Describing Art

Now that you recall the elements and principles, let’s use them to to recognize styles of art and to create a personal aesthetic statement. Look at the pieces of art on the following slides. For each slide, answer these questions in your sketchbook:

What are some similarities that you notice between the artworks?
What are some differences?
How do the artists use the elements and principles in their art?
(For example: Where do you see color, and how is it used? What kind of balance exists in each work?)

Slide: 1 / 4

The Star by Edgar Degas and Peasant Women Planting Stakes by Camille Pissarro, Impressionist

The Impressionists were fascinated by light and its impact on a visual scene. They tended to use bright colors in their scenes of everyday life. Degas and Pissarro both use color, but Degas’ work is slightly more muted than Pissarro’s. Both artists use repetition in line and the positions of the bodies to show movement and to create visual rhythm. Pissarro uses a more formal, symmetrical balance, while Degas uses asymmetrical balance to create a contrast between the main dancer and the background dancers. Both artworks use a great deal of texture and value to create visual interest throughout.

Galloping Horse by Edvard Munch and Street, Berlin by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Expressionist

Expressionist artists wanted to use their art to express emotion or mood. In these examples by Munch and Kirchner, the artists both use shallow space to make their artwork appear cramped. They also use a contrast of dark and light colors to create emphasis on their focal point. Kirchner uses repetition of pattern and shape to create a visual rhythm and movement in his artwork, while Munch uses lines and shapes that create a perspective movement toward the galloping horse. Munch also uses contrast in scale between the horse and the people to create emphasis and to accentuate the horse’s power. Both artists use the formal (or symmetrical) balance in their artwork to keep the emphasis on their focal points.

Mona Lisa & Mary with the Child and Saints

Mona Lisa by Leonardo DaVinci and Mary with the Child and Saints by Titian, High Renaissance

Artists of the Renaissance were very interested in the art of ancient Greece and Rome, and therefore, tried to create realistic artwork. Both da Vinci and Titian use a large value range in their artwork to depict the folds in the fabric. They also use value to contrast the subjects’ light faces and their dark clothes; this creates a focal point. Both artists use formal balance and a contrast in texture between the people and the background. Da Vinci suggests more space in his piece because the background is more visible, while Titian squeezes his subjects into the canvas.

Piano and Mandolin by Georges Braque and Bibemus Quarry by Paul Cezanne, Cubism

Cubist artists wanted to deconstruct their subjects to create visual movement through rhythm and repetition. In these artworks, Braque and Cezanne both use repeating shapes to help guide the viewer’s eye, but Braque uses more geometric shapes while Cezanne’s are more organic. Braque also creates more visual rhythm throughout his work to mirror the fact that its subjects are musical instruments. Cezanne’s brighter colors make it obvious that he is creating a landscape, and Braque’s darker, muted colors suited to his indoor still life. Both artists use a lot of lines, but Cezanne uses more variations in line weight. The artists also differ in their use of space; Cezanne uses deep shadow and stark contrast to suggest a vast outdoor space, while Braque uses less contrast to suggest a very shallow space. Both artists use a wide range of values and lots of texture to add visual interest to their artwork.

How do you use the elements and principles when talking about art?

The Star by Edgar Degas and Peasant Women Planting Stakes by Camille Pissarro, Impressionist