best essay on painting

By Will Fenstermaker

June 14, 2017

There has never been a time when art critics held more power than during the second half of the twentieth century. Following the Second World War, with the relocation of the world’s artistic epicenter from Paris to New York, a different kind of war was waged in the pages of magazines across the country. As part of the larger “culture wars” of the mid-century, art critics began to take on greater influence than they’d ever held before. For a time, two critics in particular—who began as friends, and remained in the same social circles for much of their lives—set the stakes of the debates surrounding the maturation of American art that would continue for decades. The ideas about art outlined by Clement Greenberg and Harold Rosenberg are still debated today, and the extent to which they were debated in the past has shaped entire movements of the arts. Below are ten works of criticism through which one can trace the mainstreaming of Clement Greenberg’s formalist theory, and how its dismantling led us into institutional critique and conceptual art today.

The American Action Painters

Harold Rosenberg

Harold Rosenberg, a poet who came to art through his involvement with the Artist’s Union and the WPA, was introduced to Jean-Paul Sartre as the “first American existentialist.” Soon, Rosenberg became a contributor to Sartre’s publication in France, for which he first drafted his influential essay. However, when Sartre supported Soviet aggression against Korea, Rosenberg brought his essay to Elaine de Kooning , then the editor of ARTnews , who ran “The American Action Painters” in December, 1952.

RELATED: What Did Harold Rosenberg Do? An Introduction to the Champion of “Action Painting”

Rosenberg’s essay on the emerging school of American Painters omitted particular names—because they’d have been unfamiliar to its original French audience—but it was nonetheless extraordinarily influential for the burgeoning scene of post-WWII American artists. Jackson Pollock claimed to be the influence of “action painting,” despite Rosenberg’s rumored lack of respect for the artist because Pollock wasn’t particularly well-read. Influenced by Marxist theory and French existentialism, Rosenberg conceives of a painting as an “arena,” in which the artist acts upon, wrestles, or otherwise engages with the canvas, in what ultimately amounts to an expressive record of a struggle. “What was to go on the canvas,” Rosenberg wrote, “was not a picture but an event.”

Notable Quote

Weak mysticism, the “Christian Science” side of the new movement, tends … toward easy painting—never so many unearned masterpieces! Works of this sort lack the dialectical tension of a genuine act, associated with risk and will. When a tube of paint is squeezed by the Absolute, the result can only be a Success. The painter need keep himself on hand solely to collect the benefits of an endless series of strokes of luck. His gesture completes itself without arousing either an opposing movement within itself nor the desire in the artist to make the act more fully his own. Satisfied with wonders that remain safely inside the canvas, the artist accepts the permanence of the commonplace and decorates it with his own daily annihilation. The result is an apocalyptic wallpaper.

‘American-Type’ Painting

Clement Greenberg

Throughout the preceding decade, Clement Greenberg, also a former poet, had established a reputation as a leftist critic through his writings with The Partisan Review —a publication run by the John Reed Club, a New York City-centered organization affiliated with the American Communist Party—and his time as an art critic with The Nation . In 1955, The Partisan Review published Greenberg’s “‘American-Type’ Painting,” in which the critic defined the now-ubiquitous term “abstract expressionism.”

RELATED: What Did Clement Greenberg Do? A Primer on the Powerful AbEx Theorist’s Key Ideas

In contrast to Rosenberg’s conception of painting as a performative act, Greenberg’s theory, influenced by Clive Bell and T. S. Eliot, was essentially a formal one—in fact, it eventually evolved into what would be called “formalism.” Greenberg argued that the evolution of painting was one of historical determinacy—that ever since the Renaissance, pictures moved toward flatness, and the painted line moved away from representation. Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso were two of the landmarks of this view. Pollock, who exhibited his drip paintings in 1951, freeing the line from figuration, was for Greenberg the pinnacle of American Modernism, the most important artist since Picasso. (Pollock’s paintings exhibited in 1954, with which he returned to semi-representational form, were regarded by Greenberg as a regression. This lead him to adopt Barnett Newman as his new poster-boy, despite the artist’s possessing vastly different ideas on the nature of painting. For one, Greenberg mostly ignored the Biblical titles of Newman’s paintings.)

Greenberg’s formalist theories were immensely influential over the subsequent decades. Artforum in particular grew into a locus for formalist discourse, which had the early effect of providing an aesthetic toolkit divorced from politic. Certain curators of the Museum of Modern Art, particularly William Rubin, Kirk Varnedoe, and to an extent Alfred Barr are credited for steering the museum in an essentially formalist direction. Some painters, such as Frank Stella , Helen Frankenthaler , and Kenneth Noland, had even been accused of illustrating Greenberg’s theories (and those of Michael Fried, a prominent Greenbergian disciple) in attempt to embody the theory, which was restrictive in its failure to account for narrative content, figuration, identity, politics, and more. In addition, Greenberg’s theories proved well-suited for a burgeoning art market, which found connoisseurship an easy sell. (As the writer Mary McCarthy said, “You can’t hang an event on your wall.”) In fact, the dominance of the term “abstract expressionism” over “action painting,” which seemed more applicable to Pollock and Willem de Kooning than any other members of the New York School, is emblematic of the influence of formalist discourse.

The justification for the term, “abstract expressionist,” lies in the fact that most of the painters covered by it took their lead from German, Russian, or Jewish expressionism in breaking away from late Cubist abstract art. But they all started from French painting, for their fundamental sense of style from it, and still maintain some sort of continuity with it. Not least of all, they got from it their most vivid notion of an ambitious, major art, and of the general direction in which it had to go in their time.

Barbara Rose

Like many critics in the 1950s and 60s, Barbara Rose had clearly staked her allegiance to one camp or the other. She was, firmly, a formalist, and along with Fried and Rosalind Krauss is largely credited with expanding the theory beyond abstract expressionist painting. By 1965, however, Rose recognized a limitation of the theory as outlined by Greenberg—that it was reductionist and only capable of account for a certain style of painting, and not much at all in other mediums.

RELATED: The Intellectual Origins Of Minimalism

In “ABC Art,” published in Art in America where Rose was a contributing editor, Rose opens up formalism to encompass sculpture, which Greenberg was largely unable to account for. The simple idea that art moves toward flatness and abstraction leads, for Rose, into Minimalism, and “ABC Art” is often considered the first landmark essay on Minimalist art. By linking the Minimalist sculptures of artists like Donald Judd to the Russian supremacist paintings of Kasimir Malevich and readymades of Duchamp, she extends the determinist history that formalism relies on into sculpture and movements beyond abstract expressionism.

I do not agree with critic Michael Fried’s view that Duchamp, at any rate, was a failed Cubist. Rather, the inevitability of a logical evolution toward a reductive art was obvious to them already. For Malevich, the poetic Slav, this realization forced a turning inward toward an inspirational mysticism, whereas for Duchamp, the rational Frenchman, it meant a fatigue so enervating that finally the wish to paint at all was killed. Both the yearnings of Malevich’s Slavic soul and the deductions of Duchamp’s rationalist mind led both men ultimately to reject and exclude from their work many of the most cherished premises of Western art in favor of an art stripped to its bare, irreducible minimum.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

Philip Leider

Despite the rhetorical tendency to suggest the social upheaval of the '60s ended with the actual decade, 1970 remained a year of unrest. And Artforum was still the locus of formalist criticism, which was proving increasingly unable to account for art that contributed to larger cultural movements, like Civil Rights, women’s liberation, anti-war protests, and more. (Tellingly, The Partisan Review , which birthed formalism, had by then distanced itself from its communist associations and, as an editorial body, was supportive of American Interventionism in Vietnam. Greenberg was a vocal hawk.) Subtitled “Art and Politics in Nevada, Berkeley, San Francisco, and Utah,” the editor’s note to the September 1970 issue of Artforum , written by Philip Leider, ostensibly recounts a road trip undertaken with Richard Serra and Abbie Hoffman to see Michael Heizer’s Double Negative in the Nevada desert.

RELATED: A City of Art in the Desert: Behind Michael Heizer’s Monumental Visions for Nevada

However, the essay is also an account of an onsetting disillusion with formalism, which Leider found left him woefully unequipped to process the protests that had erupted surrounding an exhibition of prints by Paul Wunderlich at the Phoenix Gallery in Berkeley. Wunderlich’s depictions of nude women were shown concurrently to an exhibition of drawings sold to raise money for Vietnamese orphans. The juxtaposition of a canonical, patriarchal form of representation and liberal posturing, to which the protestors objected, showcased the limitations of a methodology that placed the aesthetic elements of a picture plane far above the actual world in which it existed. Less than a year later, Leider stepped down as editor-in-chief and Artforum began to lose its emphasis on late Modernism.

I thought the women were probably with me—if they were, I was with them. I thought the women were picketing the show because it was reactionary art. To the women, [Piet] Mondrian must be a great revolutionary artist. Abstract art broke all of those chains thirty years ago! What is a Movement gallery showing dumb stuff like this for? But if it were just a matter of reactionary art , why would the women picket it? Why not? Women care as much about art as men do—maybe more. The question is, why weren’t the men right there with them?

Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?

Linda Nochlin

While Artforum , in its early history, had established a reputation as a generator for formalist theory, ARTnews had followed a decidedly more Rosenberg-ian course, emphasizing art as a practice for investigating the world. The January 1971 issue of the magazine was dedicated to “Women’s Liberation, Woman Artists, and Art History” and included an iconoclastic essay by Linda Nochlin titled “Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?”

RELATED: An Introduction to Feminist Art

Nochlin notes that it’s tempting to answer the question “why have there been no great women artists?” by listing examples of those overlooked by critical and institutional organizations (a labor that Nochlin admits has great merit). However, she notes, “by attempting to answer it, they tacitly reinforce its negative implications,” namely that women are intrinsically less capable of achieving artistic merit than men. Instead, Nochlin’s essay functions as a critique of art institutions, beginning with European salons, which were structured in such a way as to deter women from rising to the highest echelons. Nochlin’s essay is considered the beginning of modern feminist art history and a textbook example of institutional critique.

There are no women equivalents for Michelangelo or Rembrandt, Delacroix or Cézanne, Picasso or Matisse, or even in very recent times, for de Kooning or Warhol, any more than there are black American equivalents for the same. If there actually were large numbers of “hidden” great women artists, or if there really should be different standards for women’s art as opposed to men’s—and one can’t have it both ways—then what are feminists fighting for? If women have in fact achieved the same status as men in the arts, then the status quo is fine as it is. But in actuality, as we all know, things as they are and as they have been, in the arts as in a hundred other areas, are stultifying, oppressive, and discouraging to all those, women among them, who did not have the good fortune to be born white, preferably middle class and above all, male. The fault lies not in our stars, our hormones, our menstrual cycles, or our empty internal spaces, but in our institutions and our education.

Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief

Thomas McEvilley

One of the many extrapolations of Nochlin’s essay is that contemporary museum institutions continue to reflect the gendered and racist biases of preceding centuries by reinforcing the supremacy of specific master artists. In a 1984 Artforum review, Thomas McEvilley, a classicist new to the world of contemporary art, made the case that the Museum of Modern Art in New York served as an exclusionary temple to certain high-minded Modernists—namely, Picasso, Matisse, and Pollock—who, in fact, took many of their innovations from native cultures.

RELATED: MoMA Curator Laura Hoptman on How to Tell a Good Painting From a “Bogus” Painting

In 1984, MoMA organized a blockbuster exhibition. Curated by William Rubin and Kirk Varnedoe, both of whom were avowed formalists, “‘Primitivism’ in 20th Century Art: Affinity of the Tribal and the Modern” collected works by European painters like Paul Gaugin and Picasso with cultural artifacts from Zaire, arctic communities, and elsewhere. McEvilley takes aim at the “the absolutist view of formalist Modernism” in which MoMA is rooted. He argues that the removal tribal artifacts from their contexts (for example, many were ritual items intended for ceremonies, not display) and placement of them, unattributed, near works by European artists, censors the cultural contributions of non-Western civilizations in deference to an idealized European genius.

The fact that the primitive “looks like” the Modern is interpreted as validating the Modern by showing that its values are universal, while at the same time projecting it—and with it MoMA—into the future as a permanent canon. A counter view is possible: that primitivism on the contrary invalidates Modernism by showing it to be derivative and subject to external causation. At one level this show undertakes precisely to coopt that question by answering it before it has really been asked, and by burying it under a mass of information.

Please Wait By the Coatroom

Not content to let MoMA and the last vestiges of formalism off the hook yet, John Yau wrote in 1988 an essay on Wifredo Lam, a Cuban painter who lived and worked in Paris among Picasso, Matisse, Georges Braque, and others. Noting Lam’s many influences—his Afro-Cuban mother, Chinese father, and Yoruba godmother—Yau laments the placement of Lam’s The Jungle near the coatroom in the Museum of Modern Art, as opposed to within the Modernist galleries several floors above. The painting was accompanied by a brief entry written by former curator William Rubin, who, Yau argues, adopted Greenberg’s theories because they endowed him with “a connoisseur’s lens with which one can scan all art.”

RELATED: From Cuba With Love: Artist Bill Claps on the Island’s DIY Art Scene

Here, as with with McEvilley’s essay, Yau illustrates how formalism, as adapted by museum institutions, became a (perhaps unintentional) method for reinforcing the exclusionary framework that Nochlin argued excluded women and black artists for centuries.

Rubin sees in Lam only what is in his own eyes: colorless or white artists. For Lam to have achieved the status of unique individual, he would have had to successfully adapt to the conditions of imprisonment (the aesthetic standards of a fixed tradition) Rubin and others both construct and watch over. To enter this prison, which takes the alluring form of museums, art history textbooks, galleries, and magazines, an individual must suppress his cultural differences and become a colorless ghost. The bind every hybrid American artist finds themselves in is this: should they try and deal with the constantly changing polymorphous conditions effecting identity, tradition, and reality? Or should they assimilate into the mainstream art world by focusing on approved-of aesthetic issues? Lam’s response to this bind sets an important precedent. Instead of assimilating, Lam infiltrates the syntactical rules of “the exploiters” with his own specific language. He becomes, as he says, “a Trojan horse.”

Black Culture and Postmodernism

Cornel West

The opening up of cultural discourse did not mean that it immediately made room for voices of all dimensions. Cornel West notes as much in his 1989 essay “Black Culture and Postmodernism,” in which he argues that postmodernism, much like Modernism before it, remains primarily ahistorical, which makes it difficult for “oppressed peoples to exercise their opposition to hierarchies of power.” West’s position is that the proliferation of theory and criticism that accompanied the rise of postmodernism provided mechanisms by which black culture could “be conversant with and, to a degree, participants in the debate.” Without their voices, postmodernism would remain yet another exclusionary movements.

RELATED: Kerry James Marshall on Painting Blackness as a Noun Vs. Verb

As the consumption cycle of advanced multinational corporate capitalism was sped up in order to sustain the production of luxury goods, cultural production became more and more mass-commodity production. The stress here is not simply on the new and fashionable but also on the exotic and primitive. Black cultural products have historically served as a major source for European and Euro-American exotic interests—interests that issue from a healthy critique of the mechanistic, puritanical, utilitarian, and productivity aspects of modern life.

Minimalism and the Rhetoric of Power

Anna C. Chave

In recent years, formalist analysis has been deployed as a single tool within a more varied approach to art. Its methodology—that of analyzing a picture as an isolated phenomena—remains prevalent, and has its uses. Yet, many of the works and movements that rose to prominence under formalist critics and curators, in no small part because of their institutional acceptance, have since become part of the rearguard rather than the vanguard.

In a 1990 essay for Arts Magazine , Anna Chave analyzes how Minimalist sculpture possesses a “domineering, sometimes brutal rhetoric” that was aligned with “both the American military in Vietnam, and the police at home in the streets and on university campuses across the country.” In particular, Chave is concerned with the way Minimalist sculptures define themselves through a process of negation. Of particular relevance to Chave’s argument are the massive steel sculptures by Minimalist artist Richard Serra.

