What Questions Art Historians Ask

 

Over the weekend my husband and I headed to the Phildelphia Museum of Art. We first checked out the contemporary section, they had a lot of Cy Twombly’s work on display, and I love his mark making. A lot of people look at his work and see childlike scribbles. I see layers, pain, sadness… a story. I see and feel the energy of someone’s hand, and realize that while it’s easy to scribble, it isn’t easy to know where to put the marks on the page. 

” My line is childlike but not childish. It is very difficult to fake…. to get that quality you need to project yourself into the child’s line. It has be felt.” Twombly

When walking through an art museum it’s amazing to see the range of ideas, stories, colors, and materials. And you’re bound to hear to someone say, ” How did they think of that?”

” Something is always born of excess; great art was born of great terrors, great loneliness, great inhibitions, instabilities, and it always balances them.” Anais Nin

Art Historians are always asking the following questions when looking at and trying to understand a work of art.

What words do Art Historians use?

Form and Composition

Material and Technique

Line

Color

Texture

Space, Mass, and Volume

Perspective and Foreshortening

Proportion and Scale

Carving and Casting

Relief Sculpture

Architectural Drawings

Practice being an Art Historian

 

Looking at the image below, I want you to pretend that you are an art historian that just found this painting. Your job is to ask the questions that an art historian would ask, and answer them to the best of your ability using the words that a historian would use.
There is no required length for this writing assignment, but you should answer all of the questions that an art historian would answer. Also use at least 5 of the words that art historians use.

This piece is by my man Cy Twombly. ( PS: It’s okay if you don’t like his work)

Bonus points: Even though you’re not getting a grade, but who doesn’t love bonus points. Create your own Twombly inspired piece, take a photo and send it to me, or tag me on instagram @amberkanescarves

 

If you like looking at, and learning about works of art. If you enjoy understanding the world around you through visuals, you should join the AP Art History course. Class starts on the 29th, so fill out your application and send it my way today.