How to do visual (formal) analysis in art history

[@myfilter3986]

scale: 0:58 composition 1:34 pictorial space: 3:20 form: 4:43 line: 5:35 color: 6:03 light: 6:45 tone: 7:35 texture: 7:55 pattern: 8:35

[@parisristic7144]

thank you 🙏🏼

[@ascretive2416]

Amazing job thanks

[@joem7123]

you are a legend - revising for art history mocks, cheers!

[@quoileternite]

Thank you, very structured.

[@soraniostaur3839]

You are a literal godsend, bless you

[@warwick802]

4 years later after high school, I just wanted to thank this channel for helping me pass AP Art History, and getting me invested into the history of art. These analytical skills that I learned helped me in literally so many things! Even in engineering I see myself using these techniques. Bless these people

[@smarthistory-art-history]

What a wonderful note, wishing you the best.

[@djelbert23]

I'm watching this for the same reason! Best Wishes! I graduate in March.

[@apolinarhazeln.8839]

Hi, by any chance can you help me with my Art fomal analysis?

[@asderc1]

These videos are so well scripted. Excellent teaching, with real passion in your voices!

[@smarthistory-art-history]

That's a real compliment, thank you. In truth, we don't actually script these conversation. We sometime do outline a bit, and that was the case here. We always do thorough research however.

[@matthiasvrancken79]

Yes thank you

[@god5535]

I know right? I can listen to these two all day. :)

[@SheIsTristine]

@@smarthistory-art-history I think that makes these videos all the more enjoyable knowing that!

[@LexaTerrestrialx]

these guys are nerding tf out. So much info

[@bitl5950]

crucial info

[@ramkuse7810]

I appreciate the info

[@denzmo1139]

on larry frrrr

[@allBALLS_noSHAFT]

trueeeeeeeee

[@stellanjoki6962]

Why are they talking about that?

[@emileconstance5851]

Thanks for doing a video on formal analysis--it's an invaluable approach for looking at and appreciating paintings, and all too often gets sidelined by what may be a slight over-emphasis on socio-politico-historical approaches. Excellent choice with Bellini's "Madonna," and a very thoughtful and thorough analysis--can't believe you fit all that in in under 10 minutes! Grateful for all your videos!

[@1caseyk]

Agreed.

[@albertabdul-barrwang3494]

As an art history minor you have to do multiple viewing/approaches to the work. Can't read it one way.

[@iitimaii8011]

This was way too complicated for my very simple mind. Like me: painting. Nice. You guys: Look at that cloud, it’s lighter and has less detail. Look at how the buildings are rectangular. Look at the leaves. Look at the line of her shoulder, hand and the babies body. Her weird hand pose. The corner of the squared- If this isn’t talent idk what is

[@smarthistory-art-history]

Give yourself time. Looking at art, like learning a new language, is a process that develops over time, and with lots of patience and practice. Of course anyone can look at a painting and enjoy it, but it can take time to learn to see the references and strategies and solutions that an artist employed.

[@rabiabanu1633]

Smarthistory I will be taking arts 101 and completely head over heels ready to study a subject I love ❤️ I passed it with an A lol

[@peterjacksonanton4814]

Not talent, just many layers of simple concepts. You can learn this stuff by deconstructing it into bite-size pieces

[@gloomszn3971]

Who else has homework about this

[@danielnease269]

👋

[@viimii2370]

Same here.

[@kxfigo6162]

me

[@millapede82]

i do

[@muppetfriend]

hell yeah bro

[@pjabad4061]

This channel is a gift to humanity. It aint snobby or pseudo-intellectual-ish, instead the videos have passion and knowledge and respect for the audience and the artform which some channels dont have. Thank you for this.

[@AverySuzuki]

Wow! We we're just about to start this in my art history class. Good timing

[@trissyj97]

I have always wanted to get into art but it seemed so intimidating and there is such a lot to learn but this channel is so educational and teaches you terminology in easy to understand videos and it honestly makes me happy when I'm able to understand or pick up things in artwork that the narrators also pick out. Thank you so much for this channel, you have no idea how appreciative I am of you

[@smarthistory-art-history]

What a wonderful note to receive! Thank you for reaching out-and please stay in touch. We are so happy to know that the videos have been helpful.

