Types of Analysis and Critique

There is no single right way to examine a work of art, and, as we shall see later on in this chapter, different methods can be combined to develop a more complete interpretation. Here is a summary of some important types of analysis.

Certain kinds of analysis (for example feminist, gender, or race studies) may be used when describing and explaining a set of ideas in the work of art itself, ideas related to beliefs held by the artist, or the context of the time period. Critique moves beyond the artist’s biography, intentions, and the direct content to include contextual information (such as the historical treatment of women, considerations related to gender, or the way that race impacts a work of art) and highlights beliefs held by the person interpreting an artwork.

FORMAL ANALYSIS

Formal analysis involves looking closely and in detail at the work in order to consider how the formal elements and principles of art are used to create it and to convey meaning, and then carefully describing them.

STYLISTIC ANALYSIS

Style in art is the particular combination of characteristics that make a work (or works) of art distinctive. Stylistic analysis focuses on these characteristics in a way that clearly identifies how they typify the work of an individual, are shared by a group of artists to create a movement, or are concentrated in a particular place or time period.

ICONOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS

Iconography—“image writing” or “writing with images”—examines the visual images and symbols used in a work of art and leads to an interpretation of the work’s meaning. Iconographic analysis identifies objects and figures in an artwork as signs or symbols that can reflect religious or historical contexts. The meaning of these symbols was often more directly understood at a particular time by a specific culture, but may now be less apparent to us.

CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS

Contextual analysis looks at the making and viewing of the work in its context: it studies the atmosphere and ideas, often from a particular time or culture, which the artwork itself includes and reflects. Various aspects of context can be considered; for example, religious, historical, and biographical analysis are all types of contextual analysis.

Religious analysis considers the artwork in relation to the religious context in which it was made; this method often includes identification of narratives, key symbolism, and important figures.

Historical/social analysis considers historical events, either past or present, and the way they appear in an artwork.

Biographical analysis considers whether the artist’s personal experiences and opinions may have affected the making or meaning of the artwork in some way.

FEMINIST ANALYSIS AND CRITIQUE

Inspired—as the name suggests—by feminism, feminist interpretations consider the role of women in an artwork as its subjects, creators, patrons, and viewers. A feminist approach can reflect the intentions of an artist, the perspective of a viewer, the interpretation of a critic, or a combination of two or three of these.

GENDER STUDIES ANALYSISAND CRITIQUE

Gender studies analysis expands the considerations raised by feminist analysis to explore ways in which the work reflects experience based on a person’s gender. This method of interpretation can also reflect the intentions of an artist, the perspective of a viewer, the interpretation of a critic, or all three.

ANALYSIS OF RACE IN SOCIETYAND CULTURE

This method of interpretation critically examines society and culture as it intersects with race, power, and institutional practices. It can also reflect the intentions of an artist, the perspective of a viewer, the interpretation of a critic, or all three.

PSYCHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS

This type of analysis investigates an artwork by considering the state of the artist’s mind. Sometimes such interpretations make use of important psychological studies, such as those of Sigmund Freud or Carl Jung (1875–1961).