Exploring the Great Outdoors - Meridian International Center

The Art of Looking at Art
Meaningful experience with a work of art hinges on the skill and motivation to look
longer, notice details, ask questions, acknowledge personal reactions, and reflect on the
significance of what you see. Perhaps the following questions will provide some
guidance for looking at art.
Teacher Information
The Art of Looking at Paintings
• On a rating scale from one to ten, with one being extremely realistic/
naturalistic and ten being extremely abstract/non-objective, where would
you place this painting Why
• What is the subject of the painting Does anything seem symbolic
• Has the artist created the illusion of three-dimensional space If so, how did
he/she do it
• Is color used naturalistically or expressively
• How do your eyes move throughout the painting What catches your eyes
first, next, etc. Does the painting have a static or moving quality How is
that achieved
• Look closely at the paint application. Is the mark of the artist obvious or
concealed If obvious, how would you describe the brushstrokes
• What does the painting express to you What did the artist do to contribute
to that expression
• What do you know about or notice in the world around you that you
were not aware of before looking at this painting
• If you could talk to the artist, what would you ask him or her
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