How to Analyse a Picture

1. Observe and react.
What captures your attention? 
How does it make you feel at first glance?

2. Describe and analyse.
What do I see? Landscape, people, animals, objects, etc.
Action or actions? 
Time of day, season, weather, inside/outside, environment, historical period, etc.
Organization: composition (background, foreground, position of the different elements), contrasts, emphasis, movement, etc.
Colors and light
The people: possible age, social position, relationship, body language and attitudes, etc. 
How does the artist get the viewer's attention? 
What do you think the artist wants you to think or feel? 
How does the painting make you feel now that you have analysed it? 

3. Interpret and judge.
If I could ask the artist one question, it would be ... 
I like ≠ dislike this painting because ... (you can also ask a partner) 
I would  ≠ would not hang it in my home because ...

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Toolbox
The artwork is about ...
The artist wants to …
It reminds me of …
There are symbols such as ...
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4. Recap. 
a. Sum up in a few sentences what has been said about the painting.
b. Think of 3 different adjectives or nouns and be ready to justify.