Darn printer is down.
In your exploration of the portrait, you will be examining a piece by one of the most avid portrait artists noted, and his most explored subject of choice...himself. Go figure.
Please complete the attached portrait critique for Rembrandt on a separate piece of paper, and turn it into me by next class period. February 11 (A) Day, 12 (B) Day.
Self-Portrait with Wide-Open Eyes, Rembrandt van Rijn
, 1630
Rembrandt as
an artist:
Few other artists in the history of western art have
painted themselves with the obsessive frequency of Rembrandt. This image,
produced when the artist was 24 years-old, is one of a vast collection of
self-portraits, including (from those that survive) some oil paint, scores of drawings, and over 30
etchings. These works provide a kind of "pictorial autobiography" of
Rembrandt, a record of his intense scrutiny of his own features, from his
earliest years to his death.
Art Criticism Step-by-Step
Art criticism involves four
steps: (1) description, (2) analysis, (3) interpretation, (4) evaluation. When
criticizing a work of art, an important thing to remember is that each step
builds upon the previous one. Analyzing this piece will help with
understanding that the language of art is a gateway into introspective thinking
and can offer the opportunity for thoughtful expression.
Directions: Using complete sentences,
thoughtfully respond to each step of the critical process.
Describe What You See
When you describe an artwork,
you identify the things about the art work that you can see, name, and describe
with certainty. You should not
include opinions, evaluations, or possible meanings here. Respond with complete
thoughts and sentences.
- Identify the artist, title of work, category of
art (drawing, painting, sculpture, etc), and date.
- Describe everything you see in the image.
- What facial expressions do you see?
- What techniques are used?
Analyze The Way It’s Organized
When you analyze an artwork,
you tell how the subject matter and elements of the work have been organized by
the artist. You tell how they work together. Respond with complete thoughts and
sentences.
- How is the head posture arranged?
- Describe the movement of your eyes through the
piece. Does your attention return to one area of the piece? Why?
- How is the idea of emphasis represented
in this piece?
Interpret What It’s Saying
Use the information from your
description and analysis to help you identify the meaning of the work – what does
it tell you about the technical aspects. Respond with complete thoughts and
sentences.
- What occasions does the facial expression
remind you of?
- What else might you associate the artwork with?
- What moods or feelings are suggested?
- Compose a simile or metaphor you feel describes
the meaning of this work. What is the message of this work?
Evaluate Its Success
Using your analysis in the
first three steps, how would you judge the quality or success of this work?
Respond with complete thoughts and sentences.
- Which philosophy will you base your judgment
on? A successful artwork (chose one of the following): (1) is true to life, imitates reality,
(2) is designed for perfect
relationship among art elements, (3) expresses major ideas, feelings, emotions, (4) advances human interests, a purpose, or
a cause.
- To
what degree is your interest and
imagination awakened by this work? Does it make you think, provoke ideas?
Explain your reasoning.