Tilted Arc was installed in Federal Plaza in lower Manhattan in 1981. Chave describes the work as a “mammoth, perilously tilted steel arc [that] formed a divisive barrier too tall to see over, and a protracted trip to walk around.” She writes, “it is more often the case with Serra that his work doesn’t simply exemplify aggression or domination, but acts it out.” Tilted Arc was so controversial upon its erecting that the General Services Administration, which commissioned the work, held hearings in response to petitions demanding the work be removed. Worth quoting at length, Chave writes:

A predictable defense of Serra’s work was mounted by critics, curators, dealers, collectors, and some fellow artists…. The principle arguments mustered on Serra’s behalf were old ones concerning the nature and function of the avant-garde…. What Rubin and Serra’s other supporters declined to ask is whether the sculptor really is, in the most meaningful sense of the term, an avant-garde artist. Being avant-garde implies being ahead of, outside, or against the dominant culture; proffering a vision that implicitly stands (at least when it is conceived) as a critique of entrenched forms and structures…. But Serra’s work is securely embedded within the system: when the brouhaha over Arc was at its height, he was enjoying a retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art…. [The defense’s] arguments locate Serra not with the vanguard but with the standing army or “status quo.” … More thoughtful, sensible, and eloquent testimony at the hearing came instead from some of the uncouth:

My name is Danny Katz and I work in this building as a clerk. My friend Vito told me this morning that I am a philistine. Despite that I am getting up to speak…. I don’t think this issue should be elevated into a dispute between the forces of ignorance and art, or art versus government. I really blame government less because it has long ago outgrown its human dimension. But from the artists I expected a lot more. I didn’t expect to hear them rely on the tired and dangerous reasoning that the government has made a deal, so let the rabble live with the steel because it’s a deal. That kind of mentality leads to wars. We had a deal with Vietnam. I didn’t expect to hear the arrogant position that art justifies interference with the simple joys of human activity in a plaza. It’s not a great plaza by international standards, but it is a small refuge and place of revival for people who ride to work in steel containers, work in sealed rooms, and breathe recirculated air all day. Is the purpose of art in public places to seal off a route of escape, to stress the absence of joy and hope? I can’t believe this was the artistic intention, yet to my sadness this for me has become the dominant effect of the work, and it’s all the fault of its position and location. I can accept anything in art, but I can’t accept physical assault and complete destruction of pathetic human activity. No work of art created with a contempt for ordinary humanity and without respect for the common element of human experience can be great. It will always lack dimension.

The terms Katz associated with Serra’s project include arrogance and contempt, assault, and destruction; he saw the Minimalist idiom, in other words, as continuous with the master discourse of our imperious and violent technocracy.

The End of Art

Arthur Danto

Like Greenberg, Arthur Danto was an art critic for The Nation . However, Danto was overtly critical of Greenberg’s ideology and the influence he wielded over Modern and contemporary art. Nor was he a follower of Harold Rosenberg, though they shared influences, among them the phenomenologist Maurice Merleau-Ponty. Danto’s chief contribution to contemporary art was his advancing of Pop Artists, particularly Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein .

In “The End of Art” Danto argues that society at large determines and accepts art, which no longer progresses linearly, categorized by movements. Instead, viewers each possess a theory or two, which they use to interpret works, and art institutions are largely tasked with developing, testing, and modifying various interpretive methods. In this way, art differs little from philosophy. After decades of infighting regarding the proper way to interpret works of art, Danto essentially sanctioned each approach and the institutions that gave rise to them. He came to call this “pluralism.”

RELATED: What Was the Pictures Generation?

Similarly, in “Painting, Politics, and Post-Historical Art,” Danto makes the case for an armistice between formalism and the various theories that arose in opposition, noting that postmodern critics like Douglas Crimp in the 1980s, who positioned themselves against formalism, nonetheless adopted the same constrictive air, minus the revolutionary beginnings.

Modernist critical practice was out of phase with what was happening in the art world itself in the late 60s and through the 1970s. It remained the basis for most critical practice, especially on the part of the curatoriat, and the art-history professoriat as well, to the degree that it descended to criticism. It became the language of the museum panel, the catalog essay, the article in the art periodical. It was a daunting paradigm, and it was the counterpart in discourse to the “broadening of taste” which reduced art of all cultures and times to its formalist skeleton, and thus, as I phrased it, transformed every museum into a Museum of Modern Art, whatever that museum’s contents. It was the stable of the docent’s gallery talk and the art appreciation course—and it was replaced, not totally but massively, by the postmodernist discourse that was imported from Paris in the late 70s, in the texts of Michel Foucault, Jacques Derrida, Jean Baudrillard, Jean-François Lyotard, and Jacques Lacan, and of the French feminists Hélène Cixous and Luce Irigaray. That is the discourse [Douglas] Crimp internalizes, and it came to be lingua artspeak everywhere. Like modernist discourse, it applied to everything, so that there was room for deconstructive and “archeological” discussion of art of every period.

Editor’s Note: This list was drawn in part from a 2014 seminar taught by Debra Bricker Balken in the MFA program in Art Writing at the School of Visual Arts titled Critical Strategies: Late Modernism/Postmodernism. Additional sources can be found here , here , here (paywall), and here . Also relevant are reviews of the 2008 exhibition at the Jewish Museum, “Action/Abstraction: Pollock, de Kooning, and American Art, 1940–1976,” notably those by Roberta Smith , Peter Schjeldahl , and Martha Schwendener .

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The 10 Essays That Changed Art Criticism Forever

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On Painting: An Essay by Jim Cogswell

Paint is a living language for me, with grammars and nuances that challenge me beyond any other intellectual or creative pursuit that I have ever experienced.

For some people paint is simply a material, another medium, and a very traditional medium at that. For others it is the Bible — the Holy Writ. Or it is the Constitution. Divine what the Founding Fathers intended and strictly adhere to it, or risk anarchy. For others, it is one minor piece in a complicated art world chess game, a pawn to be moved about in a theoretical construct of art practice. Relevant or irrelevant? Dead or alive?

That is one set of questions that, naively, doesn’t trouble me.

For me, painting as a language and practice is alive and changing all the time.

I study it. I try to keep up with it. I struggle to speak it better. I am thrilled when I hear others speak it well. I love visiting countries where it is spoken. I get excited when I discover someone who is adding another layer to its tapestry of possibilities. And that is happening all the time. Right now. As we speak.

Painting is the magical conjunction of space/​no space; movement in stillness. A balanced experience of absorption and self-awareness. Slow looking.

A painting is both a tangible surface and a perceptual space. Great painters create fluctuating tensions between the experience of seeing surface and depth. The task of doing that well is mammoth.

The territory is well traveled, but the possibilities endless, like this tired language of ours that still manages to produce incisive and ecstatic poetry, the limited chromatic scale that still results in new arrangements of sounds in music, bringing deep feelings into somatic awareness, putting my body in motion, bringing me to tears.

All of it is accomplished within a tight range of restrictions. The restrictions are the source of the poetry and the thrill.

There are many strategies for keeping the viewer in that delicate balance of seeing the painting as both window and surface. Emphasizing paint’s materiality is one of many strategies for calling attention to the physical surface, but that easily can degenerate into gratuitous gesture, the pseudo-heroics of the urgent mark.

A big issue is how to translate the materiality of paint into something that points beyond itself. Allowing the inspirational source itself to provide the gesture while acknowledging the illusion. The tension is the thrill.

Within a painting, color has the capacity to become a noun, one might even say a concept in itself. Color becomes magical and potent when it crosses that threshold from adjective to noun, from quality of thing to thing in itself.

All of these strategies and many more work in tandem with our desire to recognize objects or qualities of experiences, even intangible feelings, within that structure of colored marks on a surface. Those desires are closely tied to our perceptual experiences, ways that the brain is hard wired but also shaped by cultural context, historical exposure.

Looking at a painting is a magnificently dense experience for me. I never tire of it.

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The Most Important Art Essays of the Year

What were the ideas that had everyone talking?

Atmosphere from the Zombie Formalism panel.

It was an eventful year for art writing, with plenty of shifts in the landscape, as new publications opened (including this one), or popped up , or reinvented themselves . But beneath all the institutional shuffles, what were the ideas that got people excited? To try to answer that question, I polled colleagues, but the final selection below is obviously a personal one. It reflects the world around me, and is weighted towards pieces that reflect my own location and  my own sense of this year’s troubled qualities .  In any case, here are a few of the pieces of writing that I think are touchstones of 2014:

Holland Cotter, “ Lost in the Gallery-Industrial Complex, ” New York Times , January 17, 2014 It’s a little crazy to me that Cotter’s fretful, sweeping state-of-the-scene piece is already a year old. But it stands in here for all the angst of money in a year of record auction prices and continued angst about inequality .

Jason Farago, “ Learning to Live With MoMA ,” Frieze blog, January 17, 2014 Amid all the outcry around MoMA’s annexation of the Folk Art Museum building, Farago did the best, to my taste, of getting to the heart of what was really at stake by placing it within the longer arc of change in the museum’s identity going back to its failed encounter with Rem Koolhaas.

Christian L. Frock, “ Priced Out: New Tech Wealth and San Francisco’s Receding Art Scene ,” KQED, February 7, 2014 Frock’s multipart series (here’s the second: “ Priced Out: San Francisco’s Changing Values and Artist Exodus “) captured the voices of a Bay Area arts community trying to stay afloat in a sea of “disruptive” tech money, but testifies to a conversation artists were having seemingly everywhere artists were found (see also Jen Graves’s “ How Artists Can Fight Back Against Cities That Are Taking Advantage of Them ”).

Trevor Paglen, “ Overhead: New Photos of the NSA and Other Top Intelligence Agencies Revealed ,” Creative Time Reports, February 10, 2014 If you haven’t been paying attention to what Marisa Mazria Katz has been up to for the last two years at Creative Time Reports —essentially, supporting artists in finding new ways to cover the news—you should be. In February, the publication teamed up with The Intercept to launch this Paglen photo essay, serving up images that immediately became a kind of visual shorthand for the sinister powers of government surveillance in the age of Snowden.

Walter Robinson, “ Flippers and the Rise of Zombie Formalism ,” Artspace Magazine, April 3, 2014 If there is an essay that touched off more discussion this year, then I can’t think of what it was. The tongue-in-cheek “Zombie Formalism” label, applied either to that funky-junky art-school look or used as a diagnosis of an art world obsessed with “artificial milestones” and the “simulacrum of originality” in general, is now lodged deep in the conversation .

Eunsong Kim and Maya Isabella Mackrandilal, “ The Whitney Biennial for Angry Women ,” The New Inquiry, April 4, 2014 This unsparing, percussive manifesto denouncing the Biennial and the art establishment in general set the stage for many of the debates of the year. It was, as the authors summed it up in their conclusion, “[a] demand for the impossible: decolonization, decentering, radical thinking, radical action, radical making.”

Helen Molesworth, review of the Whitney Biennial , Artforum , May 2014 The Whitney Biennial always draws fire. But this is really less of a review than a curator’s series of frustrated questions for her peers about the profession and its fundamental aims.

Jamilla King, “ The Overwhelming Whiteness of Black Art ,” Colorlines, May 21, 2014 This is one from well outside the regular circle of art coverage—but King’s thoughtful piece about Kara Walker’s A Subtlety  and the demographics of the art audience opened up a conversation that reverberated throughout the piece’s run, culminating with “We Are Here,”  an event for people of color to view Walker’s work together, to experience it as the majority.

Rahel Aima, “ Christian Marclay Goes to Bollywood ,” The New Inquiry, May 21, 2014 Christian Marclay’s epoch-making The Clock toured the world telling the story of a day through film clips culled mainly from Western film. He follows it up with  a supercut of Bollywood dream sequences set in Switzerland , destined to be shown in a chairlift in Gstaad, and Aima considers the cultural asymmetries and structures of power that this makes visible.

Christopher Glazek, “ Shopkeepers of the World Unite ,” Artforum , June 2014 A sympathetic and convincingly intricate account of the rise of the artists around DIS magazine, making a case for the new Post-Internet cool school while still remaining just critical enough to convince yourself that you were seeing it plain.

Molly Crabapple, illustration for Slaves of Happiness Island. Courtesy of the artist and Vice

Molly Crabapple, “ Slaves of Happiness Island ,” Vice, August 4, 2014 A neat feat of first-person journalism, this piece recounts one artist’s voyage onto the site of the soon-to-be built Guggenheim Abu Dhabi to see for herself what labor conditions looked like there. With the main and most demanding construction still to come, Crabapple talked to a worker laying the infrastructure for the new institution: “I don’t know how much longer I can go on like this. My body is on the verge of giving up, but I cannot leave my job because I am responsible for my sisters.”

John Yau, “ Andy Warhol and Jeff Koons and the Culture of Hyperbole ,” Hyperallergic, August 17, 2014 Taking a long look at the deep values of today’s Koons craze, Yau finds that they amount to this: “to be out of the mainstream is in fact a mark of imperfection.”

Whitney Kimball, “ How Do People Feel About the Gramsci Monument, One Year Later? ,” Art F City, August 20, 2014 A year after artist Thomas Hirschhorn’s pop-up community center won plaudits and raised hackles at a Bronx housing project, Kimball returns to ask people in the neighborhood what good it left behind—the kind of follow-up that almost never happens. The answers she finds are probably neither positive nor negative enough to satisfy pro-or-anti-Monument camps, which is part of what makes the exercise important.

Carolina Miranda, “ Art and race at the Whitney: Rethinking the Donelle Woolford debate ,” Los Angeles Times , June 17, 2014 It’s hard to sum up what makes this article important, given everything that’s involved: the Whitney Biennial, a black artist collective’s decision to publicly leave the show in protest of perceived racism , and the artist Joe Scanlan’s work made in the persona of a fictional African-American artist, Donelle Woolford. By interviewing Jenn Kidwell, the actress involved in Scanlan’s work, Miranda added important nuance to a very difficult conversation about race, racism, and art.

Jeff Chang, “ Color Theory: Race Trouble and the Avant Garde ,” n+1 , Fall 2014 Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop author Jeff Chang’s deeply researched, penetrating beat-by-beat account of a 1979 scandal at Artists Space around the artist known as Donald and his so-called “ Nigger Drawings ” (it’s an excerpt from his new book, Who We Be ) unearths all sides of a painful chapter in recent art history. Given the year that we’ve had (see above), its lessons couldn’t feel more relevant.

Assorted essays on contemporary art and feminism , edited by Kara L. Rooney, The Brooklyn Rail , September 2014 There are individual essays here that have stuck with me as offering particularly useful ways to grasp the question of feminism in art today (Chloe Wyma’s “ Lean Back: Resisting Branded Feminism ” is one that I find myself quoting a lot). But the collection of writings in the Rail ‘s special section on the subject is also eclectic, which maybe makes it more useful as a snapshot of the unsettled nature of the present conversation.

Mira Schor, “ The Feminist Wheel ,” A Year of Positive Thinking, September 20, 2014 An exasperated rant from inside Mira Schor’s head (and Twitter feed) at The Hole’s “Future Feminism” show takes on larger significance as a reflection on the difficulty of staying true to hard-earned—and needed—feminist principles while not missing out on the “utopian ebullience” of more recent arrivals.

Roberta Smith, “ In a Mattress, a Lever of Art and Protest ,” New York Times , September 21, 2014 In protest over institutional ineptitude around sexual assault , Columbia art student Emma Sulkowicz launched Carry That Weight , vowing to carry a mattress around campus until the man she says raped her leaves. The artistic protest touched off a deafening roar of media coverage of the “hot takes” type—so there was something significant about one of the country’s most authoritative art critics stepping up to explain why this work of protest-as-performance was worth your actual considered attention.

Mostafa Heddaya, “ Delusions of Grandeur: GCC at MoMA PS1 and the New Museum ,” Hyperallergic, September 26, 2014 This is an adept polemic about the buzzy “ Gulf Futurism ” of the art group GCC —and through it, a reflection on what strategies of political art might be viable today.

Art Post-Internet , edited by Karen Archey and Robin Peckham, October 2014 If you are one of those people who this year realized that you suddenly had to have something to say about “Post-Internet” art, this sprawling pamphlet with contributions from artists, academics, curators, and writers (including me) is as fine a place to start as any. In a neat Post-Internet touch, each PDF is a “unique” edition, stamped with a number and record of your location and the weather where you were at the moment you hit download.

Andrew Berardini, “ How to Write About Contemporary Art ,” Momus, October 15, 2014 This year, Toronto-based writer Sky Goodden launched  Momus.ca , an online art platform that bills itself as a “return to art criticism.” Berardini’s essay on the petty indignities and strange detours of a life of writing about art is probably my favorite piece on this list. I can’t do it justice, so just go read it.

