ACD 203_04_08 Art and Design History III: 1945-Present
Writing Assignment: Formal/Visual analysis
Due: Thursday, September 20
Late papers will be marked down a full letter grade for each day the paper is late.
Bring a hard copy to class. DO NOT email your paper to me.
Visit the Cleveland Museum of Art and select a work from the list provided below.
All of the works are on the second floor in the modern and contemporary galleries.
On your way to the gallery, take a stool (they are aligned against the wall) and spend
time sitting in front of your chosen work of art.
A formal analysis includes an analysis of the forms appearing in the work you
have chosen. These forms give the work its expression, message, or meaning. A
formal analysis assumes a work of art is (1) a constructed object (2) that has been
created with a stable meaning (even though it might not be clear to the viewer) (3)
that can be ascertained by studying the relationships between the elements of the
work. To aid in writing a formal analysis, you should think as if you were describing
the work of art to someone who has never seen it before. When your reader finishes
reading your analysis, she/he should have a complete mental picture of what the
work looks like. Yet, the formal analysis is more than just a description of the work.
It should also include a thesis statement that reflects your conclusions about the
work. The thesis statement may, in general, answer a question like these: What do I
think is the meaning of this work? What is the message that this work or artist sends
to the viewer? What is this work all about?
The thesis statement is an important element. It sets the tone for the entire
paper, and sets it apart from being a merely descriptive paper.
Format for the Paper: Two and a half to three pages (not including title page),
black ink, double spaced, 10 or 12 pt type (Times only), 1” borders. Make sure you
proofread your papers for adhering to the information listed above, as well as
incorrect grammar, spelling, punctuation, and other errors. In addition, make sure
your paper includes a thesis statement. Your grade will reflect your ability to follow
these guidelines.
In the first paragraph, called the introduction, you will include:
•the name of the artist, title (which is italicized every time you use the title
in your paper), date, and medium
You must use the artist’s full name the first time you are
referring to him/her, then you can use the artist’s last name in
reference. NEVER use the artist’s first name only.
If the title of the artwork is long, you must write out the full
title the first time you use it, then you can use a shortened
version.
•what you think is the subject
•a very brief description of the work
•thesis statement - usually the last line or so of your first paragraph.
From that point, the rest of the formal analysis should include not only a description
of the piece, but especially those details of the work that have led you to come to
your thesis. Your paper should not be a random flow of ideas about the work (i.e.
stream of consciousness writing). Rather, your paper should have a sense of order,
moving purposefully through your description with regard to specific elements (ex:
one paragraph may deal with composition, another with a description of the figures,
another with the background, another about line, etc.). Finally, in your conclusion
(the final paragraph) you should end your paper with a restatement of your thesis.
It is important to remember that your interest here is strictly formal; NO RESEARCH
IS TO BE USED IN THIS PAPER. In other words, you are strictly relying on your
ability to visually ‘read’ a work of art and make interpretations about it based on
your analysis of it. Remember too that your analysis should not be just a mechanical,
physical description. Please use descriptive language and adjectives to describe your
work. Begin with a general description of the work, and then move on to the more
specific elements.
Things to consider when writing a formal analysis (in no particular order):
Keep in mind that you always need to Back Up Your Statements!
1. Record your first impression(s) of the artwork. What stands out? Is there a focal
point (an area to which the artist wants your eye to be drawn)? If so, what formal
elements led you to this conclusion? Your impressions can help you reach your
thesis.
2. What is the subject of the artwork?
3. Composition: How are the parts of the work arranged? Is there a stable or
unstable composition? Is it dynamic? Full of movement? Or is it static?
4. Pose: If the work has figures, are the proportions believable? Realistic? Describe
the pose(s). Is the figure active, calm, graceful, stiff, tense, or relaxed? Does the
figure convey a mood? If there are several figures, how do they relate to each
other (do they interact? not?)?
5. Proportions: Does the whole or even individual parts of the figure(s) or natural
objects in the work look natural? Why did you come to this conclusion?
6. Line: Are the outlines (whether perceived or actual) smooth, fuzzy, clear? Are the
main lines vertical, horizontal, diagonal, or curved, or a combination of any of
these? Are the lines jagged and full of energy? Sketchy? Geometric? Curvilinear?
Bold? Subtle?
7. Space: If the artist conveys space, what type of space is used? What is the relation
of the main figure to the space around it? Are the main figures entirely within the
space (if the artwork is a painting), or are parts of the bodies cut off by the edge of
the artwork? Is the setting illusionistic, as if one could enter the space of the
painting, or is it flat and two-dimensional, a space that one could not possibly
enter?
8. Texture: If it is a sculpture, is the surface smooth and polished or rough? Are
there several textures conveyed? Where and How? If a painting, is there any
texture to the paint surface? Are the brushstrokes invisible? Brushy? Sketchy?
Loose and flowing? Or tight and controlled?
9. Light and Shadow: Are shadows visible? Where? Are there dark shadows, light
shadows, or both? How do the shadows affect the work?
10. Size: How big is the artwork? Are the figures or objects in the work life-sized,
larger or smaller than life? How does the size affect the work?
11. Color: What type of colors are used in the work? Bright? Dull? Complimentary?
Does the artist use colors to draw your attention to specific areas of the work?
How? If a sculpture, examine the color(s) of the medium and how it affects the
work.
12. Mood: Do you sense an overall mood in the artwork? Perhaps several different
moods? If so, describe them. How does the mood interpret how you view the
work?
Once you have spent some time analyzing your work, notice if your first impression
of the work has changed, now that you have taken a closer look? How? If you came
up with a thesis statement before doing this in-depth analysis, you may want to
change it if your impression of the work has changed. Your thesis statement should
reflect your view of the object.
Choices for the paper – choose one of these works below as the focus of your
paper;
Willem de Kooning, Figure,
1949
Franz Kline, Accent Grave, 1955
John Rogers Cox, Gray and Gold,
Jackson Pollock, Number 5, 1942
1950, 1950
Salvidor Dali, The Dream, 1931
Lee Krasner, Celebration, 1960
Norman Lewis, Alabama, 1960
Morris Louis, Number 99, 1959-
Arshile Gorky, Untitled, 1944
60
Alexander Calder, Two Systems,
Mark Rothko, No. 2 Red
around 1946
Maroons, 1962
Stuart Davis, Composition
Louise Nevelson, Sky
Concrete (Study for Mural),
Cathedral-Moon Garden Wall,
1957-1960
1956-60
Jacob Lawrence, Fulton and
Max Ernst, Le Déjeuner sur
Nostrand, 1958
l’Herbre, 1944
Grant Wood, January, 1940-41
André Masson, Don Quixote and
Reginald Marsh, A Paramount
the Chariot of Death, 1935
Picture, 1934
Kay Sage, A Bird in the Room,
1955
Rufino Tamayo, Woman and
Bird, 1944
