Wisconsin, 2006. http://www.uwgb.edu/malloyk/art_criticism_and_formal_analysi.htm.