Brian Droitcour, “ The Perils of Post-Internet Art ,” Art in America , November 2014 You know something has become a thing when it starts to draw the kind of sustained intellectual attack that Droitcour levels at the avatars of Post-Internet art, framing the whole trend as an attempt to recapture the web’s anarchic energies for the professional gallery world rather than a step into some new realm beyond it.

Philip Kennicott, “ An art loan from Bill Cosby draws the Smithsonian into a national debate ,” The Washington Post , November 20, 2014; Jillian Steinhauer, “ What Should the Smithsonian Do About Its Show of Bill Cosby’s Art Collection? ,” Hyperallergic, November 20, 2014; Kriston Capps, “ Why Is the Smithsonian Standing Behind Bill Cosby? ,” The Atlantic , November 21, 2014 The fallout from the allegations against Bill Cosby is far from over, but at year’s end, it provoked a series of excellent articles that went beyond the immediate scandal to look at the responsibilities of art institutions and the ethical traps of showcasing private collections.

Victor Merida, “ Excited Delirium: Graffiti and Miami ,” The Miami Rail , Winter 2014 Some sober, sobering reflections on graffiti art’s place in the branding of Miami, made more resonant by the tragic death of the young artist Israel “REEFA” Hernandez last year at the hands of the police.

Pac Pobric, “ Sturtevant’s Provincialism ,” Los Angeles Review of Books , December 18, 2014 There’s just something about a righteously pissed-off review, right? And while this year will be remembered as one where everyone once again proved their seriousness by lining up to take shots at Jeff Koons , here’s one that goes after a target that’s more difficult to pin down.

Mel Chin, “ Miley, Eric and Me: Basel’s Dazzle and the Dark Death Around Us ,” Creative Time Reports, December 18, 2014 I’m not sure I could believe that anything that great came of Miley Cyrus’s coronation as an art star at Art Basel in Miami Beach. But this soul-searching essay did come of it, which is definitely worth something.

Special mentions:

W.A.G.E. Wo/Manifesto This is a bullet-pointed call for change, from the group that calls for a new social contract between art institutions and artists.

Not That This! Nathaniel Donnett’s blog focusing on adding coverage of the African-American art scene in Houston not only adds a needed perspective, but does so in experimental ways; for instance, using poetry . It just won an Idea Fund grant to expand and make its coverage more regular, so keep it bookmarked.

Christian Viveros-Fauné and Blake Gopnik, “ Strictly Critical ” video series, artnet News, and Casey Jane Ellison, “ Touching the Art ,” Ovation TV Having seen many, many attempts to make art-themed videos work over the years, I know how hard it is—but this year brought two strong contenders. Viveros-Fauné and Gopnik perfected a Siskel and Ebert routine that made it seem suddenly fun and interesting to debate art, not a chore. Meanwhile, Ellison, whose Twitter bio describes herself as “artist + comic with a mole on her face,” brought her own alluringly wacky touch to bear on Ovation’s art-themed chat show.

Raphael Rubinstein, The Miraculous (Paper Monument) Here’s another outlier because it is a book and not an essay, strictly speaking, which opens up a whole other can of worms . But, in terms of things I read this year that really made me rethink how I looked at contemporary art, this one particularly affected me . So it stays on! If you still need a gift for an art lover, this is it.

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Essay on Art

500 words essay on art.

Each morning we see the sunshine outside and relax while some draw it to feel relaxed. Thus, you see that art is everywhere and anywhere if we look closely. In other words, everything in life is artwork. The essay on art will help us go through the importance of art and its meaning for a better understanding.

What is Art?

For as long as humanity has existed, art has been part of our lives. For many years, people have been creating and enjoying art.  It expresses emotions or expression of life. It is one such creation that enables interpretation of any kind.

It is a skill that applies to music, painting, poetry, dance and more. Moreover, nature is no less than art. For instance, if nature creates something unique, it is also art. Artists use their artwork for passing along their feelings.

Thus, art and artists bring value to society and have been doing so throughout history. Art gives us an innovative way to view the world or society around us. Most important thing is that it lets us interpret it on our own individual experiences and associations.

Art is similar to live which has many definitions and examples. What is constant is that art is not perfect or does not revolve around perfection. It is something that continues growing and developing to express emotions, thoughts and human capacities.

Importance of Art

Art comes in many different forms which include audios, visuals and more. Audios comprise songs, music, poems and more whereas visuals include painting, photography, movies and more.

You will notice that we consume a lot of audio art in the form of music, songs and more. It is because they help us to relax our mind. Moreover, it also has the ability to change our mood and brighten it up.

After that, it also motivates us and strengthens our emotions. Poetries are audio arts that help the author express their feelings in writings. We also have music that requires musical instruments to create a piece of art.

Other than that, visual arts help artists communicate with the viewer. It also allows the viewer to interpret the art in their own way. Thus, it invokes a variety of emotions among us. Thus, you see how essential art is for humankind.

Without art, the world would be a dull place. Take the recent pandemic, for example, it was not the sports or news which kept us entertained but the artists. Their work of arts in the form of shows, songs, music and more added meaning to our boring lives.

Therefore, art adds happiness and colours to our lives and save us from the boring monotony of daily life.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Conclusion of the Essay on Art

All in all, art is universal and can be found everywhere. It is not only for people who exercise work art but for those who consume it. If there were no art, we wouldn’t have been able to see the beauty in things. In other words, art helps us feel relaxed and forget about our problems.

FAQ of Essay on Art

Question 1: How can art help us?

Answer 1: Art can help us in a lot of ways. It can stimulate the release of dopamine in your bodies. This will in turn lower the feelings of depression and increase the feeling of confidence. Moreover, it makes us feel better about ourselves.

Question 2: What is the importance of art?

Answer 2: Art is essential as it covers all the developmental domains in child development. Moreover, it helps in physical development and enhancing gross and motor skills. For example, playing with dough can fine-tune your muscle control in your fingers.

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August 24, 2015 2 Comments

10 Artworks Perfect for an Art Criticism Lesson

Through my many years of teaching, I’ve accumulated a nice list of artworks that are perfect to discuss with students and teach them how to analyze art. These artworks spark lots of interesting ideas, have easy to notice design choices that contribute to the meaning and always lead to a great art criticism discussion (or a great student-written essay) with the students.

These artworks are great for high school and college students, but many work for elementary and middle as well. You can use your judgment to decide what works best for your students.

The Four Steps of Art Criticism Lesson Plan

I created this list for my lesson on the art criticism steps available for sale. The Four Steps of Art Criticism lesson teaches students how to analyze art through the art criticism steps of description, analysis, interpretation, and evaluation. This resource includes a lesson outline (pdf), a PowerPoint, a written assignment instructions handout (pdf and editable .doc), a quiz (pdf and editable .doc), and a list of artworks including (but not limited to) the ones below. Buy it now for $14 , and use it in your classroom tomorrow!

This lesson covers the four steps of art criticism using artworks. Explore description, analysis, interpretation, and evaluation with your students using engaging activities and examples.

Ten Artworks Perfect for Art Criticism with Students

Most of these are not in the public domain. I have included small thumbnails for your reference. Click the picture to view a larger image.

Marc Chagall, Young Girl in Pursuit , ca. 1927-28

This one is so simple and straight-forward, but it always sparks the imagination of the students.

Questions to Ask: How does this artwork make you feel? What choices does the artist make to make you feel that? Who is this woman? Why is there a woman in her hair? What is the meaning of this artwork?

Salvador Dalí, Persistence of Memory , 1931

Everyone knows this one. I read some study one time that said Salvador Dalí was the most recognized artist name among people interviewed on the street. I found that to be fascinating. From the melting clocks to the sleeping head, to the ants crawling all over the pocket watch, to is that a snake coming out of his nose?, this one has a lot for students to unpack.

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John Feodorov, Animal Spirit Channeling Device for the Contemporary Shaman , 1963

I wrote more about this one on the post: 5 Artworks to Intrigue your High Schooler .

Frida Kahlo, The Two Fridas , 1939

This one is also on 5 Artworks to Intrigue your High Schooler . Read more there. 🙂

Edvard Munch, Separation , 1896

Students love coming up with stories about this one. He is having a heart attack, and the woman is an angel taking him away. The woman is the ghost of his wife who has passed. And more, lots of great stories. The artist’s use of line, color, and contrast adds meaning to the student’s interpretations.

Luis Felipe Noé, Cerrado por brujería [Closed by Sorcery] , 1963

This is one of my all time top artworks to discuss with students. I usually show it on the first day of class in my community college art appreciation class. I wrote a whole post about it here .

Pablo Picasso, Girl before a Mirror , 1932

This painting made me weep when I saw it the first time. It’s stunning in person. Read more about it on 5 Artworks that Promote Introspection . This is a great one to have students write about at the beginning of class.

Lawrence Beall Smith, Don’t Let That Shadow Touch Them , 1942

I love connecting history and art. I include this piece of propaganda art on one of my tests for students to write about. You would be surprised how many students don’t recognize the swastika. In addition to discussing the power images have on our feelings and decision, the historical significance of the image is an important discussion to have with the students.

George Tooker, The Subway , 1950

Creepy, suspicious men and multiple perspectives make this one a fun one to talk about with students. The lone, solitary woman with the concerned expression makes us think, and why is she holding her stomach? Lots to talk about.

Kara Walker, Darkytown Rebellion , 2001

This one has some sensitive subject matter. I wouldn’t hesitate to use this for a college class, but only you can decide if it works for your students. I actually got in an argument with one of my friends in front of one of Kara Walker’s artworks like this one. I love art that sparks opinion and discussion. I don’t shy away from big topics in my classroom. Art opens up important dialogues, so I think it is important to let those happen in the classroom. After students look and figure out what is going on through art criticism, we discuss the element of the projection and how the viewer can become a part of the art by standing in between the light and the wall. It leads to some interesting thoughts.

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Reader Interactions

September 4, 2015 at 1:24 pm

Hello I enjoy you art lessons. I teach three year old students and I would like to know how to show them art and I would like to know how to ask the correct questions to help them think about art. Any help would be lovely. Nancy

September 4, 2015 at 6:38 pm

Hi Nancy! Here are some of my posts that might help you: How to Look at Art with Toddlers and Preschoolers , A video of me talking about art with my 2yo , 10 Activities to Engage with Works of Art , Another Video of me talking with my 2yo about art , and How to Look at Art with Kids . Hope this helps! 🙂

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Home Essay Samples

Essay Samples on Art

While it may seem easy to compose essays about art, it’s not really so because you have to offer background information in your introduction part and explain why some exhibition or a school of thought is important. This should go to your first paragraph because your purpose is to inspire your readers and provide enough background information. When you already have a prompt that must be followed, determine what kind of essay must be written. It can be a descriptive essay, which is great for a description of the works of art or photography. Some other cases may require working with an explanatory tone where you have to explain why an artist has chosen certain palettes or what has been an inspiration. See various free art essay examples below for inspiration. It also helps to learn how to structure your writing and implement quotes or footnotes that are used to highlight the images. Remember to focus on the ways how to cite images and multimedia elements, depending on the chosen style. Your writing should address every image that you have by checking twice with the grading rubric to ensure that you use the sources that may have already been specified.

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Chemistry is everywhere in our life. Of course, chemistry is also closely related to art. There are many forms of art, such as oil painting, gouache, watercolor and so on. These painting forms are inseparable from products such as pigments and watercolors, which are based...

Critical Understanding of the Sculptural Art of Alexander Calder

Calder was an American sculptor from Pennsylvania. His father, Alexander Stirling Calder was a sculptor and his mother a painter. Him and his family were constantly on the move around the country throughout Calder’s childhood due to his dads work. And through this Calder was...

Discussion on the Relationship Between Intelligence and Creativity

The relationship between intelligence and creativity has been subjected to research for many years. Unfortunately, there is yet no consensus on how these constructs are related. The connection between intelligence and creativity is that they are functions of the brain that handle data to determine...

• Intelligence

Do Schools Kill Creativity: the Issues of Music Education

In the TEDx video entitled, 'Do schools kill creativity?' Sir Ken Robinson discusses what he believes to be the main problem with our education system, providing a series of funny anecdotes and facts appropriate for his argument. After watching this video about 'Do schools kill...

Creative and Critical Thinking: Combining the Achievements of Thought

Creative, one word that can be interpreted in many ways whether in thoughts which is include ways of thinking and actions and also in verbal form. Critical, on the other side refers to the ability to analyse information objectively and make a reasoned judgment. It...

• Critical Thinking

Culture, Art and Creativity: the Way They Are Related

Art is a reflection of your thinking, your ideas, and your surroundings, the artist adopts his or her surroundings and then by using their imagination, outside thinking and their perspective they present a new face of it in front of the world. Art and creativity...

• Cultural Anthropology

Accessing the World of Theatre: Musicals and Music Theatre

Goodwin (2019) states music theatre is a type of stage performance using music from various forms such as ballets, operas, cabarets, and contemporary music. Musical theatre uses different techniques (e.g. music, dance, songs, acting as well as spoken dialogue) to tell a story to the...

Drawing for Architecture: A Key to Understanding Complex Designs

Architecture the word from Latin is called “architectura” originally from the Greek “arkhitekton”. Architectural drawing has never been taken for granted. All things we design and sketch are from our thinking to our hands. Therefore, drawings are the main development to architectural projects. When designing,...

Architecture: Bridging Vision into Reality

Architecture can be defined in various ways, but if I were to define it, I would simply use these following words, ‘Architecture is an abstract language that bridges a vision into reality.’ I think everyone would agree that architecture is best paired with great effort...

• Interior Design

The Development of Nationalism & Regionalism in Australian Architecture

Introduction From the 1880s, “nationalism” and “regionalism” had been started to be two of the keywords on the Australian development of architecture. These two words point toward the nation’s sake of rejecting foreign architectural approaches and seeking of the local architectural characteristics in Australia. During...

• Modern Architecture

Architecture: A Means to Improve People's Quality of Life

Introduction  “Architecture is about finding imaginative, creative solutions to improving people’s quality of life.” - Alejandro Aravena Architecture was born approach back in the prehistoric age, once the first man determined to come back up with shelters made up of twigs and bones. architecture isn't...

• Quality of Life

Architecture and its Role in Nation Building: A Critical Review

Brief introduction on architecture and how its spaces are perceived The universal definition of architecture as a synthesis of ‘art’ and ‘science’ is inadequate in the present democratic, globalized, and information world of the 21st century. Many modern good-looking buildings with sound structures have been...

Romanticism Paintings Analysis: The Raft of Medusa and Liberty Leading the People

I will be focusing on romanticism that is based on emotions and sublimity. I will be displaying the features of romantic art by analysing two paintings from the 19th century. These are The Raft of Medusa by Theodore Gericault (1819; Louvre Museum, Paris), oil on...

• Romanticism

The Ideas Behind The Persistence of Memory and Pillars of Society

George Grosz, Pillars of Society (1926) George Grosz was born in Berlin on July 26, 1893, he studied at Dresden Art Academy and began his career as a cartoonist. He later joined a Dada movement in 1917. And he was a famous figure in Neue...

• Salvador Dali

The Persistence of Memory, Starry Night and Analysis of Other Paintings

Dreams are something that everyone is or was able to have at one point in their life. Dreams are defined as, 'a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep.' Many artists create their artworks from their dreams or other...

• Vincent Van Gogh

The System Of Education: If I Could Change The World

If I could change the world, I would completely change the system of education. It hasn't changed for hundreds of years, and the current system was designed in the Industrial Age. This means, that children in school have to obey every order and do only...

• Importance of Education

Expressive Art: Is Graffiti Art Or Vandalism

 Throughout time graffiti has received both overwhelming support and intense backlash. Some view it as a form of expressive art while others consider it a complete destruction of property. However, despite the amount of differentiation, charisma and personality graffiti can bring into cities, it is...

Why Is Art Important For Human

Art is not a necessary part of survival. So why does it matter? Oftentimes art is overlooked and viewed as an unimportant skill or ability to have. However, art has many qualities that one can benefit from. It is a stress reliever that allows people...

The Doll`s House" By H. Ibsen: Nora Helmer Character Analysis

Nora Helmer is a good wife and mother. She does all she can for her family, especially her husband. Considering all the things she does, and the lengths she went to to make sure her husband could regain his health, it was not enough in...

