Lesson 3: How do I study

Art? Reading Art

Introduction:
The most boring topic: How did Art begin?

History may be quite a sedentary topic, often associated with

memorizing events and becoming familiar with chronological
events. However, if we want to have sensible knowledge about
art, it is appropriate to just look through the lens of the past.
In the first lesson, we will have a quick run through of
historical markers in the art scene. Through this, we can better
understand the present and where some analogies and
appropriations in art came from. Writing about art will also be
easier if we have knowledge of the historical context: the
experience of art will become more holistic and more fulfilling.
Weaved into this lesson is the topic of Art Criticism which
will help and guide you in knowing what kinds of works to select
and hopefully enhance your taste in art.
 Quick Facts:

- An art period is a specific length of time in history

with a prominent movement, trend, or creed in
artistic practice.
- Art movements are sets of distinguishable styles
and artistic tendencies often characterized by a major
trend in techniques or approaches. Usually, they are
named with the suffix “-ism” at the end. It suggests a
certain attitude toward painting or any art-making.
Art History Quick Map:
This quick guide to Art History is intended to be brief and concise but should also prod you into further
exploration of some art periods.

PREHISTORIC:
o Cave paintings, Venus figures which are considered portable
sculptures
o Greek standard of beauty: the rebirth of the “Classical” Age
o Romans: the competitor of Greece; created realistic sculpture of
human figure

MIDDLE AGES
o The “death” of artistic freedom due to canonical standards of
visual interpretation
o The rise of Gothic art especially in Gothic Churches
o Popular art: Stained glass windows and illuminated manuscripts
RENAISSANCE
o Revival of artistic genius
o Where the term “Renaissance Man” was derived because
of man’s intellectual achievements in the arts and science
o The time of “Masters” e.g., Donatello, Da Vinci,
Michaelangelo, Raphael, and Van Eyck

BAROQUE
o Grandiose and ornate art
o Artistic innovation: “spotlight effect” called chiaroscuro
or in extreme usage, it is called tenebrism
o Artists to note: Caravaggio (Italy), Velazquez (Spain),
Poussin (France), and Antonio Gaudi (designer of
“Sagrada Familia” chapel in Barcelona)
19TH CENTURY
o Emergence of “isms”
o Neoclassicism: Greek and Roman Classics revived
o Romanticism, Realism, Art Nouveau, Impressionism
o Photography comes into the scene
o Post-impressionism, early expressionism, and symbolism

20TH CENTURY MODERN ART

o Art become more non-representational
o Garish colors explored in Fauvism
o Abstracted sculpture emerged
o Simplified forms in paintings by Picasso and Matisse
o Art movements: Cubism, Futurism, Constructivism,
Expressionism
ART DURING THE WARS
o Dadaism: the art movement that defies logic
o Surrealism: stepping into the dream world
o American art blossoms: Jackson Pollock became famous as “Jack
the Dripper” and paved the way for American Abstract
Expressionism
o Mobile Sculptures (Alexander Calder) and Color Field (Rothko)
paintings also became prominent
20TH CENTURY TO CONTEMPORARY
o Highly experimental and radical
o Pop art defines consumer culture
o Minimalism: glorifying the simplest art element
o Birth of conceptual art
o Photography is further developed which paved way to art movement, Photorealism
o Contemporary Art: a very diverse art scene; the rise of appropriation, photography-
derived works, graphic style of art, experimental works, multimedia and multi-modal art
Abstraction:
Art criticism is the discussion or evaluation of
visual art. For most people, an art criticism definition
identifies the work of art critics, who critique works
of art in exhibition reviews. A common assumption is
that all criticism is bad, due to the negative
connotation of the word ''criticism.'' While art
criticism does involve evaluation (judgment of work
as more or less effective), art criticism aims to gather
information about an artwork, to analyze it, and to
interpret its meaning. The validity of an evaluation
depends on a solid interpretation of the artwork
based on facts and evidence, and therefore, art
criticism is not based on opinion. Art criticism is an
informed discussion aimed at improving
understanding and appreciation of art. Art criticism
can be either written or spoken.
Methods in Reading Art:

What is a method?

- a particular form of procedure for

accomplishing or approaching something,
especially a systematic or established one.
1. Formalism and Style – basically gives importance to
the formal qualities (art elements, materials, and design
principles) as the basis for the meaning of art. Roger Fry is
a major purveyor of this thinking. The form is the content
per se and does not take history and context into account.
2. Iconography – Focuses on the subject matter primarily
over form. When using this method, you will answer
questions like who is this person the artist painted and
what does it represent? Why did the artist choose this
image and what for?
3. Contextual Approaches – From the term itself, context
becomes an important factor in criticizing artworks here.
We can take many approaches to contexts like Marxism,
Orientalism, Colonialism, Racial Iconography, Feminism,
and Gender. As you can observe, these are mainly schools
of thought and philosophical movements which place
artwork within a certain parameter. For example, Marxism
is about art in relation to economics. On other hand,
Feminism is bent toward the societal context of art wherein
gender becomes a strong factor in the forces behind artistic
creation.
4. Biography and Autobiography – This considers the
life and context of the artist. This approach is based on the
assumption that the artist’s life, beliefs, choices, and
personality are directly connected to the works that he or
she creates.
5. Semiotics – From the Greek word “sema”, which
means sign. Hence, an artwork or art form is assumed to
be composed of a set of signs that may have significant
cultural and contextual meanings beyond itself.
6. Psychoanalysis – Freud is probably a familiar name in
the field of psychology and he is one of the bases of this
theory. In psychoanalysis, one is concerned about the
unconscious mind in relation to the artist, the viewer, and
the cultural context it is involved in.
7. Aesthetics and Psychoanalysis – Individual notions of
what is considered acceptable, beautiful, or attractive in
works of art are in part influenced by psychological
factors. This approach then connects psychology to one’s
constructed philosophy of art.
FORMALISM AND STYLE ICONOGRAPHY CONTEXTUAL APPROACHES
BIOGRAPHY AND AUTOBIOGRAPHY SEMIOTICS PSYCHOANALYSIS
AESTHETIC AND PSYCHOANALYSIS
THANK YOU
Joshua Sapphire Amon BSA-2