[@thearthistoryhappyhour4214]

absolutely brilliant! Coming from a background in cultural history, I usually find myself more drawn to the context surrounding works of art, rather than technical analysis. this is super helpful for me!

[@superspera]

So far in my first year in post-secondary I've written two historical essays, and through no prior association, I happened to watch a video of yours for each, both of which put me on the right track. Great job guys, and thank you.

[@aislinpatalinghug3871]

I had to watch it twice because it is so satisfying.

[@howtubeable]

I was skeptical when the presenters dismissed history and iconography. But the analysis of the composition was incredible. Thank you.

[@ethansmith708]

its just analysis of elements and principals, not meaning. That is why

[@BlueCloud297]

I’m in a college art appreciation course and I had to watch this video to learn about how people analyze and interpret art. Yeah, I see in the comments lots of people talking about homework for their various courses, seems like this might be some kind of common core material. Overall solid example, I learned a lot as someone who’s been in studio art before

[@jay-jv8gs]

art history final has brought me here. thx for helping me with the word count besties

[@agentgauntlet4092]

Had to watch this for university, but this was so genuinely interesting that I loved it.

[@upcloseimage]

I watched this twice now, it is making more sense the second time around. I love learning how to appreciate art. Thank you!

[@lalaithan]

I enjoyed this analysis, wonderful job. As usual, the background voices are a good choice.

[@lucasbookfield4000]

The background voices could be less loud however!

[@smarthistory-art-history]

Those background voices and sounds are just what was happening around us as we stood in the gallery.

[@viimii2370]

You have done a better job in helping me this semester than my own art professor. Thank you!

[@HistoriaEn10]

Espectacular video! muchísima precisión.

[@rlougarcia817]

This video helped me a lot. It teaches me how each element of arts works in a particular art.

[@michaelsmith3943]

So in depth. Incredible.

[@SouthCat]

Never knew looking at a painting could be this intense!

[@suetlee7716]

Glad that I can have this video before my exam!

[@Knaeben]

The baby looks like he's about to fall from her lap. She isn't touching or interacting with him, which is odd.

[@richardbond258]

They could be trying to show usually that He is Devine and Holy while she is not Devine.

[@reiniergamboa]

@@richardbond258 How could she not be divine, she gave birth to him

[@richardbond258]

@@reiniergamboa because she is not God while Jesus is. Not saying that she is not Holy because she is. She is the mother of God, blessed is her womb.

[@ahesperidean]

Kaeben he is floating, he is divine

[@fernandomontes1204]

AP exam in the middle of a pandemic, mhhm here we go man...

[@eveeve5606]

howd you do?

[@ohnoitsoak]

This analysis video made me excited for my AP Art History course which started back in September, and these resources have helped me so much throughout the year.

[@SZLTgirl]

Fall 2020 art history, who else is in? Lol

[@jirachi6578]

squad

[@duangduang4174]

spring 2021, sad

[@Boxxxxxxxxx]

Summer 2021

[@stanignascimento2355]

fall 2021

[@tayl5683]

Fall 2024

[@andrewdorie]

Thank you for the great videos, you two. I have a quick question for you (or anyone in your audience) about differentiating between composition and pictorial space. You discussed the dynamic between the angles in the figures' heads as part of the composition but the orthogonal lines in the field as part of the pictorial space. Both discussions identify geometrical patterns. Is the difference between the two the element of depth? That is, if you were talking about the relationship between Mary and the human figure resting in the background, would you discuss their locations in pictorial space because they exist at varying depths in the world of the painting or would you discuss their arrangement in the composition because they exist at varying places in the scene? Would I be wrong to discuss both in separate discussions, i.e. in regards to separate interpretations? Also, since Mary's eye-line is so much higher than the other figure's eye-lines and she is taller than the horizon, would you say this painting employs the hieratic scale--specifically in a way that exemplifies the presence of a religious figure? I've been fascinated for a long time with Mughal, Ottoman, and Persian miniatures and often find in them both radical manipulations of hieratic scale and repetition of color create what seem like obvious spectrums of holy/important figures--perhaps not unlike this Bellini painting.