• A Doll's House

Why Is Graffiti Are Not Vandalism

Why is graffiti art not vandalism? According to the Mural Arts Philadelphia website, the village’s first legitimate effort to eradicate graffiti started with the form of the Anti-Graffiti Network in the 1980s. Some people assay that its vandalism, and some assay that its artifice. Park...

My Take On Comedy: From Tartuffe To Sylvia And Cards Against Humanity

Defining comedy is extremely difficult. When something happens that makes you laugh, whether that is in a play or in real life, it’s difficult to pin down why you laughed, to begin with. I find myself defining comedy as a series of events that went...

Attitudes Towards Consumerism in Contemporary Art

In this essay I will be using information gathered from my own personal research, studio research and relevant topics discussed throughout the lectures. Whilst also, considering social, economic, and cultural factors. I will be discussing and analyzing attitudes towards consumerism in Contemporary Art. Built from...

• Consumerism

One of the Most Common Forms of Theatre

Throughout this essay the focus of various practitioners will be explored thoroughly from the paths of life they took and how they became so successful, to the impact that their work had on other practitioners and in general the industry itself. The industry of theatre...

The Practice of Art Forgery and Monet's Aesthetic Flaws

A forgery is a work that is not genuine to its proclaimed origins, however, is presented as a genuine article, and is so acting with the intention to deceive. The practice of art forgery is as well established and mature as the practice of creating...

• Claude Monet

Visual Verbal Essay on Wilfred Owen and Franz Marc

This essay explores two artists, Franz Marc, Brett Whitely and two of their artworks depicting animal scenes. Franz Marc’s ‘Tiger’, ‘Blue Horse 1’ and Brett Whitley’s Giraffe and Hyena. These four artworks will be compared and contrasted using the structural and the subjective frame. In...

• Wilfred Owen

The Role of Creative Industries in the United Kingdom

In this essay I will go over and talk about the creative industries and the role they play in the United Kingdom, I will look at the history and the development of the Creative Industries and their sectors. I will then look at the wider...

• Great Britain

African Art: West African Sculpting 

West African sculpting greatly influenced us today because lots o people still do it like when Pablo Picasso recreated the style of west African art he created it like they would some real some supernatural and exaggerated on some body parts after Pablo Picasso shared...

• African Art

Caravaggio's Sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham Due to Divine Intervention

First of all, there are several juxtapositions present throughout the painting. For example, there is a dichotomous relationship between the cold sensuality in the foreground and the pastoral beauty in the background. Secondly, Caravaggio manages to convey the sensational struggle present between the unconditional loyalty...

Greetings From the 1970s Contemporary Photography

The term contemporary refers to things happening in the same period of or in the style of the present or recent times so when referring to contemporary photography that is only basic modern 21st-century pictures or videos.. Over the past years, something called 'the medium'...

• Photography

Claude Monet and Modern Art Today

“Claude Monet” was a famous French painter who used to catch his everyday life's best minutes on canvas. “Claude Monet” was born on 14 November 1840 and His father was a businessman and his mother was a singer. He is one of the most praised...

The World’s Wife Borrowed From Other Texts

It is often that literature, whether being a poem or a book, often provides a voice for those who lack one. The work by Carol Ann Duffy is an accumulation of poems titled 'The World's Wife', first published in 1999 and the present works through...

• Drama (Play Genre)

Typography: From Billboards to Street Signs

Typography is everywhere we look, in the books we read on the websites we visit even in everyday life, from billboards to street signs, product packaging and even on your mobile phone. It is the art and technique of designing and arranging type. Today the...

• Advertising

Rebellious Aspect to Monet’s Personality

Claude Monet is an artist who continues to be adored and held in high esteem even to this day. There may be many who perhaps are not familiar with the name, yet still at least recognise one piece of his work. His paintings are a...

Edgar Degas and His Way of Critics

Mary Cassatt was born in 1844. She was born in what is now known as Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and died on June 14, 1926 at her French home right outside of Paris. Mary was raised in Philadelphia where she spent her childhood with a social privilege...

• Edgar Degas
• Impressionism

The Principles of Art: Movement, Unity, Harmony, Variety

If you were to ask someone “what is art essay”, the majority of people in the world would think of art and immediately their mind would shoot to a painting. The truth is, art is so much more than just a painting. There are thousands...

• Art Movement

Fairy Tale Black Swan Is a Story of a Ballerina

“Black Swan” is not the fairy tale of “swan lake” but a story of a ballerina, Nina. The story begins with the change of the company, the old lead dancer Beth is about to leave. The stage needs a new lead dancer who can act...

The Book Caesar's Commentarii de Bello Calico

One may call war a side effect of human civilization. Nevertheless, it is in a war that people show their best virtues: courage, loyalty, strength, perseverance, and honesty. Nothing is surprising in the fact that texts on this subject have existed since the writing appeared....

Comparing Two Great Pieces by Pablo Picasso and by Francisco Goya

Today I will be comparing and contrasting two great pieces called “GUERNICA” by Pablo Picasso and “THE THIRD OF MAY” by Francisco Goya.The “GUERNICA” by Pablo Picasso was hard to understand at first but the longer you look at it you understand it is a...

• Pablo Picasso

Black Swan is About Destructive Nature of Ballet

Nina Portman is a ballerina in a New York City ballet company whose life, like all those in her profession, is completely consumed with dance. She lives with her obsessive former ballerina mother Erica who exerts a suffocating control over her life. When artistic director...

The Development of Islamic Art

Islamic art is created not only for the Muslim faith, but it consists of artworks such as textiles, architecture, paintings and drawings that were produced in the regions that were once ruled by Muslim empires. Artists from various disciplines take part in collaborative projects and...

• History of Islam
• Islamic Art

Role of Cultural and Religious Pluralism

Cultural pluralism is a term used when smaller groups within a larger society maintain their own unique cultural identities. Migration is a key process that makes significant contribution to the growth of urbanism. Often immigrants belonging to particular region, language, religion ,tribe etc tend to...

• Art and Religion
• Religious Pluralism

John Berger: Understanding His Artwork

John Berger is a remarkable man who enlighten us with his knowledge using one of his brilliant essays “Ways of Seeing.” Berger has concurred the ability to fully understand any artwork and to recognize what is visible before him. He clarifies that there is a...

• John Berger

America’s Contemporary Multimedia Artist Jeff Koons

Jeff Koons is one of America’s most popular contemporary multimedia artists, who believes that art can change lives, give vastness and expand your parameters. Koons was born in York, Pennsylvania in 1955. He studied at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore and the...

• American Culture

The Sistine Chapel Ceiling by Michelangelo

The Sistine Chapel Ceiling (Italian: Volta Della Cappella Sistina), painted by Michelangelo somewhere in the range of 1508 and 1512, is a foundation work of High Renaissance craftsmanship. The Creation of Adam' is one of the nine ceiling boards in the Sistine Chapel portraying scenes...

• Michelangelo

History of Medieval And Byzantine Art Movements

A painting wealthy in color typical for St.George on a rearing white horse, shown against a rocky landscape, slaying the winged monster as it appears before him. An angel crowns St.George with a martyr’s crown, symbolizing the triumph of good over evil. The tower on...

• Byzantine Empire

The Power Of Photography: Capturing Emotions With Camera

Photographs help people preserve memories with its technology, but what is actually happening is much more interesting when thought about in more depth. A moment in time is captured forever, so long as the photograph is kept in good shape. It is the closest people...

Jackson Pollock as an Influential America Artist

The painter Jackson Pollock was an influential America painter and a key person to the abstract expressionist movement. He was born in Cody , Wyoming in 1912 and he was the youngest of 5 brothers. He grew up in Arizona and Chico, California he moved...

• Jackson Pollock

The Girl Who Loved Caravaggio by Belle Ami

The Girl Who Loved Caravaggio by Belle Ami is a romantic suspense thriller and the second book in the Out of Time series. High on the success of finding a centuries-old Leonardo da Vinci painting, Angela Renatus, and her fiance Alex Caine are on a...

The Portrayal of the Culture of Death and Afterlife in Art

Throughout history, different cultures dealt with the concept of death and afterlife according to their beliefs, and developed different perspectives about what happens after the body dies. These ideas were often reflected in their art, literature, and their lifestyle as well. Most cultures produce art...

Art Nouveau and Modernist Movements in Art

Art Nouveau is originated in England. William Morris collaborated with other artists so Art Nouveau was created. It has a wide range of different decorative arts, like architectural, painting, graphic art, and jewelry. It was most popular during the 1890s. Its popularity came to a...

• Art Nouveau
• William Morris

The Famous Michelangelo Merisi Da Caravaggio

The famous Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio produced original paintings, criticizing those who imitated other artists creative styles. He even accused the great Giovanni Baglione and Guido Reni for imitating his uniquely developed techniques. Caravaggio was the building block for modern art and followed by many....

Art of Theatre and French Figure Joan of Arc

Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) is an irish playwright, critic, and political activist. His influence on Western theatre started from the 1880s till after his death. He won the Nobel Prize in literature in 1925 becoming the leading dramatist of his generation. Shaw's first play to bring...

• Joan of Arc

The Beauty and Skill of Ansel Adams’ Photography

Ansel Adams was born in San Francisco, California on February 20, 1902. As a child, Adams had many freedoms and lots of energy. He was an unattractive child, with big dark circles under his eyes, a crooked nose, and large ears. He was often teased...

• Ansel Adams

Holi Festival and Vibrant Celebration of Colors

Holi is a very vibrant celebration of colors. We have to wait for a whole year. So we can enjoy the festival of color. Although, Holi is fun and joyous. It's also immensely damaging to your skin. The colors are not extracted from flowers but...

• Holi Festival

The Struggle of the Graphic Designers and Social Media

Graphic designers relied heavily on word-of-mouth for their works to become popular and to be seen by the public, it was close to impossible to grow an organic dedicated fanbase to follow your work, nowadays with the rise of the internet and social media, you...

• Graphic Design

Some Interesting Facts About Salvador Dali

Salvador Dali was one of the most, if not the most celebrated artist of the 20th century. His art is iconic, his personality, eccentric, his fashion sense, interesting, his style, unique, his showmanship, unforgettable. All these combined to make him an interesting human and a...

Salvador Dali's Biography: Main Topics

 Salvador Dali was born on May 11, 1904 in Figueres, Catalonia, Spain. His father was an atheist lawyer who was very strict in Dali’s upbringing. Dali’s mother, on the other hand, was loving and encouraged him to be artistic. He has an older brother named...

Caravaggio’s Artwork Judith Beheading Holofernes

For this essay, you needed to decide on a painting, Sculpture and other selected types of art work by which ever artist that created them before the 1900’s.Select a topic out of the selection given to do research about the topic and art work to...

William Morris: Arts and Crafts Movement

William Morris was a famous artists who mainly focused on his wallpaper and fabric designs. While he was mainly known for his art, even today, he had many other notable careers and accomplishments, One of them being that he founded the Arts and crafts movement....

Breaking The Parametr In Red Wheelbarrow: Analysis

The most conspicuous element of modernist poetry is the invention and experimentation of new forms of representation. It featured movements such as imagism and symbolism and moved consciously away from naturalism and realism. Ezra Pound was one of the first to delve into this new...

The Importance Of Paying Attention To Detail In Architecture

The architectural detailing process of a project is a long process that includes a lot of steps and patterns to consider. The designing issue is not consecutive for making a theoretical plan for the entire structure, the detailing, and construction of a building. It is...

Depiction Of Revolution In Les Miserables And Musical Theatre

This essay will deliberate the framework of genre, and investigate Musical Theatre, a genre within performing arts. What is Genre? Genre has been around for centuries, it commenced with the Greek philosophers Aristotle and Plato, they created a classification system that would separate literature into...

• Les Miserables

The Concepts Of Love And Hate With Loyalty In "Romeo And Juliet"

Loyalty is a virtue that most people strive for as seen in the play, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, which is about two feuding families, the Montagues and the Capulets. Romeo, a Montague and Juliet, a Capulet fall in love. Throughout...

• Romeo and Juliet
• William Shakespeare

Romeo And Juliet: The Decision Between Choice And Fate

“God gave us free will, and we may choose to exercise it in ways that end up hurting other people”-Francis Collins. Romeo and Juliet is a tragic play written by Shakespeare, that follows the lives of two star-crossed lovers. The setting of Romeo and Juliet...

Societal Views On Graffiti: Street Art Or Vandalism

When you think of graffiti what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Vandalism or street art? Most would say vandalism, but what makes the distinction between the two? The intention of the piece. There’s a difference between defiling the back of a building and...

Portrayal Of Love And Hate In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

Shakespeare’s exploration of themes through tragic conventions make the play, Romeo and Juliet, of enduring relevance to modern audiences. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet (1595) captures audiences through the thrill of lovers from feuding families racing together to their tragic demises. This play explores themes understood...

Graffiti And Street Art As An Act Of Vandalism

It is difficult to apply a single definition to what is considered Art. Whether it can or should be defined has been constantly debated. “The definition of art is controversial in contemporary philosophy. Whether art can be defined has also been a matter of controversy....

Passionate Pursuit: Being Passionate About Art

Different pieces of artwork inspire people all around the world. Artists use a wide variety of techniques to make their work unique. While creating new pieces of art, it is common to look at other artists' work for inspiration. While evaluating their artwork you can...

Andy Warhol's Album Artwork: Don't Judge A Book By Its Cover

As the saying goes, don't judge a book by its cover, or in this case an album, but sometimes it cannot be helped. Custom packaging is an extremely important with any kind of product but despite this album cover art has not always been used...

• Andy Warhol

The Role Of Other Characters In Death Of Romeo And Juliet

Romeo and Juliet is such a tragic love story. It is sad that their lives ended, but that doesn’t mean their love for eachother did; their love may still live on with them in the after life. There are many characters who had a role...

The Presentation Of Love In Romeo And Juliet

Romeo and Juliet is a play written by Shakespeare in the 1500’s. It tells us the tragedy of two young lovers named Romeo and Juliet who fall in love at first sight but can never be together due to their two families conflict which ends...

The Importance Of Different Types Of Love In Romeo And Juliet

Romeo and Juliet is a play written by William Shakespeare during the 16th century that mainly follows the themes of love and tragedy. The intense passion the two lovers from both households have for one another causes the deaths of their friends, family and themselves....

The Use Of Hyperbole And Symbolism In "The Doll's House"

A Doll's House delves into the lives of a young couple living in Victorian era Norway. The play follows Nora through her journey, from her previously unexamined life of domestic, wifely comfort, to questioning the very foundation of everything she used to believe in. Having...

Realism In A Doll's House Play

Realism as a literary movement emerged in the late nineteenth century and extended to the twentieth century, the most important factors that led to the emergence of the period of realism is the horrors that happened to people after the World War, which made the...

20th Century Art: Representational Abstract Art

One of the most influential and significant periods in the history of the arts is the 20th century. It was a period that consisted of many rapid and radical artistic changes that gave birth to endless ideas, possibilities, experiences, and visions. Not only were ideas,...

• Abstract Art

The Opposite Concepts Of Realism Versus Idealism

 Introduction When comparing realism and idealism, the concepts must be understood historically, theoretically and practically. In this essay, a number of steps will be taken to present a thorough overview of the two schools of thought. Firstly, the epistemological and metaphysical questions of philosophy will...

The Abstract Art And Pop Art Artists And Movements

Pop art emerged in the mid 1950s in Britain, then later in the 1950s in the United States of America. Pop art still influences designers and artists to this day, was against abstract expressionists, pop artists saw abstract artists as intense. The art was a...

Romanticism & Realism: Changing Landscapes 

In my essay I will be looking at the contrast between romanticism and photo-realism, how light controls the image and how photographers are able to control how the picture will look like, by the time of day, the angle and being able to change the...

• Romantic Era

The Abstract Art And Expressionism In World War 2

In World War 2, many countries were destroyed by Hitler and his army. There were allies which were the U.S., Britain, France, USSR, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Greece, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, South Africa, and Yugoslavia and the axis powers, which were...

Coriolanus: Plutarch's And William Shakespeare's Versions

Two of the greatest contributors to the “Struggle of the Orders” between Plebeians and Patricians were the Patricians’ fears of Plebeian power overshadowing their influence on Roman politics, as well as the issues of grain pricing and distribution. Plutarch’s “Coriolanus” within his Parallel Lives work...

