How to Look at Art

Have you ever walked around a museum and felt uncomfortable, out of place? Have you ever looked at a work of art and feel like you are missing the bigger picture? Looking at art because it is pretty or cool is very different from looking at art to understand it. Looking at art to understand is something that has become a practiced method that can be taught, and we are going to discuss that method today!

What’s the story

The method of looking at art can be an art within itself. It is a method that has been tried and tested by art educators all over the world. The basic idea behind it is that it allows you, as the viewer, to do more than just look at a work of art, think "that's cool" and walk away. Art historians also use this method to break down the work into smaller pieces so that it can be more easily discussed. However, none of these steps require a degree or any prior knowledge at all. By following this method you can learn to get rid of assumptions that you may have about a work of art and start from scratch so that you can understand it in your own context. 

What are the steps

1. Looking: The first step is precisely what you would think. Look at the work of art. 

[figure 1] Raphael, School of Athens with lines of perspective, 1509-1511, paint, plaster, 500 x 770cm, Apostolic Palace, Vatican City.

It always helps to center yourself when you look at a work of art. This means both literally and mentally. If you are looking at a work in person, standing at the center of the painting will help you take in the whole piece. Mentally centering is a little more complicated, but you can achieve it by taking a deep breath and trying to empty your mind. This will probably take some time, so give yourself some time to focus. Once you are centered mentally, just take in the work of art.

If you have trouble taking in the whole piece, or if it is very large, trying starting in a corner of the work. Then move to the next corner, and the next, and the next. After that, slowly move your eyes towards the center. If in doing this your eyes start to move in another direction, follow them. Artists often use orthogonal lines, or lines of vision, that you can trace within the painting [figure 1]. By paying attention to how your eye travels across the work the artist's process and intention become more clear. You can also take in the work by starting in the center of the work and follow a spiral out from that center. This will help you establish a basic understanding of what the work is about.

2. Take Note: After you do your first look, go back and look again. What stands out?

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[figure 2] Gian Lorenzo Bernini, detail of Apollo and Daphne, 1622-1625, marble, 243cm, Borghese Gallery and Museum, Rome.

The important part of looking to understand is picking up the details of a work of art. These details can be anything; a color that the artist used that stands out, a character that is a little too expressive, or maybe a pattern. Try to pinpoint the parts of the work that grab your attention. A great example is from Apollo and Daphne by Bernini. The points in the statue where Daphne is turning into a tree, like her fingers, draw your attention because we do not normally expect twigs to start growing out of fingernails [figure 2]. While doing this, also make a mental note of what you like or dislike about the work. Taking note of what stands out to you will help to form questions that you may have about the art.

This step is best carried out if you can discuss your "notes" with others. Talking about what stands out and describing what you see allows you to better connect with the work of art, which is a later step. Being able to describe the work will also help you remember it and its story. Oftentimes the details that stick out to you, will stick out to others as well because the artist intended for them to draw the eye. 

3. Internalize/Think/Interpret: This is where you begin to ask questions about what the work of art means and what the artist intended to do by creating this work.

At this point in the process feel free to read any more information that is offered on the work. Now that you have formed your own ideas about the work, you can begin to translate any extra information into your understanding that you have begun to build. This is also the point where you should begin to think about the why behind the work. Ask yourself questions like, what is the work about? What did the artist want to accomplish with this work? What story is this work trying to tell? Do the settings, colors, or shapes make sense for the perceived purpose? You can continue to come up with questions as you go as well. Sometimes a burning question that only applies to this painting emerges. Follow it and attempt to answer it yourself.

It is ok if your answers to the questions you ask are just guesses and it is ok if they are wrong. The important part of this step is that it causes you to think critically about the work of art in front of you. Even if the way you think about the art isn't exactly what the artist intended, you have given it a thought beyond its pretty colors or interesting setting. By critically analyzing a work of art, and with a bit of practice, or maybe google, you can figure out the artist's intentions, influences, and bias on the subject matter presented.

4. Connect and Identify: How is this work relevant to art history, when it was created, and to you?

[figure 3] George Braque, Violin and Palette, 1909, oil on canvas, 91.7 x 42.8cm, Guggenheim Museum

This last step challenges you to go beyond just thinking about a work of art. Take what you have noticed and thought about and consider how it could relate to the time in which it was made. This is likely the most important connection. For example, Cubist art was created before, during, and after World War I. The world was experiencing a chaotic time, so artists turned to the order that Cubism provided. When you look at a work of Cubism you may pick up on the repetitive shapes, the lines, and the monochromatic palette [figure 3]. When you think about it you could wonder why the artist chose to make something that seems so simple and ordered. This, along with the date of the work, should help you establish what cultural context the work has.

It is also important to connect the work to yourself. The first question you can ask to do this is why did you stop in front of this painting? What is it that reaches out to you? This is often my favorite part of looking at a work of art because you can finally acknowledge whether it is just aesthetically pleasing or if there is really something fascinating about it that captures your attention. You can also look to see if there is anything within the painting that you normally encounter in your daily life. If you are looking at a still life, this might be the flowers, but if you are looking at a Jackson Pollock painting, it might be chaos. The interpretation and connection are up to you.

Why is this important to art history?

Knowing how to look at art is a very useful skill for anyone, not just art historians. If you can understand how to dissect a work of art then you can go beyond just looking. You have the tools to look at art on your own terms and maybe feel a little less awkward when you go to museums again. What's more, you may be able to help other people feel comfortable with art. 

What's really important about the process of looking at art though is that we continue to pass it on. Art is a beautiful thing that so many people feel is not for them because it’s too complex. Art is not meant to be exclusive, but it can be hard to understand at times. However, even the most complex work of art can be broken down to the basics. Take a deep breath. Look for the details that stand out and ask yourself questions about the work if it feels complex. Never claim that a work of art is too complex to understand, especially if you have the tools to break it down.

If you are interested in further learning how to look at art and learn from it within the museum setting, check out Before You Go. Our new podcast will be launching this Wednesday, the seventeenth!