Reading a work of art is as important as its production. It allows us to interpret and understand the works in order to reach the messages contained in them and learn a bit more about the context surrounding their making. This course aims to lay the foundation for the analysis of a work of art, focusing more directly on painting, but also exploring the analysis of sculpture and architecture.
Learning Objectives – Art analysis online course
Distinguishing concepts of interpretation and description when reading a work of art.
◌ Identifying and describing characters and scenarios in an objective and clear way.
◌ Distinguishing objective reading from subjective reading.
◌ Identifying and recognizing the importance of literary and graphic sources for the interpretation of works of art and art analysis.
◌ Identifying the necessary elements for the description and interpretation of a work of art, according to its nature (painting, sculpture, or architecture).
Who should take this course?
The course is addressed to students and professionals of the world of the arts, critics, historians, art historians, conservationists, restorers, and all those interested in exploring the topic.
Certificate
At the end of the course, a training certificate will be issued by Citaliarestauro.com.
We are a training entity certified by DGERT – Training entity certificate No. 1800/2015 – so the certificate has international validity. Know more.
Authors
Coordination, editing, and creation of pedagogical supports - Fátima Muralha Texts and technical information - Yolanda Silva
Course Program
1 - Analysing Art
a) Reading / Interpreting
b) Writing about Art: concepts of visual rhetoric and visual literacy
2 - Painting
Elements of formal analysis
1. Identification;
2. Technical data;
3. Thematic;
4. Function;
5. Structure (basic and essential considerations);
6. Composition
Contents: iconography and symbolism Thematic categories in painting
Practical analysis of a painting (Mrs. Richard Brinsley Sheridan, by Thomas Gainsborough)
3 - Sculpture
Elements of formal analysis
1. Identification;
2. Technical and structural data;
3. Thematic;
4. Function;
5. Composition.
Types of sculpture
Practical analysis of a sculpture (Funerary lion (unknown author; c. 350 BC).
4 - Architecture
Elements of formal analysis
1. Identification;
2. Construction function or purpose;
3. Structure;
4. Relationship between function and structure;
5. Relationship between the history and geography of the construction site and architectural forms.Practical analysis of an architectural work (Central Tejo, Lisbon