The Definition Of Fate And Free Will In Macbeth

Throughout time, it has been believed that fate has the power to forge one’s destiny. On the other hand though, I believe these choices can defy fate and that fate only manipulates one's mind into choosing their own path. In the play Macbeth, Shakespeare messes...

Reality Of Romanticism And Realism Under The Umbrella Of Gothic Genre

Two of the most common genres of writing that is found in literature belongs to either the Romanticism movement or the Realist/Naturalism movement. While these two movements might seem like they are related to each other, they are very opposite from one another in the...

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3. Why I Want to Study Architecture: the Power of Design

4. The Impact of Technology on Art: A Modern Renaissance

5. Exploring Feminist Literary Criticism: Unveiling Mona Lisa Smile

6. Frida Kahlo: Exploring Her Biography Through the Film ‘Frida’

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9. Understanding Graphic Novels: Context and Analysis for Reading

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14. Being an Artist: My Passion, Place of Freedom and Courage

15. Sculpture From Dura Europas: the Head of a Bearded God

• Jean-Michel Basquiat

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Today's News December 9, 2021

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Editor & Publisher: Royalville Communications, Inc produces: --> --> History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture Games & Quizzes On This Day One Good Fact New Articles Lifestyles & Social Issues Philosophy & Religion Politics, Law & Government World History Health & Medicine Browse Biographies Birds, Reptiles & Other Vertebrates Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates Environment Fossils & Geologic Time Entertainment & Pop Culture Sports & Recreation Visual Arts Demystified Image Galleries Infographics Top Questions Britannica Kids Saving Earth Space Next 50 Student Center Introduction Shape and mass Volume and space Time and movement Principles of design Design relationships between painting and other visual arts Techniques and methods Fresco secco Buon fresco Watercolour Synthetic mediums French pastels Oil pastels Glass paintings Ivory painting Sand, or dry, painting Mechanical mediums Mixed mediums Mural painting Easel and panel painting Miniature painting Manuscript illumination and related forms Scroll painting Screen and fan painting Modern forms Kinds of imagery Portraiture Other subjects Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. LiveAbout - An Introduction to Painting Humanities LibreTexts - Painting Tate - Painting University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension - Drawing and Painting Boise State Pressbooks - Introduction To Art - Painting Art in Context - What is Painting? – Explore the World of Visual Art Painting painting - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11) painting - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up) Table Of Contents painting , the expression of ideas and emotions, with the creation of certain aesthetic qualities, in a two-dimensional visual language . The elements of this language—its shapes, lines, colours, tones, and textures—are used in various ways to produce sensations of volume, space, movement, and light on a flat surface. These elements are combined into expressive patterns in order to represent real or supernatural phenomena, to interpret a narrative theme, or to create wholly abstract visual relationships. An artist’s decision to use a particular medium, such as tempera , fresco , oil , acrylic , watercolour or other water-based paints, ink , gouache , encaustic , or casein , as well as the choice of a particular form, such as mural , easel, panel, miniature, manuscript illumination , scroll, screen or fan, panorama , or any of a variety of modern forms, is based on the sensuous qualities and the expressive possibilities and limitations of those options. The choices of the medium and the form, as well as the artist’s own technique, combine to realize a unique visual image. (Read Sister Wendy’s Britannica essay on viewing art.) Earlier cultural traditions—of tribes, religions, guilds, royal courts, and states—largely controlled the craft, form, imagery, and subject matter of painting and determined its function, whether ritualistic, devotional, decorative, entertaining, or educational. Painters were employed more as skilled artisans than as creative artists . Later the notion of the “fine artist” developed in Asia and Renaissance Europe. Prominent painters were afforded the social status of scholars and courtiers; they signed their work, decided its design and often its subject and imagery, and established a more personal—if not always amicable—relationship with their patrons . During the 19th century painters in Western societies began to lose their social position and secure patronage. Some artists countered the decline in patronage support by holding their own exhibitions and charging an entrance fee. Others earned an income through touring exhibitions of their work. The need to appeal to a marketplace had replaced the similar (if less impersonal) demands of patronage, and its effect on the art itself was probably similar as well. Generally, artists in the 20th century could reach an audience only through commercial galleries and public museums, although their work may have been occasionally reproduced in art periodicals. They may also have been assisted by financial awards or commissions from industry and the state. They had, however, gained the freedom to invent their own visual language and to experiment with new forms and unconventional materials and techniques. For example, some painters combined other media, such as sculpture , with painting to produce three-dimensional abstract designs. Other artists attached real objects to the canvas in collage fashion or used electricity to operate coloured kinetic panels and boxes. Conceptual artists frequently expressed their ideas in the form of a proposal for an unrealizable project, while performance artists were an integral part of their own compositions . The restless endeavour to extend the boundaries of expression in art produced continuous international stylistic changes. The often bewildering succession of new movements in painting was further stimulated by the swift interchange of ideas by means of international art journals, traveling exhibitions, and art centres. Such exchanges accelerated in the 21st century with the explosion of international art fairs and the advent of social media , the latter of which offered not only new means of expression but direct communication between artists and their followers. Although stylistic movements were hard to identify, some artists addressed common societal issues, including the broad themes of racism, LGBTQ rights, and climate change . This article is concerned with the elements and principles of design in painting and with the various mediums, forms, imagery, subject matter, and symbolism employed or adopted or created by the painter. For the history of painting in ancient Egypt , see Egyptian art and architecture . The development of painting in different regions is treated in a number of articles: Western painting ; African art ; Central Asian arts ; Chinese painting ; Islamic arts ; Japanese art ; Korean art ; Native American art ; Oceanic art and architecture ; South Asian arts ; Southeast Asian arts . For the conservation and restoration of paintings, see art conservation and restoration . For a discussion of the forgery of works of art, see forgery . For a discussion of the role of painting and other arts in religion, as well as of the use of religious symbols in art, see religious symbolism and iconography . For information on other arts related to painting, see articles such as drawing ; folk art ; printmaking . Elements and principles of design The design of a painting is its visual format: the arrangement of its lines, shapes, colours, tones, and textures into an expressive pattern . It is the sense of inevitability in this formal organization that gives a great painting its self-sufficiency and presence. The colours and placing of the principal images in a design may be sometimes largely decided by representational and symbolic considerations . Yet it is the formal interplay of colours and shapes that alone is capable of communicating a particular mood, producing optical sensations of space, volume, movement, and light and creating forces of both harmony and tension , even when a painting’s narrative symbolism is obscure. Art Essay Examples Art Essay Examples to Get You Inspired - Top 10 Samples Published on: May 4, 2023 Last updated on: Jan 30, 2024 Share this article Are you struggling to come up with ideas for your art essay? Or are you looking for examples to help guide you in the right direction?  Look no further, as we have got you covered! In this blog, we provide a range of art writing examples that cover different art forms, time periods, and themes. Whether you're interested in the classics or contemporary art, we have something for everyone. These examples offer insight into how to structure your essay, analyze art pieces, and write compelling arguments. So, let's explore our collection of art essay examples and take the first step toward becoming a better art writer! On This Page On This Page --> Good Art Essay Examples In the following section, we will examine a selection of art essay examples that are inspiring for various academic levels. College Art Essay Examples Let’s take a look at college art essay examples below:   The Intersection of Art and Politics: An Analysis of Picasso's Guernica The Role of Nature in American Art: A Comparative Study University Art Essay Examples University-level art essay assignments often differ in length and complexity. Here are two examples: Gender and Identity in Contemporary Art: A Comparative Study Art and Activism: The Role of Street Art in Political Movements A Level Art Essay Examples Below are some art paper examples A level. Check out:  The Use Of Color In Wassily Kandinsky's Composition Viii The Influence of African Art on Pablo Picasso's Les Demoiselles D'avignon A Level Fine Art Essay Examples If you're a student of fine arts, these A-level fine arts examples can serve as inspiration for your own work. The Use Of Texture In Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night Exploring Identity Through Portraiture: A Comparative Study Art Essay Examples IELTS  The Impact of Art on Mental Health The Effects of Technology on Art And Creativity Paper Due? Why Suffer? That's our Job! AP Art Essay Examples A Comparison of Neoclassical and Romantic Art An Examination Of The Effects Of Globalization On Contemporary Art Types of Art Essay with Examples Art essays can be categorized into different types. Let's take a brief look at these types with examples: Art Criticism Essay : A critical essay analyzing and evaluating an artwork, its elements, and its meaning. The Persistence of Memory" by Salvador Dali: A Critical Analysis Art History Essay: A comprehensive essay that examines the historical context, development, and significance of an artwork or art movement. The Renaissance: A Rebirth of Artistic Expression Exhibition Review: A review of an art exhibition that evaluates the quality and significance of the artwork on display. A Review of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Exhibition Contemporary Art Essay: An essay that explores and analyzes contemporary art and its cultural and social context. The Intersection of Technology and Art in Contemporary Society Modern Art Essay: An essay that examines modern art and its significance in the development of modernism. Cubism and its Influence on Modern Art [insert pdf] Art Theory Essay: An essay that analyzes and critiques various theories and approaches to art. Feminist Art Theory: A Critical Analysis of its Impact on Contemporary Art [insert pdf] Additional Art Essay Example Let’s take a brief look at some added art essay samples: Artwork Essay Example Artist Essay Example Advanced Higher Art Essay Example Common Art Essay Prompts Here are some common art essay topics that you may encounter during your coursework: Describe a piece of artwork that has inspired you. A comparative analysis of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa and Michelangelo's David. Analyze the cultural significance of a particular art movement. Discuss the relationship between art and politics. Compare and contrast two works of art from different time periods or cultures. The representation of identity in art The Evolution of Artists' Paintings: From Traditional to Contemporary Art The representation of identity in Frida Kahlo's self-portraits. The significance of oil on canvas in the history of art. The significance of the Mona Lisa in the Italian Renaissance Art Essay Topics IELTS Here are some art essay topics for IELTS students. Take a look:  The value of art education. The role of museums in preserving art and culture. The impact of globalization on contemporary art. The influence of technology on art and artists. The significance of public art in urban environments. Tips For Writing a Successful Art Essay Here are some tips for writing a stand-out art essay: Develop a clear thesis statement that guides your essay: Your thesis statement should clearly and concisely state the main argument of your essay. Conduct thorough research and analysis of the artwork you are writing about : This includes examining the visual elements of the artwork, researching the artist, and considering the historical significance. Use formal and precise language to discuss the artwork: Avoid using colloquial language and instead focus on using formal language to describe the artwork. Include specific examples from the artwork to support your arguments: Use specific details from the artwork to back up your analysis. Avoid personal bias and subjective language: Your essay should be objective and avoid using personal opinions or subjective language. Consider the historical and cultural context of the artwork: Analyze the artwork in the context of the time period and cultural context in which they were created. Edit and proofread your essay carefully before submitting it: Ensure your essay is well-organized, coherent, and free of grammatical errors and typos. Use proper citation format when referencing sources: Follow the appropriate citation style guidelines and give credit to all sources used in your essay. Be concise and focused in your writing: Stick to your main thesis statement and avoid going off-topic or including irrelevant information. Read your essay aloud to ensure clarity and coherence: Reading your essay out loud can help you identify inconsistencies or any other mistakes. The Bottom Line! We hope that the art essay examples we've explored have provided you with inspiration for your own essay. Art offers endless possibilities for analysis, and your essay is a chance to showcase your unique opinions. Use these examples as a guide to craft an essay that reflects your personality while demonstrating your knowledge of the subject. Short on time? Let CollegeEssay.org help you! All you have to do is to ask our experts, " write college essay for me " and they'll help you secure top grades in college. Don't wait, reach out to our art essay writing service. Take the first step towards excellence in your art studies with our AI essay writer ! Cathy A. (Literature) For more than five years now, Cathy has been one of our most hardworking authors on the platform. With a Masters degree in mass communication, she knows the ins and outs of professional writing. Clients often leave her glowing reviews for being an amazing writer who takes her work very seriously. Paper Due? Why Suffer? That’s our Job! Legal & Policies Privacy Policy Cookies Policy Terms of Use Refunds & Cancellations Our Writers Success Stories Our Guarantees Affiliate Program Referral Program AI Essay Writer Disclaimer: All client orders are completed by our team of highly qualified human writers. The essays and papers provided by us are not to be used for submission but rather as learning models only. Visual Analysis: How to Analyze a Painting and Write an Essay A visual analysis essay is an entry-level essay sometimes taught in high school and early university courses. Both communications and art history students use visual analysis to understand art and other visual messages. In our article, we will define the term and give an in-depth guide on how to look at a piece of art and write a visual analysis essay. Stay tuned until the end for a handy visual analysis essay example from our graduate paper writing service . What Is Visual Analysis? Visual analysis is essential in studying Communication, English, and Art History. It's a fundamental part of writing about art found in scholarly books, art magazines, and even undergraduate essays. You might encounter a visual analysis as a standalone assignment or as part of a larger research paper. When you do this type of assignment, you're examining the basic elements of an artwork. These include things like its colors, lines, textures, and size. But it goes beyond just describing these elements. A good analysis also considers the historical context in which the artwork was created and tries to understand what it might mean to different people. It also encourages you to look closely at details and think deeply about what an artwork is trying to say. This kind of analysis makes you appreciate art more and teaches you how to explain your ideas clearly based on what you see in the artwork. What is the Purpose of Visual Analysis? The purpose of a visual analysis is to recognize and understand the visual choices the artist made in creating the artwork. By looking closely at different elements, analysts can learn a lot about how an artwork was made and why the artist made certain choices.  For example, studying how colors are used or how things are arranged in the artwork can reveal its themes or the emotions it's trying to convey. Also, understanding the time period when the artwork was created helps us see how societal changes and cultural ideas influenced its creation and how people reacted to it. If you don’t feel confident working on your task alone, leave us a request - ' write my paper for me ' and we'll handle it for you professionally. Another Visual Analysis Paper Looming? Don't stress! Send your requirements and breathe easy – our writing experts are here to help. How to Write a Visual Analysis Step-by-Step To create an insightful visual analysis, you should not only examine the artwork in detail but also situate it within a broader cultural and historical framework. This process can be broken down into three main steps:  Identifying, describing, and analyzing the visual material Situating the visual material in its context Interpreting and responding to the content of the visual material. Let’s discuss each of these steps in more detail. Step 1: Identify, Describe, and Analyze the Visual Material Begin by clearly identifying the visual material you will analyze. This could be a painting, photograph, sculpture, advertisement, or any other visual artwork. Provide essential information such as the title, artist, date, and medium.  Next, offer a detailed description of the visual material. Focus on the key elements and principles of design, such as: Composition Describe what you see without interpreting its meaning yet. For instance, note the use of bright colors, the placement of objects, the presence of figures, and the overall layout. This descriptive part forms the foundation of your analysis, allowing your reader to visualize the artwork. Afterward, consider how the artist uses elements like contrast, balance, emphasis, movement, and harmony. Analyze the techniques and methods used and how they contribute to the overall effect of the piece.  Step 2: Situate the Visual Material in its Context To fully understand a piece of visual material, you need to consider its historical and cultural context. Start by researching the time period when the artwork was created. Look at the social, political, and economic conditions of that time, and see if there were any cultural movements that might have influenced the artwork. Next, learn about the artist and their reasons for creating the visual material. Find out about the artist's life, other works they have made, and any statements they have made about this piece. Knowing the artist’s background can give you valuable insights into the artwork's purpose and message. Finally, think about how the visual material was received by people when it was first shown and how it has impacted others over time. Look for reviews and public reactions, and see if it influenced other works or movements. This will help you understand the significance of the visual material in the larger cultural and artistic context. Step 3: Interpret and Respond to the Content of the Visual Material Now, combine your description, analysis, and understanding of the context to interpret what the visual material means. Talk about the themes, symbols, and messages the artwork conveys. Think about what it reveals about human experiences, society, or specific issues. Use evidence from earlier steps to support your interpretation. Afterward, consider your own reaction to the visual material. How does it personally resonate with you? What emotions or thoughts does it provoke? Your personal response adds a subjective aspect to your analysis, making it more relatable. Finally, summarize your findings and emphasize the importance of the visual material. Highlight key aspects from your identification, description, analysis, context, and interpretation. Then, it concludes by reinforcing the impact and significance of the visual material in both its original setting and its enduring influence. Who Does Formal Analysis of Art Most people who face visual analysis essays are Communication, English, and Art History students. Communications students explore mediums such as theater, print media, news, films, photos — basically anything. Comm is basically a giant, all-encompassing major where visual analysis is synonymous with Tuesday. Art History students study the world of art to understand how it developed. They do visual analysis with every painting they look it at and discuss it in class. English Literature students perform visual analysis too. Every writer paints an image in the head of their reader. This image, like a painting, can be clear, or purposefully unclear. It can be factual, to the point, or emotional and abstract like Ulysses, challenging you to search your emotions rather than facts and realities. 