[@smarthistory-art-history]

Great questions. Composition is generally used to describe the relationship of forms on the picture plane (the flat surface of the picture), though sculpture is also composed of course. Pictorial space generally refers to the illusionistic space created by the artist. This can be complicated though, since one could speak of the composition within the pictorial space (a tree here, a goat there...), or as you say, Mary in relation to the shepherd in the middle ground. The words are really contextual. I wouldn't say this was hieratic scale even though Mary is huge in relation to the other forms simply because there is a rational structure employed. In other words, she should look big because the illusion is that she is very close to us. Hieratic scale is usually used to refer to a figure that is outsized, usually outside of a perspectival context and here I mean western linear perspective. The classic example are ancient and medieval such as www.flickr.com/photos/profzucker/37370593540/in/photostream/lightbox. Hope this helps.

[@euerz]

Now we only need a video on how to analyze abstract art :)

[@catherinechiara8944]

This formal analysis is outstanding and very helpful. Thank you so much! ❤️

[@Sasha0927]

So much to love about this video. I appreciated the expectations at the beginning because I often - read as: usually - don't know what to expect from these videos (albeit, in a good way). I knew exactly what was (not) about to happen and it set the tone of increased comprehension throughout. :) That said, yay for having real knowledge of what composition is! I see now that was one of the art terms I took for granted - always feeling familiar, but never truly understood. Totally makes sense now. I think pictorial space is one of my favorite artistic illusions. It's so interesting seeing how it's achieved in various pieces and I'll be trying to spot ways pattern denies it going forward.

[@eml6419]

I'm in art school btu we do mostly modern art (nothing older then the 70s) so this was very fascinating to me! Thank you

[@guywholivesforart]

How does that happen? Are you in a specialized program? All of my experiences studying art in an academic setting have been comprehensive.

[@JOALKR11]

What if the artist was still alive was like “hell, I just painted it. Wasn’t even thinking about all that.”

[@smarthistory-art-history]

More interesting is to ask why there is a desire in our society to see artists as idiot savants. Why do we want to overlook the effort and thought that goes into art or other creative production? Would you ask the same of a poet, a composer, or a scientist. "What if Milton just came up with Paradise Lost?" "What if Beethoven just started humming his 6th symphony?" "What if Marie Curie just randomly understood what radiation is?" All of these people, Bellini, Milton, Beethoven, and Curie may have had a spark of inspiration here and there, but that was after they had spent years studying and mastering their disciplines. These were all highly trained professionals who were profoundly dedicated to their work. So the real question is, why do you think we so often seek to minimize the effort that goes into serious work?

[@JOALKR11]

No minimization here. I’m an artist myself and I know that many artists have spent lifetimes studying their craft and paint with intention and a point. I was just thinking with humor and wasn’t serious at all.

[@nini-ic7is]

no piece of art is made just like that ;)

[@nicolequesada3382]

jordan I’ll be that type of artist xD

[@oltedders]

This brought me back to my high school art classes in the 1960s.

[@simeonmihaylov8820]

I really enjoy your videos and articles. Very informative as well. Great content, keep up the good work!

[@woodpainter]

What differentiation should we make between the illusion of texture here and the real texture that we find in Van Gogh's impasto and the thick paint and other objects in somebody like Pollock?

[@piwithatsme]

William Allen brush strokes and expression of texture are different and the should be analysed differently, however, they can work together like in Rembrandt's "jewish bride".

[@smarthistory-art-history]

William, We agree that its an interesting and important distinction. As WiWiPiWiWi noted above, since Bellini did not focus on brushwork as an expressive tool beyond the definition of form, etc., and as Van Gogh and Pollock later did, we focused instead on the representation of texture. FYI, we hope to have a new essay on Rembrandt's Jewish Bride published soon.

