A work of art is the product of the dynamic interrelationships between the various art elements and principles. As you analyze the artwork, ask yourself why the artist made such choices. By considering the formal el

INSTRUCTIONS
A work of art is the product of the dynamic interrelationships between the various art elements and
principles. As you analyze the artwork, ask yourself why the artist made such choices. By considering the
formal elements and principles of design involved, you can make yourself look more closely at the work
of art, and thus understand more fully the artist's intended vision, as well as noticing how the work reflects
the time and place from whence it came.
You must address ALL the prompts below within your essay, but your response need not be organized in
the exact order given. Your paper must include proper introductory and concluding paragraphs.
I. Formal Analysis (this section should be the "meat" of your paper): Find any work of art in the
museum that interests you. You will engage in a thorough visual analysis of that work. The artwork is
your primary source - there should be no need to consult other outside sources for the content of this
paper. Reflect directly on the work using the material you have learned from the course. Follow the
guidelines below.
• Identify the work fully (artist name if known, title if available, time period or date, medium,
dimensions or approximate dimensions).
• Provide a brief description of the subject matter of the work.
• Is the work non-objective, representational, figurative, or abstract? Note that a work of art can
fall into more than one of these categories. Please explain fully and in a way that demonstrates you
have a correct understanding of the terms) as it relates to our course content.
• Engage in a formal analysis of the work: (NOTE: It is expected that the analysis of the work's formal
elements and principles of design be the most in-depth and therefore most time should be spent on this
section.)
• Analyze, describe, and discuss the work in terms of three (3) formal elements of art.
Please use bold font for each of your chosen formal elements once within your essay.
• Analyze, describe, and discuss the works' composition using three (3) principles of
design. Please bold each of your chosen principles of design once within your essay.
• You must demonstrate your understanding of the concepts learned in the course by utilizing
appropriate course vocabulary within your analysis. Please use precise terminology
associated with the elements and principles chosen. Failure to do so will result in a reduced
grade. Consult the chapters and course material from Module 2.
› Spend a good amount of time looking at the work and taking notes. It is helpful to provide
the reader with an overall picture of the work you are describing. You may find it useful to
pretend you are describing the work to someone who cannot see but must create an
impression of the work based solely on your words. Clearly and articulately analyze and
describe the formal elements and principles of design that you see in the work. There may
be many but be selective and try to determine the most significant elements of composition.
Remember to utilize key terms from the textbook associated with the specific
elements/principles chosen.