6 Questions to Answer Before Analyzing a Piece of Art According to our experienced term paper writer , there are six important questions to ask before you start analyzing a piece of art. Answering these questions can make writing your analysis much easier: Who is the artist, and what type of art do they create? - To place the artwork in context, you should identify the artist and understand the type of art they create.  What was the artist's goal in creating this painting? - Determine why the artist created the artwork. Was it to convey a message, evoke emotions, or explore a theme? When and where was this artwork made? - Knowing the time and place of creation helps understand the cultural and historical influences on the artwork. What is the main focus or theme of this artwork? - Identify what the artwork is about. This could be a person, place, object, or abstract concept. Who was the artwork created for? - To provide insight into its style and content, consider who the artist intended to reach with their work.  What historical events or cultural factors influenced this painting? - Understanding the historical background can reveal more about the significance and meaning of the artwork. Count on the support of the professional writers of our essay writing service . Elements of the Visual Analysis  To fully grasp formal analysis, it's important to differentiate between the elements and principles of visual analysis. The elements are the basic building blocks used to create a piece of art. These include: Art Element 🎨 Description 📝 ✏️Line A mark with length and direction, which can define shapes, create textures, and suggest movement. 🌗Value The lightness or darkness of a color, which helps to create depth and contrast. 🔶Shapes Two-dimensional areas with a defined boundary, such as circles, squares, and triangles. 🔲Forms Three-dimensional objects with volume and thickness, like cubes, spheres, and cylinders. 🌌Space The area around, between, and within objects, which can be used to create the illusion of depth. 🌈Color The hues, saturation, and brightness in artwork, used to create mood and visual interest. 🖐️Texture The surface quality of an object, which can be actual (how it feels) or implied (how it looks like it feels). Principles of the Visual Analysis The principles, on the other hand, are how these elements are combined and used together to create the overall effect of the artwork. These principles include: Principle of Art 🎨 Description 📝 ⚖️Balance The distribution of visual weight in a composition, which can be symmetrical or asymmetrical. 🌗Contrast The difference between elements, such as light and dark, to create visual interest. 🏃‍♂️Movement The suggestion or illusion of motion in an artwork, guiding the viewer’s eye through the piece. 🎯Emphasis The creation of a focal point to draw attention to a particular area or element. 🔄Pattern The repetition of elements to create a sense of rhythm and consistency. 📏Proportion The relationship in size between different parts of an artwork, contributing to its harmony. 🔗Unity The sense of cohesiveness in an artwork, where all elements and principles work together effectively. Visual Analysis Outline It’s safe to use the five-paragraph essay structure for your visual analysis essay. If you are looking at a painting, take the most important aspects of it that stand out to you and discuss them in relation to your thesis.  In the introduction, you should: Introduce the Artwork : Mention the title, artist, date, and medium of the artwork. Provide a Brief Description : Offer a general overview of what the artwork depicts. State the Purpose : Explain the goal of your analysis and what aspects you will focus on. Thesis Statement : Present a clear thesis statement that outlines your main argument or interpretation of the artwork. The body of the visual analysis is where you break down the visual material into its component parts and examine each one in detail. This section should be structured logically, with each paragraph focusing on a specific element or aspect of the visual material. Description: Start with a detailed description of the visual material. Describe what you see without interpreting or analyzing it yet. Mention elements such as color, line, shape, texture, space, and composition. For instance, if analyzing a painting, describe the subject matter, the arrangement of figures, the use of light and shadow, etc. Analysis of Visual Elements: Analyze how each visual element contributes to the overall effect of the material. Discuss the use of color (e.g., warm or cool tones, contrasts, harmonies), the role of lines (e.g., leading lines, contours), the shapes (e.g., geometric, organic), and the texture (e.g., smooth, rough). Consider how these elements work together to create a certain mood or message. Contextual Analysis: Examine how the context in which the visual material was created and is being viewed influences its interpretation. This includes historical, cultural, social, and political factors. Discuss how these contextual elements impact the meaning and reception of the visual material. Interpretation: Discuss your interpretation of the visual material. Explain how the visual elements and contextual factors contribute to the meaning you derive from it. Support your interpretation with specific examples from the material. Comparative Analysis (if applicable): If relevant, compare the visual material with other works by the same creator or with similar works by different creators. Highlight similarities and differences in style, technique, and thematic content. The conclusion of a visual analysis essay summarizes the main points of the analysis and restates the thesis in light of the evidence presented. Restate Thesis: Reiterate your thesis statement in a way that reflects the depth of your analysis. Show how your understanding of the visual material has been supported by your detailed examination. Summary of Main Points: Summarize the key points of your analysis. Highlight the most important findings and insights. Implications: Discuss the broader implications of your analysis. What does your analysis reveal about the visual material? How does it contribute to our understanding of the creator's work, the time period, or the cultural context? Closing Thought: End with a final thought that leaves a lasting impression on the reader. This could be a reflection on the significance of the visual material, a question for further consideration, or a statement about its impact on you or on a broader audience. If you want a more in-depth look at the classic essay structure, feel free to visit our 5 PARAGRAPH ESSAY blog. Visual Analysis Example In this section, we've laid out two examples of visual analysis essays to show you how it's done effectively. Get inspired and learn from them! Key Takeaways Visual analysis essays are fundamental early in your communications and art history studies. Learning how to formally break down art is key, whether you're pursuing a career in art or communications. Before jumping into analysis, get a solid grasp of the painter's background and life. Analyzing a painting isn't just for fun, as you need to pay attention to the small details the painter might have hidden. Knowing how to do this kind of assignment not only helps you appreciate art more but also lets you deeply understand the media messages you encounter every day.  If you enjoyed this article and found it insightful, make sure to also check out the summary of Lord of the Flies and an article on Beowulf characters . If you read the whole article and still have no idea how to start your visual analysis essay, let a professional writer do this job for you. Contact us, and we’ll write your work for a higher grade you deserve. All college essay service requests are processed fast. Paper Panic? Our expert academics can help you break through that writer's block and craft a paper you can be proud of. What are the 4 Steps of Visual Analysis? How to write a formal visual analysis, what is the function of visual analysis. is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics. Added new sections Added new writing steps Added a new example Updated an outline Duke University. (n.d.). Visual Analysis . https://twp.duke.edu/sites/twp.duke.edu/files/file-attachments/visual-analysis.original.pdf   Glatstein, J. (2019, December 9). Formal Visual Analysis: The Elements & Principles of Composition . Www.kennedy-Center.org. https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/resources-for-educators/classroom-resources/articles-and-how-tos/articles/educators/visual-arts/formal-visual-analysis-the-elements-and-principles-of-compositoin/   MADA: Visual analysis . (n.d.). Student Academic Success. https://www.monash.edu/student-academic-success/excel-at-writing/annotated-assessment-samples/art-design-and-architecture/mada-visual-analysis   EssayBasics.com Pay For Essay Write My Essay Homework Writing Help Essay Editing Service Thesis Writing Help Write My College Essay Do My Essay Term Paper Writing Service Coursework Writing Service Write My Research Paper Assignment Writing Help Essay Writing Help Call Now! (USA) Login Order now EssayBasics.com Call Now! (USA) Order now Writing Guides Art Essay Writing Guide Table of Contents What is the purpose of an art essay? Generally, an art essay is an essay that talks about art in sculpture, paintings, architecture, music and portraits. These kinds of essays are used for: Painting visual pictures: an art essay is an essay that showcases visual arts and creative ideas that people have come up with. Improving creativity: the whole purpose of art essays is to provide a platform for students to tap into their creative side and vividly paint a picture of a certain image using words. Art essay topic choice Like every other essay, there are general tips that should be considered when coming up with an art essay writing topic. The type of art: this may include a painting, a sculpture or just a simple hand diagram. The type of art is important as it sets out what you are supposed to write about. What intrigues you about the art: this is the most important part of the essay. The whole art essay is based on what you want others to know about the piece of art. Personal interests: what you, as a writer, love is very important as it narrows down the topic. It is easier to write on topics that are well-known to you. There are a number of art essay writing topics to choose from. Below is a list of topics for an art essay Differences between Picasso’s concepts and Matisse’s The history of art in the Netherlands Differences between Bernini and Borromini The inspiration behind famous painting The Mona Lisa Leonardo Da Vinci Ancient Roman structures The sculptures of nude women Impressionism era of art in Netherlands The graphics of modern day art Insinuations behind ‘The Thinker’ The Pieta of Michelangelo The contribution of Vincent Van Gogh and Piet Mondrian Flemish Baroque in the 17th century. The above are some of the good topics for an art essay. Structure of an art essay The art essay topics determine the kind of structure to build on. However, most have a standard art essay structure. Sample of art essay outline Introduction. The Mona Lisa is one of the most known paintings in the world. This is the painting of Lisa Gherardini, the wife of Francesco Del Giocondo, believed to have been painted in the 16th century. It is the work of Leonardo da Vinci and it was purchased by King Francis I. The Mona Lisa is currently under the ownership of the French government. Thesis statement The Mona Lisa has had a great impact towards the contribution of art in France: (i)    It is one of the most famous paintings in the world. The Mona Lisa is the painting that everyone wants to see. It is so precious that only a copy of it is actually showcased in the museum. (ii)    It has led to the growth of art. The Mona Lisa has inspired artists all over France. There has been a rise of many artists including Camille Pissarro, a painter, and Etienne-Jules Marey, a photographer. It is clear that the Mona Lisa is the soft spot in France. The French take pride in it and have used it to improve their lives. Besides its contribution to art, it has also placed France among the leading countries that celebrate art. This has therefore created a culture of being drawn to art and it is reflected in their way of life. The above is a sample of outline for an art essay. Arts essay tips on writing the introduction An art essay introduction identifies the art and the artist. Art is diverse, as it could be sculptures, architecture, performing arts or paintings in it. This is where you state why you chose that topic.  It also contains a history of the said art and brief details, like who the artist is, the year, the location, etc. The introduction for an art essay states the thesis. It may be a general statement about the art or a specific aspect of it. Tips on thesis writing The thesis statement should be simple and easy to write about. Too complex statements tend to be confusing. Pick a statement that is closer to your understanding. Ensure it is as simple as possible. To avoid irrelevancy, one can have an art essay draft that they can build on. Tips on the body (transitions, paragraphs, and length) This is the main part of the essay where you derive analysis based on your point of view.  Describe why the art is so appealing to you. Ensure that your defense covers an angle that has not already been covered for uniqueness. For example, one can focus only on the strokes of a portrait. However, ensure that what you describe is relevant to the thesis of your art essay topics. The essay should not be too long. The sentence construction should also be well done. For this reason, it is advisable to have your points arranged into paragraphs. Ensure that each paragraph is independent and speaks volumes. This ensures that the art essay hooks the reader. The transition from one paragraph to the next should also be smooth. Using cliché transitions makes the essay boring; therefore, you need to be creative. Tips on conclusion writing In an art essay conclusion, one needs to state their opinion. What you think the artists` feelings were and why they decided to paint it the way they did. At this point, you can state the events that contributed to the artist coming up with that art. The conclusion for an art essay requires a lot of research into the background of both the art and the artist(s). For this reason, the references and sources of the information should be cited. Advice for writers In art essay writing it is important to first do your research. Art is so diverse and this can be sometimes confusing. The topic to write on should be related to your interests, for example, as a musician, you would find it easier to write about performing arts and music. Besides this, do not plagiarize any work done. Cite and state all sources, making sure that you observe all rules of patent and copyrights. For you to be a good writer, these art essay tips will be very helpful.  The best writer is the one who admits to being in a need of help. The art essay writing guide can also be used to find more about art essay writing steps. Different sources could give different art essay outlines so you need to be careful. Finalizing the essay After writing the art essay, it is important to have a clean essay. This calls for proofreading and editing. Proofreading ensures that you do not have any grammatical errors, the art essay outlining is as required, your sentence construction is good and the language used is the required one. Some sites offer art essay writing guide for use when one gets stuck.  Proofreading also ensures that the art essay structure is followed. After this is done, ensure that the format used is correct whether APA, MLA or Chicago. Essay Topic Generator Summary Generator Thesis Maker Academic Sentence Rephraser Read My Paper Hypothesis Generator Cover Page Generator Text Compactor Essay Scrambler Essay Plagiarism Checker Hook Generator AI Writing Checker Notes Maker Overnight Essay Writing Topic Ideas Writing Tips Essay Writing (by Genre) Essay Writing (by Topic) Art Critique Examples & Essay Writing Guide Art is an integral part of the human experience, as it inspires and helps us develop a sense of beauty. It can catch you off guard during a visit to an art gallery or on a forest walk in the autumn. Even such a mundane thing as a sunset can invoke expressive feelings you can’t quite explain. And oftentimes, the emotion spectrum of a painted sunset differs from a photograph. However, writing your critique review about art can be more challenging than admiring it. Don’t stress and fret if you get an art critique assignment and need to improve your skills. Our team has created a guide that contains everything you need to know about writing this type of essay. We will also explain its four components and provide art critique examples that can inspire your own writing. 🎭 What Is an Art Criticism Essay? 🖼️ How to Write an Art Critique 🧐 10 Questions to Ask 👩‍🎨 Tips for Writing Art Criticism 🎨 Artwork Critique Examples 💡 Essay Topic Ideas 📎 References “Why do you even need to criticize art?” is a legitimate question that you might be asking. Isn’t it enough that someone spent their time and made something? What’s the point of breaking down their work? While it is true that the word “critique” evokes negative associations, there is more to it than just pointing out an artwork’s flaws. A well put criticism allows you, your audience, and the artist themselves to see the work from a different angle. A good critique paper provides several things: An outside opinion of the work. Despite the common misconception, artists love to discuss their creations and those of their peers. A critique provides valuable data for their subsequent artistic pursuits and may point towards things artists didn’t consider because of their limited scope of work. A better understanding of one’s skills. A well-written art critique never seeks to tear down its subject. Instead, it serves as an assessment of the person’s artistic skills . A good analysis helps them pay attention to unexplored parts of their work. A new perspective. An artist can grow only when they know what needs improvement. Listening to praise all the time limits their development. A critical paper can point them in a better direction without being obnoxious or judgmental. A more profound sense of community. An art critique helps artists develop and see themselves from the other side. It makes them more open to discussing their opinions and values. That gives them a better understanding of what motivates and guides others. An art critique is an outside opinion of the creator’s work that helps them improve their style and techniques. A well-made art critique tells what other people think of the artist’s efforts and draws attention to issues that must be solved, which leads to better professional and personal growth. Additionally, it lets us understand the work of old masters on a deeper level, evaluating where they succeeded or failed. 