[@florealause9717]

Time indicators of all parts in this video : 00:00 : Introduction 00:55 : Scale 01:33 : Composition 03:18 : Pictorial Space 04:42 : Form 05:34 : Line 06:02 : Color 06:42 : Light 07:34 : Tone 07:32 : Texture 08:33 : Pattern 09:25 : Conclusion

[@florealause9717]

I don't know if it's really gonna helps you, but when I first saw this video, I wanted time indicators, so here they are, have a good day, everyone :D

[@dougmcminimy8199]

I really enjoy all your videos. So well done and so much good information. Thank you!

[@spanixtanspanixtan8757]

Clear and painstaking lesson. I will try to incorporate more of these elements to the structure of my own analyses, which sometimes lack some of them, are looser as formal structure regards: I focus on content and put these technical issues at its service. Thank you.

[@alexjsmithf]

Hi! I would really like to know a bit more about pattern and why it clashes with the three dimensionality of the painting.

[@smarthistory-art-history]

Hi Alex, Pattern is commonly applied to a flat surface and is often printed from a block that is itself basically flat reminding the viewer of the flatness of the picture plane. Pattern in a painting can have the visual effect of reminding us of the surface of the canvas or frescoed wall, etc. while sometimes undermining, to varying degrees, any illusionism of space that has been represented. In effect, flat pattern and linear and/or atmospheric perspective can work against each other. Some artists, for example Botticelli, harness this tension very successfully.

[@alexjsmithf]

Thanks so much!

[@melodydavis2753]

Nicely done, Drs. Zucker and Harris! Recommended!

[@ahesperidean]

Such a weird disconnect between the natural landscape and the dominant figure. I ‘d like to see the landscape ‘unveiled’ from behind the Virgin’s robe. Why did the artist not paint a stone wall behind the virgin? Perhaps a stone wall and a rich tapestry hanging as a backdrop?

[@ahesperidean]

I love the landscape!

[@quoileternite]

Extremely instructive, didactic, thank you, very useful and very formative. 💙

[@aliasgharmoni2474]

the best youtube channel about art🔥🔥

[@piakennedy3027]

Fantastic Film, thank you for sharing. I want to use this to show my students 1 part of art participation

[@crystal-bd7rk]

the test is in less than 2 hours... i-

[@kxfigo6162]

how did it go?

[@LM-lm5nn]

lolz

[@crystal-bd7rk]

@@kxfigo6162 good LMFAOO i got a 4

[@zoran.rosendahl]

This is simply wonderful.

[@mojojim6458]

The contrast between almost every edge of her blue garment and what is next to it looks artifical. Look at 8:41. The blue triangle versus the red sleeve.

[@yoxuich]

This is just a perfect video on how to appreciate art. Really this is amazing. Are there any vids following this model done by yourselves which is stripped of all biographical and historical background? Anyway, many thanks and keep up your great job

[@Dino_Medici]

Love you guys tysm for your work, BEAUTY!

[@br-dh1lp]

I love this channel

[@alicefremont]

Thanks so much for this video, as a student in the history of arts, (in France, but it doesn't matter) it is very helpful ! Do you have one that explains how to analyse the first points that are mentioned at the begining ? I have searched on the channel but did not find one.

[@smarthistory-art-history]

Thank you for your kind words. Yes, we do. Have a look at our website. I suggest you visit this section first: smarthistory.org/tools-for-understanding-art-2/

[@EddieStyle]

OMG awesome channel! Thank you!

[@chukwudiebite7775]

Brilliant, concise and helpful Thanks for this video

[@jeanthemachine007]

This is some FBI-level analysis, I'm using this to help me work on my final assignment due in a few days 😅

[@JustAGame0209]

I'M HERE TO LEARN.

