Museum Report

visit online a Museum of your choice to evaluate in essay form your review of a work of art.  Check out  Art Museums online to decide which painting you’d like to choose.  (There is no physical Museum visitation).

Choose a painting only (no sculpture, tapestry, photograph, etc.) to which you are especially drawn.  You will notice that the requirements to respond to the assignment apply only to a painting.  If any choice other than a painting is selected, the grade will be Zero, as the Elements of Art apply to a painting.

You must attach a photo of your painting to your essay (see instructions below).  If no painting is attached, 5 points will be deducted for the Assignment.

Provide a review of your painting by responding to the following.

Title of Painting

Artist

Describe

What made you choose this particular piece?

What makes this artwork a must see from your point of view?

What is the title of the work of art?

Who created it?

Where was it created?

When?

What is the medium of the work of art?  Acrylic, Oil, Pen & Ink, etc.

What are the dimensions?

What do you know about the artist?

What is represented?

Who is represented?

Is it

a myth?

a landscape?

a portrait?

a genre (a scene from everyday life) painting?

a religious scene?

abstract – something else?

Take an inventory of what you see.

List everything that is in front of you.

Formal Analysis

What is the mood of the painting?

What is your initial reaction to it?

How has the artist utilized the elements of composition line, texture, space, color and shape to create this mood, or establish the content of the work via the following (click on The Elements of Art to access the document The Elements of ArtLinks to an external site. (Links to an external site.):

https://www.getty.edu/education/teachers/building_lessons/elements_art.pdf

(Copy and paste this link into your Browser if you cannot access it here).

You must address all 6 Elements of Art in your paper as well as the following questions:

What is the focal point?

How do the elements of composition draw you into the painting?

Is the texture slick or matte?

Shiny or dull?

Describe the color harmonies and contrasts in the composition.

Are warm colors (those colors that are warm in nature, red-yellow-orange) used by the artist?

Are cool colors (those colors that are cool in nature, violet-green-blue) used by the artist?

Is there an overall color theme or tonality used?