🖼️ Guide: How to Write an Art Critique When you get down to basics, criticizing a creative work is also an art form in itself. That’s why students often struggle to describe works of art, especially if it’s their first time doing so. When working on a critique, you must include several components we’ll cover later: Description of the work. Artist’s intentions and analysis. Response and interpretation. Conclusions and evaluation. This approach is also known as the Feldman model and is widely used in art. Let’s look at each part and its role in writing an excellent art critique. Description of the Work When making an art critique, examining the subject thoroughly is essential. Your first impression and initial response to the piece are critical, so take the time to absorb it. When evaluating an artwork, learn about its background (author, significance, prominent motifs , and techniques.) You can also discuss the work’s medium, brushstrokes, color scheme, or any other relevant details. Next, address the content of the work: the scene, figures, and objects depicted on the canvas or in the sculpture. You can mention the size of the work, texture, lines, composition, and perspective. If you’re looking for excellent art to examine, check out Caravaggio’s The Calling of St. Matthew . It’s a masterpiece that combines light, shadow, expressions, and movement to tell a story in a single frame. Artist’s Intentions & Analysis After you’re done admiring the piece, it’s time to determine what makes it work. When going through your visual findings, try answering the reason behind their use. For example, why did the artist use a particular type of paint or composed the frame in a certain way? It helps to establish an artist’s intent behind their work. To make a comprehensive art criticism essay, look at the larger context. Learn about the artist, what drove them to create, and the biggest influences on their work. This helps better understand why they chose to create a particular piece during a certain artistic period. For example, Carravagio made some of his best paintings as church commissions, hence the wide use of Christian symbolism in many of his works. Response & Interpretation Art critique essays often hyperfocus on the artist and their work, forgetting that, ultimately, spectators are the ones experiencing it. In this part of the analysis, share what feelings the painting or sculpture evokes in your mind. There are no wrong answers here, as everybody sees art from their perspective. Look past what the artist tries to depict and explain the meaning you see behind the art. When evaluating a work of art, think about what it makes you feel (joy, anger, sadness, and so on.) Next, think about the area or figure that draws your attention. Note the artistic choices that brought the whole thing together. Addressing these things will make your analysis more comprehensive. Conclusions & Evaluation Remember that a criticism is largely a personal opinion based on your experience and interpretation. The conclusion section of the art criticism essay should also evaluate the effectiveness of the artist’s choices in creating the right impact on the viewers and seeing their vision through. Think about how the artwork made you feel, using personal thoughts and feelings. Once everything is said, you have to provide a summary of the art piece. Don’t try to imagine what the person could have done with the work. Instead, evaluate what they achieved with it. When working on this part of the essay, analyze the author’s intention, whether they were successful, and whether the piece was worth evaluating. 🧐 Artwork Critique – 10 Questions to Ask In addition to this guide, we would like to provide a set of questions that will help you with your art criticism essay. There’s no need to answer all of them in your work, but knowing about them won’t hurt. Whether you’re writing a work about one of the classical pieces or contemporary abstract art, these questions can guide you. They can help you overcome your writer’s block, provide new ideas, or ensure that you stay on the right track. Is the choice of colors balanced, or do they clash? Where is the horizon line placed, and how does it influence the work? How does the color scheme work to set the piece’s mood? Is the composition set to make the scene look three-dimensional? Are the elements of the art piece positioned the right way? What idea did the artist want to convey in the work? Does the author use light and shadow properly? How does the artist express human emotions? Are there any errors with the composition? What is the main focus of the artwork? 👩‍🎨 Helpful Tips for Writing Constructive Art Criticism Essay Sometimes, it is challenging to describe some details or set the tone for a critical essay. So, we’ve picked tips to help you create the perfect analysis paper. 🤗 Begin and conclude with positivity. Highlight the aspects of the artwork that you find striking, intriguing, or well-executed. It establishes a positive tone and sets the stage for a balanced critique. This way, you create a well-rounded and constructive analysis. 📌 Don’t be vague in your remarks. Be specific in your descriptions and evaluations. If you appreciate the , specify which colors and how they contribute to the artwork’s mood or message. Concrete details and specific examples enhance the depth and credibility of your critique. 🔎 Avoid picking on the tiny details. Focus on aspects that significantly impact the overall impression or meaning of the artwork. If a minor flaw doesn’t detract from the , it might not be worth dwelling on extensively. We recommend discussing more significant concepts and themes central to the artist’s intent. To provide a better understanding of writing an art criticism essay, we’d like to give you a couple of examples to think about. These small samples will help you choose the proper language and paragraph structure to create a good artwork analysis. We hope you’ll find our art critique essay examples inspiring. Raphael’s Madonna in a Chair . Rightfully admired as one of the best painters of the High Renaissance era , Raphael showed a human side of the divine, most notably in his works related to the Madonna and baby Christ. Even the small-scale Madonna in a Chair showcases his talent despite the size of the canvas. The title is a bit misleading, as its main focus is the Son of God. Here, he is depicted in the embrace of Mary, cradling him with both her arms. The piece heavily utilizes the U shape in the figures of the Madonna, Christ, and the praying child who’ll grow up to be John the Baptist. The latter looks at them with awe and adoration, hands clasped in prayer. As in all his works, Raphael depicted the Mother of Christ not as a divine figure but as a mother, fearful and protective of her child. A slight off-balance to the left makes this scene more warm and intimate, with Christ’s and Madonna’s shapes radiant with an inner light. The color scheme used lighter hues for parts of the shawl, dress, and cloth the baby was wrapped in. Raphael showed a true mastery of color, light, and shadow to capture the essence of motherhood. He deliberately dimmed the colors on the sides of the painting to make its centerpiece more vibrant and life-like. The rounded shape of the work accentuates the effect of looking at people through an open window. This is how the painter made it feel like we have witnessed the tender moment and have been discovered, with both Madonna and Christ looking at us. A Bar at the Folies-Bergere by Edouard Manet. Edouard Manet is a figure well-known to the admirers of the French impressionist movement. His works gave a rare insight into Paris’s everyday and social life during the mid-1800s. One of Manet’s later works, A Bar at the Folies-Bergère, continues this pursuit and takes us to the rowdy scene of a nightclub in the historical district of the capital. Instead of painting a vibrant scene, Manet focused on a single person working at the establishment’s bar. She’s a young woman (probably in her 20s) who stands behind the counter selling fruit and alcohol to the patrons of Folies-Bergère . Despite the atmosphere of the place, the woman looks detached from things happening around her. She’s the only person to have distinguishing features. Manet used multiple brushstrokes for each object to make them look distorted and out of focus. The further we get from the center of the piece, the blurrier the lines become. Sometimes, they turn into haze, erasing the lines between individuals. The use of dark and gray tones in the mirror’s reflection further emphasizes the cold feel of the place despite its intended atmosphere. In my opinion, the mirror lets the audience perceive the scene from the eyes of the woman as if we were the ones looking at the bar. The painting beautifully depicts two things: isolation and movement. Although visitors surround her, the person in the center of the image doesn’t seem to enjoy it. Her eyes are slightly cast down, perhaps in contemplation or daydreaming. Despite her state, the world carries on. Artwork Critique: How to Choose Masterpiece for Analysis In this section, we’ve compiled a little guide for picking the perfect piece of art for you to analyze. Check it out: 📌 Make preliminary research to understand different art forms, styles, or movements. It’s beneficial to familiarize yourself with artists’ backgrounds and historical context. 📌 Think about the themes and concepts you want to reveal in your analysis. Do you want to explore the artwork’s symbolism, aesthetic qualities, or historical significance? 📌 Select an artwork that personally resonates with you or piques your interest. A genuine connection with the piece will make the analysis more enjoyable and insightful. 📌 Consider exploring a diverse range of art periods. Analyzing a variety of artworks will broaden your perspective and enhance your critical analysis skills. 💡 Art Criticism Essay Topic Ideas Finally, we’d like to offer a list of topics on which you can write your following critical paper. Perhaps here you’ll find something inspiring for your next piece of work. The role of Christian symbolism in Caravaggio’s works. Van Gogh’s Starry Night and the impressionist movement. Claude Monet’s Poppies : a study in perspective. Pablo Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon and 20th century art. Explore the composition of Sandro Botticelli’s Adoration of the Magi . Describe the main focus of Raphael’s The School of Athens piece . Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks and social isolation. Evaluate the use of light and shadow in Rembrandt’s The Night’s Watch. How did Johannes Vermeer achieve the realistic effect in his Girl with a Pearl Earring portrait? Discuss the symbolism of The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo. What message did Hieronymus Bosch try to convey in The Garden of Earthly Delights ? Explore the minimalist style used in Georges Seurat’s A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte . Comparison of the Caravaggio, Bernini, and Rembrandt Artworks. Describe the artistic significance of Emanuel Leutze’s Washington Crossing the Delaware . The use of color in J. W. Waterhouse’s The Lady of Shalott . Explain the use of the perspective in Claude Monet’s Woman with a Parasol . Which techniques were used to paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling? Peter Paul Rubens’ The Raising of the Cross . Explore the use of color in Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa . Which events are depicted in Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People ? The Persistence of Memory and the surrealist movement. The Swing by Jean-Honoré Fragonard. Analyze The Great Wave of Kanagawa and its influence on the ukiyo-e genre. Wanderer above the Sea of Fog and solitude. Explore the themes of Pieter Bruegel’s The Hunters in the Snow . Claude Monet’s Water Lilies . Examine the use of color in Leighton’s Flaming June . How Renoir composed the scene in Bal du moulin de la Galette . A critical look at The Sistine Madonna . Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss. Our guide will help you write a better art critique essay about ancient and contemporary masterpieces. We’re sure that it has all the answers you seek. And if you still need to come up with a topic, you can always try our essay topic generator. Guidelines for Analysis of Art. – UA Little Rock, School of Art and Design Art History Writing Guide. – Swarthmore College How to Critique a Work of Art. – Holland Central School District, Finalsite The Value of a Good Critique. – Georgia Schumacher, The Arts Institutes International How to Become an Art Critic in 5 Steps (Definition and FAQs). – Indeed 4 Reasons Critiques Need to Be Part of Your Curriculum. – Debi West, The Art of Education University Elemental Questions for Art Critique. – Lyric Montgomery Kinard How to Approach Writing Art Criticism. – Collin Kavanaugh, The Wheaton College Writing Center Blog Art Critique Vs. Art Bashing: How To Art Critique Right. – Nicole Adamson What is the Purpose of Art Criticism Today? – Elena Martinique, WideWalls Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts Writing Essays in Art History Welcome to the Purdue OWL This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice. Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use. Art History Analysis – Formal Analysis and Stylistic Analysis Typically in an art history class the main essay students will need to write for a final paper or for an exam is a formal or stylistic analysis. A formal analysis is just what it sounds like – you need to analyze the form of the artwork. This includes the individual design elements – composition, color, line, texture, scale, contrast, etc. Questions to consider in a formal analysis is how do all these elements come together to create this work of art? Think of formal analysis in relation to literature – authors give descriptions of characters or places through the written word. How does an artist convey this same information? Organize your information and focus on each feature before moving onto the text – it is not ideal to discuss color and jump from line to then in the conclusion discuss color again. First summarize the overall appearance of the work of art – is this a painting? Does the artist use only dark colors? Why heavy brushstrokes? etc and then discuss details of the object – this specific animal is gray, the sky is missing a moon, etc. Again, it is best to be organized and focused in your writing – if you discuss the animals and then the individuals and go back to the animals you run the risk of making your writing unorganized and hard to read. It is also ideal to discuss the focal of the piece – what is in the center? What stands out the most in the piece or takes up most of the composition? A stylistic approach can be described as an indicator of unique characteristics that analyzes and uses the formal elements (2-D: Line, color, value, shape and 3-D all of those and mass).The point of style is to see all the commonalities in a person’s works, such as the use of paint and brush strokes in Van Gogh’s work. Style can distinguish an artist’s work from others and within their own timeline, geographical regions, etc. Methods & Theories To Consider: Expressionism Instructuralism Postmodernism Social Art History Biographical Approach Poststructuralism Museum Studies Visual Cultural Studies Stylistic Analysis Example: The following is a brief stylistic analysis of two Greek statues, an example of how style has changed because of the “essence of the age.” Over the years, sculptures of women started off as being plain and fully clothed with no distinct features, to the beautiful Venus/Aphrodite figures most people recognize today. In the mid-seventh century to the early fifth, life-sized standing marble statues of young women, often elaborately dress in gaily painted garments were created known as korai. The earliest korai is a Naxian women to Artemis. The statue wears a tight-fitted, belted peplos, giving the body a very plain look. The earliest korai wore the simpler Dorian peplos, which was a heavy woolen garment. From about 530, most wear a thinner, more elaborate, and brightly painted Ionic linen and himation. A largely contrasting Greek statue to the korai is the Venus de Milo. The Venus from head to toe is six feet seven inches tall. Her hips suggest that she has had several children. Though her body shows to be heavy, she still seems to almost be weightless. Viewing the Venus de Milo, she changes from side to side. From her right side she seems almost like a pillar and her leg bears most of the weight. She seems be firmly planted into the earth, and since she is looking at the left, her big features such as her waist define her. The Venus de Milo had a band around her right bicep. She had earrings that were brutally stolen, ripping her ears away. Venus was noted for loving necklaces, so it is very possibly she would have had one. It is also possible she had a tiara and bracelets. Venus was normally defined as “golden,” so her hair would have been painted. Two statues in the same region, have throughout history, changed in their style. Compare and Contrast Essay Most introductory art history classes will ask students to write a compare and contrast essay about two pieces – examples include comparing and contrasting a medieval to a renaissance painting. It is always best to start with smaller comparisons between the two works of art such as the medium of the piece. Then the comparison can include attention to detail so use of color, subject matter, or iconography. Do the same for contrasting the two pieces – start small. After the foundation is set move on to the analysis and what these comparisons or contrasting material mean – ‘what is the bigger picture here?’ Consider why one artist would wish to show the same subject matter in a different way, how, when, etc are all questions to ask in the compare and contrast essay. If during an exam it would be best to quickly outline the points to make before tackling writing the essay. Compare and Contrast Example: Stele of Hammurabi from Susa (modern Shush, Iran), ca. 1792 – 1750 BCE, Basalt, height of stele approx. 7’ height of relief 28’ Stele, relief sculpture, Art as propaganda – Hammurabi shows that his law code is approved by the gods, depiction of land in background, Hammurabi on the same place of importance as the god, etc. Top of this stele shows the relief image of Hammurabi receiving the law code from Shamash, god of justice, Code of Babylonian social law, only two figures shown, different area and time period, etc. Stele of Naram-sin , Sippar Found at Susa c. 2220 - 2184 bce. Limestone, height 6'6" Stele, relief sculpture, Example of propaganda because the ruler (like the Stele of Hammurabi) shows his power through divine authority, Naramsin is the main character due to his large size, depiction of land in background, etc. Akkadian art, made of limestone, the stele commemorates a victory of Naramsin, multiple figures are shown specifically soldiers, different area and time period, etc. Iconography Regardless of what essay approach you take in class it is absolutely necessary to understand how to analyze the iconography of a work of art and to incorporate into your paper. Iconography is defined as subject matter, what the image means. For example, why do things such as a small dog in a painting in early Northern Renaissance paintings represent sexuality? Additionally, how can an individual perhaps identify these motifs that keep coming up? The following is a list of symbols and their meaning in Marriage a la Mode by William Hogarth (1743) that is a series of six paintings that show the story of marriage in Hogarth’s eyes. Man has pockets turned out symbolizing he has lost money and was recently in a fight by the state of his clothes. Lap dog shows loyalty but sniffs at woman’s hat in the husband’s pocket showing sexual exploits. Black dot on husband’s neck believed to be symbol of syphilis. Mantel full of ugly Chinese porcelain statues symbolizing that the couple has no class. Butler had to go pay bills, you can tell this by the distasteful look on his face and that his pockets are stuffed with bills and papers. Card game just finished up, women has directions to game under foot, shows her easily cheating nature. Paintings of saints line a wall of the background room, isolated from the living, shows the couple’s complete disregard to faith and religion. The dangers of sexual excess are underscored in the Hograth by placing Cupid among ruins, foreshadowing the inevitable ruin of the marriage. Eventually the series (other five paintings) shows that the woman has an affair, the men duel and die, the woman hangs herself and the father takes her ring off her finger symbolizing the one thing he could salvage from the marriage. Art Essay Examples and Topics If you are studying art, chances are that you will have to write a lot of essays during your time in school or college. To receive an excellent grade on them, it is essential that you learn how to write an art essay. Here are the top tips for writing essays on art: Choose a subject that is interesting to you . For example, if you are interested in graphic art, focus on it in your essay. If you are not sure of what to write about, try searching art essay topics online and choose the one you like most. Look for sample papers on the topic . If you want to write about a particular movie, look for a film analysis example featuring it. Using this tip, you will be able to get some ideas and add more depth to your writing. Find relevant scholarly sources . You can search Google Scholar or your school’s library for high-quality articles and books on the subject. Instead of merely citing the information from sources, try to offer some critique. Are the views shared by the author supported by other scholars? Do you agree with their evaluation and why? Include a personal response . Many forms of art are subject to personal interpretation, and some tutors want their students’ essays to be expressive. This means that you should share your views on the topic and explain why you think the way you do. Doing so will help you to show your understanding of the topic and earn you some extra marks. Hopefully, these tips will help you to earn an A on your art and design essays! 