[@Kitayooo]

How does ones brain comprehend all this? Great video btw~

[@bitl5950]

one step at a time

[@bswrm98]

Thank you very much, I learned a lot from this video.

[@icy0583]

Came here for homework, left with newfound knowledge and curiosity.

[@JellyMin24]

Super helpful for my art composition class, thanks! :)

[@radioactivedetective6876]

Thanks a lot. Very helpful for ametuers like me who want to better learn how to read art

[@pokerman8378]

this is such a great video!!!

[@jackiereynolds2888]

I had an art history professor tell me: " If you're unable to make your mind up, - between art and science, you can do both in 'art-restoration' ... "

[@LuvLeighAn_]

They did a way better job then my art teacher did in explaining this - thank you - at least she did share this video

[@ahesperidean]

The baby is beautiful and realistically portrayed

[@ivanventura9646]

I have a formal analysis homework about this in College… is due tomorrow too! 1500 words…

[@codyengland7420]

well did you finish?

[@karakellett999]

This was incredibly helpful! Thank you!

[@alfredoechevarrieta7512]

Luminoso análisis !! Gracias

[@melizzacarrillo691]

professor : here take this painting me : okay ? professor : analyse it in a 6 paragraph essay me : w-what. . . how ????

[@smarthistory-art-history]

Start with writing a careful, detailed, description of what you see.

[@melizzacarrillo691]

@@smarthistory-art-history thank you so much, i appreciate it :)

[@octoberz5612]

This would help me alot with my exam! Thank you guys so much！

[@averylegendre8709]

This was super helpful :) thanks!

[@ajkaty]

Great explanation and oddly calming narration.

[@CulturalEspionage]

how much of this is what the artist really painted and what conservators did?

[@Celtics-x4w]

What is that piano piece in the beginning?

[@LaughingManRa]

Mary's hands are like that 'cause she's about to fire a kikōhō to test Jesus's power level.

[@larikipe940]

Yes, it would appear so.

[@maryzekarssen9719]

LaughingManRa i am mary

[@justinjacobe]

Ki blast to the face!

[@aeaf123]

Perfect comment. Made my day!

[@tbnrlawler2972]

How do they even come up with this stuff

[@reikochet7849]

Hi please answer mee😭 Can I evaluate all kinds of painting based on formalism art of theory?

[@smarthistory-art-history]

Yes, formal analysis will be helpful in the analysis of all types of art.

[@yourdecoydream]

Wow this was so helpful thank you!

[@danelynsumaylo3474]

Wonderful! Very helpful!

[@m47kr3nt0n]

Any suggestions on references (books) for further reading?

[@smarthistory-art-history]

Are you interested in formal analysis or art history more broadly?

[@hlb979]

very interesting, thank you

[@shiva4ever]

Really nice and value added

[@tearyowl6075]

Such a great content!❤️🥰

[@ayagrace2847]

I’m gonna take an art history class now

[@jorgepadua5802]

This video: her dress forms the base as a pyramid to symbolize stability in the painting Me: there's a cow in the background

[@clearvoiceful]

What does that crow on the tree symbolize?

[@alantheunicorn6362]

Its just a crow.

[@mojeshgurung5794]

Amazing! Thank you. 2020

[@susanleffingwell3392]

excellent! TY

[@kirkezada]

Dia 21/04/2023 voltando para terminar ''Uma introdução a história da arte'' no Khan Academy.

[@aashna2713]

you are a God send

[@vinceraineing]

more videos like this!!!!

[@MS.Paints]

9:31 legends say they are still standing there !

[@smarthistory-art-history]

Just FYI that is not Beth and me at 9:31. I took the photo of that couple and Beth was off looking at other paintings by that time.

[@ksenijakum]

THANK YOU

[@nilsonc93]

Thank you...

[@skullsz3378]

amazing nice video

[@alyssaa.2882]

I really want to be an art historian but I don't think I'll ever make it to this level :(

[@smarthistory-art-history]

Beth and I have been at this for a long time, give yourself a chance.

[@mattesses70]

What’s the name of the intro song