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Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy . Essay on My Hobby Painting Students are often asked to write an essay on My Hobby Painting in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic. Let’s take a look… 100 Words Essay on My Hobby Painting Introduction. Painting is my favorite hobby that I enjoy in my free time. It’s a world of colors where I can express my feelings and thoughts. Why I Love Painting I love painting because it helps me relax and disconnect from everyday stress. It’s like a silent conversation between me and my canvas. My Painting Journey My journey with painting started when I was young. I started with watercolors, and now I also enjoy acrylics. Each painting I create is a new learning experience. Painting is more than a hobby for me. It’s my way of expressing creativity and exploring my imagination. 250 Words Essay on My Hobby Painting The transformative power of painting. Painting, an art form that has spanned centuries, has become my most cherished hobby. It is a creative outlet that not only allows me to express my emotions and thoughts but also fosters my cognitive development and enhances my observational skills. Unveiling Emotions through Colors The act of painting is a therapeutic journey, a cathartic release of pent-up emotions. It’s a silent conversation between the artist and the canvas, where emotions are translated into strokes of color. I have found that painting provides an avenue to express feelings that words often fail to encapsulate. Painting as Cognitive Development Beyond emotional expression, painting stimulates intellectual growth. It demands an understanding of color theory, spatial relationships, and perspective. It encourages problem-solving as one navigates through challenges such as achieving the right tone or capturing the play of light. Enhancing Observational Skills Painting has honed my observational skills. It requires a keen eye for detail, an understanding of the interplay of light and shadow, and an appreciation for the subtleties of color. This heightened sense of observation extends beyond the canvas, influencing how I perceive and engage with the world around me. In conclusion, painting as a hobby is more than just a leisure activity. It is a means of self-expression, a cognitive stimulator, and a tool for enhancing observational skills. It is a journey of self-discovery and personal growth that enriches my life in countless ways. 500 Words Essay on My Hobby Painting The allure of painting, why painting. Why painting, one might ask? The answer lies in the versatility and depth of this art form. Painting is not just about splattering colors on a canvas. It’s about creating a world within a frame, a narrative that speaks volumes. It’s about expressing emotions and ideas that words often fail to capture. Painting is a language, a universal medium of communication that transcends cultural and linguistic boundaries. The Art of Self-Expression Painting is a medium of self-expression. Every stroke of the brush, every blend of color is a reflection of the artist’s inner world. For me, painting is a cathartic process, a way to channel my feelings and thoughts into a tangible form. It’s a journey of self-discovery, where I learn more about myself with each artwork I create. It’s a mirror that reflects my perceptions, my dreams, and my fears. Painting as a Learning Tool The therapeutic effects of painting. Painting has therapeutic effects as well. In today’s fast-paced world, it provides a much-needed escape, a respite from the daily grind. It calms the mind, reduces stress, and promotes mental well-being. It’s a form of mindfulness, a meditative process that helps me stay centered and focused. Community and Connection Lastly, painting fosters a sense of community and connection. By sharing my artwork with others, I invite them into my world, sparking conversations and building bridges. It’s a way to connect with people from different walks of life, to understand their perspectives, and to learn from their experiences. That’s it! I hope the essay helped you. Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here . Happy studying! Leave a Reply Cancel reply Student Essays 4 Well Written Essays on Painting & Its Importance [ 2024 ] Painting is a constructive art. It is the human passion to draw something out of the heart. Read the following essay that sheds light upon the meaning and purpose of painting, painting as a hobby, and benefits of painting essay for children & students. This essay is quite helpful for children & students for their school exams preparation etc. Essay on Painting | Painting as hobby | Types, Purpose & Importance of Painting Essay for Students Painting is an art form that surfaces images to canvas or other materials by applying paints, pigments, and other mediums. There are several different media used for painting like oils, acrylics, watercolor, etc. Painting is a beautiful art of colors . It requires creative skills to paint images on canvas or any other surface. There are various stages of painting that include preparing the surface, under-painting or blocking in colors, laying the paint, and blending colors. Additional layers of paint are applied to the surface in order to build up complex colors. The history lies in cave paintings, which are considered as the first ever paintings. These paintings were done to depict life in those times.   It was then that people realized the power of expression in art. Following are the important types of painting: Minimalist paintings Abstract expressionism paintings Postmodern paintings Some of the famous painters of the world who made their contribution to art include Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Raphael, Vincent van gogh, Pablo Picasso, etc. Some of the paintings that are famous worldwide include Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci, the night watch by Rembrandt, the awakening conscience by Raphael, etc. Some of the major art galleries of the world include The Louvre, Musee d’Orsay, National Gallery, Tate Modern London, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, National Galleries of Scotland, etc. Purpose of Painting Painting is the great colorful depiction of Art . The main functions of paintings are that they can transport you to a different time and place, evoke varied emotions from within the society, provide inspiration to people who love creative arts, etc. Following are the important functions of paintings: – To express an idea or a thought Beautiful view of nature and objects Memories and different emotions associated with the painting Helps in relaxation and meditation Inspiration for creative people Acquisition of knowledge about history, culture etc. through paintings Invention of new form-styles and themes Aesthetically pleasing paintings and pictures Visual learning and knowledge about things around us through photographs. Joys of Painting Painting is fun when you don’t give it the kind of importance that you give your studies or any other work. This way it can be enjoyed like a break from your regular stressful routine. Paint whenever you feel like, for no reason at all and see how it helps you unwind. Painting in Modern Times: Artworks have been produced by computers for a long time now. In the beginning, it was mostly used to generate technical drawings and research papers by scientists and engineers. However, with the advent of digital photo editing software like Adobe Photoshop and Corel Draw, artists started using computers to make their paintings look more realistic, to create various effects like colors blending in the air. Nowadays, many artists use 3D software like Maya and Z-Brush to create their artworks. Maya is used by many 3D animators, video game developers and VFX (Visual effects) artists, etc. Z-Brush is a digital sculpting software which allows artists to create 3D models from scratch. Benefits of Painting Painting has been a pleasure.  It has the following benefits: – Visual learning and knowledge about things around us through photographs i. Provides inspiration to creative people Memories and different emotions Painting for Children Painting is a very nice hobby, so students should definitely be encouraged to follow painting. Painting develops the skills of creative thinking and expression which are necessary for everyone. Painting has been used as a form of art since centuries. Painting has been and will continue to be used as a way to express thoughts and experiences, depict memories and different emotions associated with the painting, provide inspiration to people who love creative arts etc. There is nothing wrong with painting, if it is done by children. Painting can help them to develop their creativity, imagination and hand-eye coordination. They can even learn to paint by numbers once they are familiar with the various painting tools. Then they can paint on their own. Children don’t waste time while painting, instead they learn to make the best use of their idle time. Learn to Develop an Interest into Painting Anyone can learn how to paint. Painting is a very nice hobby that everyone should try at least once in their life.  It doesn’t matter how old or young you are, you can always try your hand at painting. It is true that some people just naturally seem to be better than others in terms of skill and creativity, but there are many artists who have not even received formal training, yet they paint very beautifully. According to me anyone can learn how to paint. You should always begin with small canvases, until you get used to handling paints, brushes etc. You should be able-bodied enough to carry out all of your painting activities without getting tired too soon which might lead to your paintings being sloppy. Try different styles and themes. There is no end to creativity and imagination, so don’t limit yourself with a particular style or theme. You can always try your hand at something new. Essay on Painting My Hobby: Painting is an activity that I have loved since childhood. It is not just a hobby for me, but also a way to express my creativity and emotions. Whenever I feel stressed or overwhelmed, painting acts as a therapeutic outlet for me. In this essay, I will discuss my love for painting in 200 words. I remember being fascinated by colors and shapes as a child. I would spend hours drawing and coloring in my sketchbook, creating my own imaginary world. As I grew older, painting became a frequent hobby that I turned to whenever I needed an escape from reality. What I love most about painting is the freedom it gives me to express myself without any limitations. There are no rules or boundaries when it comes to art, and that is what makes it so special to me. I can use any color, any stroke, and create whatever I want on the canvas. Apart from being a creative outlet, painting has also taught me patience and perseverance. It takes time and effort to bring an idea or concept to life through art. As I continue to paint, my skills improve, and I am able to create more complex and meaningful pieces. I have also found solace in painting during difficult times. Whenever I am feeling down or struggling with my emotions, I turn to my paintbrushes and canvas. The process of creating something beautiful from a blank canvas is therapeutic for me. In conclusion, painting is not just a hobby for me, but an essential part of who I am. It allows me to express myself, relax my mind, and continuously improve my skills. I am grateful for having this hobby, and I hope to continue painting for the rest of my life. So why not pick up a paintbrush and canvas yourself? You never know, you might discover a hidden talent or find peace in this beautiful form of art. Happy painting! Short Essay on Painting: Painting is an art form that has been around for centuries, dating back to prehistoric times. It involves using colors and various techniques to create visual representations of objects, people, or landscapes on a surface such as canvas, paper, or walls. One of the earliest forms of painting was cave paintings, where early humans used natural pigments to depict animals and their surroundings. As time went on, painting evolved and became more refined, with the rise of different techniques such as fresco, oil painting, and watercolor. Painting has been an integral part of human culture throughout history, with many renowned artists leaving behind a rich legacy of their work. From the iconic works of Leonardo da Vinci and Vincent van Gogh to modern masters like Pablo Picasso and Jackson Pollock, painting has been a medium for self-expression, storytelling, and social commentary. Apart from its artistic value, painting also holds significant cultural and historical significance. Many paintings serve as visual records of past events and societal norms, providing insights into different time periods. For example, the famous Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci is not only admired for its aesthetic beauty but also serves as a representation of Renaissance ideals and values. In today’s world, painting continues to be a popular medium for both professional artists and hobbyists alike. With the advent of technology, new forms of painting have emerged, such as digital art and street art. However, traditional painting techniques remain highly valued and continue to inspire new generations of artists. In conclusion, painting is a timeless art form that has stood the test of time and continues to captivate us with its beauty, complexity, and ability to convey emotions and ideas. It will undoubtedly remain an essential part of human culture for centuries to come. Paragraph on Painting: Painting is an art form that has existed for centuries, with evidence of its existence dating back to ancient times. It involves the use of pigments, dyes, or other coloring substances to create images on a surface. This could be on canvas, paper, wood, clay, or even walls. Paintings can range from simple illustrations to complex and detailed works of art. Throughout history, painting has been used for various purposes. In ancient civilizations, it was primarily used for religious or ceremonial purposes. In the Renaissance period, it became a means of expressing human emotions and ideas. Today, painting is considered a form of self-expression and is widely recognized as a valuable form of art. One of the most significant aspects of painting is its ability to capture the essence of a moment. It allows the artist to immortalize their thoughts, emotions, and ideas on a canvas or any other surface. Paintings can also serve as a representation of history, culture, and social commentary. They have the power to evoke strong emotions and convey powerful messages. Painting is not limited to just one style or technique; it is a diverse and ever-evolving form of art. Some famous painting styles include realism, abstract, impressionism, and surrealism. Each style has its unique characteristics and techniques that give the artwork its distinct look. In today’s digital age, painting is not limited to traditional mediums like oil or acrylic. With advancements in technology, artists are now exploring digital painting and other innovative techniques to create unique and captivating pieces of art. Painting has evolved alongside society, and it continues to be a significant form of artistic expression, reflecting the culture and values of each era. So, it is safe to say that painting will continue to captivate and inspire generations to come. The power of painting lies in its ability to transcend time and language barriers. It speaks to our collective humanity and allows us to connect with each other through shared emotions and experiences. Whether it is a classic masterpiece or a contemporary work, painting has the power to move, challenge, and inspire us. In conclusion, painting is not just about creating pretty pictures; it is a profound form of human expression that has stood the test of time. It has played an essential role in shaping our understanding of the world and ourselves. From ancient cave paintings to modern digital art, painting continues to captivate and inspire us, making it a timeless form of art that will continue to hold significance for generations to come. Q: How do you write an essay about a painting? A: To write an essay about a painting, start with an introduction, describe the painting, analyze its elements and artistic techniques, and provide your interpretation and insights. Q: What is painting and its importance? A: Painting is a visual art form where colors, shapes, and textures are used to create images or convey ideas. It’s important as a means of self-expression, cultural preservation, and communication. Q: Why is painting important in our life? A: Painting enriches our lives by offering a creative outlet, preserving history and culture, inspiring emotions, and promoting visual literacy and critical thinking. Q: What is an introduction to painting? A: An introduction to painting typically covers the basics, such as color theory, techniques, and materials used in creating visual artworks. It’s the initial step in learning how to paint. Leave a Comment Cancel reply Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Home / Essay Samples / Art Art Essay Examples The admiration for the beauty and the urge for self-expression lies at the very foundation of what it means to be human and an art essay is a perfect opportunity to pay tribute to this natural necessity. Art takes multiple forms whether it involves painting, sculpture, taking photographs, creating animations, filming movies, composing or performing music, dancing, writing poetry or fiction. What unites all forms of art is the application of creativity, skill, imagination to produce works that attempt to evoke feelings and admiration. Writing an art research paper involves gathering information, formulating a thesis and supporting it with clear arguments. Feel free to review the samples listed in this category for examples of proper writing. Music Today is All Noise In recent times, the landscape of music has undergone a significant transformation. The digital age has brought about unprecedented access to music, allowing artists to reach global audiences with ease. However, this surge in availability has sparked a debate about the quality and essence of... The Art of Hobby Drawing: Nurturing Creativity The world of hobby drawing is a captivating and immersive realm where imagination comes to life through each stroke of a pencil and every burst of color. As a passionate enthusiast of this timeless art form, I have delved into the beauty of expressing myself... The Symbolism of Piggy's Glasses In William Golding's iconic novel, "Lord of the Flies" Piggy's glasses emerge as a powerful symbol that reflects the tension between civilization and savagery. This essay explores the symbolism behind Piggy's glasses, revealing their multifaceted meaning in the narrative and their role in highlighting the... Medusa's Hair: Exploring Personal Symbols and Religious Experience Personal symbols have a profound impact on how individuals perceive and interpret their experiences, particularly in the realm of religious and spiritual encounters. This essay delves into the concept of personal symbols, focusing on the significance of Medusa's hair as a symbol and its connection... Music Today: Noise Versus Art With the evolution of technology and the advent of digital platforms, the music landscape has undergone significant transformations. As a result, there has been an ongoing debate about the quality and artistic value of modern music. Some critics argue that music today is nothing but... What is Art for You: a Way to Share Creativity Or Popularize Ideas What is art for you? Surprisingly, the definition of art which I have read in one essay is somewhat vague and not comprehensive, and I agree with this statement. Also I can define art as “application of skill to production of beauty (esp. visible beauty)... Analysis of "Mona Lisa": Elements and Principles of Art Used Leonardo da Vinci's “Mona Lisa' was a painting that was made during the years 1503-1505, taking this whole time to perfect the piece of work. This portrait spread many rumors around the time this was being made and shown in the world. For one example,... Michelangelo's Contributions to the Renaissance: Analysis of "La Pieta" In this essay, I will analyze one of, if not the most famous artwork created by Michelangelo, that being “La Pieta”. This means pity in Italian specifically referencing the feeling of the Virgin Mary for her recently crucified son. 'La Pieta' is undoubtedly one of Michelangelo's... Why Art is Important: Showing How It Works in Our Lives Art is often seen as a luxury or a form of entertainment, but in reality, it plays a much more significant role in our lives than we may realize. Art has the power to inspire, to challenge, to comfort, and to transform us in profound... Susan Sontag on Photography: How Photo Shows How We See the World This literature review is intended to investigate photographs' relationship to the notions of reality and truth, with the idea that the photograph serves as a record of the thing photographed. The literary photographic practise is outlined by Susan Sontag on Photography ap essay. Throughout this... Trying to find an excellent essay sample but no results? Don’t waste your time and get a professional writer to help! Art Movements Visual Arts Impressionism Frida Kahlo Photography Art History Art and Religion Metropolitan Museum of Art samplius.com uses cookies to offer you the best service possible.By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .--> -->