How to Write an Art Critique Essay

Writing an Art Critique Essay

While in college students are expected to be professionally equipped with the necessary writing skills in order to be proficient in essay writing. Unlike high school, paper writing is a mandatory task in college. One cannot opt not to write since it is part of their academic progress and it reflects greatly on their performance. When writing an essay, every student is expected to know what type of paper they are writing and what is required for that essay. Though every paper has almost the same structure, it is essential to know and understand that they are written for different purposes.

What is an art critique essay?

Many students find writing rather challenging due to the difficulty of comprehending what the paper requires. Before you start writing any essay, it is important that you first know the kind of essay you are writing. An art critique essay is a paper comprising detailed analysis and evaluation of an artwork. Additionally, it is through the analysis that you comprehend the goal of the artist. When one is asked to analyze an artwork, the observations he would come up with will be different from that of another person. Writing an art critique essay might be rather problematic to some students but since its features are similar to that of any other paper, one can easily be able to handle writing one. The features of an art analysis’s structure include:

An introduction. This is where you give basic information about the artist, the art and the features of the artwork such as title, materials used and location.
A thesis. This is where you come up with an argument about the piece of art. This will help reflect your vision on the piece of art.
A body. This is where you fully describe the intent of the artist. You can also explain the artwork from your first impression and reaction.
A conclusion. This is where you provide your evaluation of the piece of art. Through your analysis and interpretation, coming up with a final judgment is quite easy.

How to start an art critique essay

To start writing an art analysis, you need to understand its main features. Additionally, this will help you establish a clear and precise outline which simplifies the writing process. Below are some tips to consider before starting writing an art critique essay.

Tips on how to start

Identify the theme being communicated in the art. This is the first step when writing an art critique essay. It helps you have an idea of what the piece of art is about.
Create an outline. This will help you recognize the artist and the features of his work; the materials used and the location.
Develop a thesis statement. This is essential as it will help you have a guiding idea reflecting on your paper from your impression and reaction of the art.

How to write an outline

Writing the outline of an art critique essay is quite simple if you have an idea on how to start writing it. Establishing an outline enables you to easily write your essay and provide its smooth and easy flow. Creating an outline for an art critique essay is as simple as that of any other essay. It entails an introduction, a thesis statement, a body, and a conclusion.

How to write a thesis for an art critique essay

A thesis statement is essential in writing an art critique essay. The vitality of developing one is that it not only helps build up your essay but also guide you through writing the entire paper. Moreover, through the thesis statement, your audience will find it easy to read your whole paper.

How to write an introduction

The introduction of any essay is what shows the beginning of your paper. To write the introduction of an art critique essay, you should start with a strong hook which catches the eye of your audience. This will keep them enthused and interested in reading your writing.

Tips on how to write an introduction and thesis

The introduction of an art analysis shows your audience the beginning of your article whereas the thesis guides them through the entire essay. Below are some tips to consider when writing the introduction and thesis of an art critique essay:

Start with a strong hook. This way, your reader(s) will focus on your paper and want to read more of it.
Have a clear and specific introduction. This will help your audience understand what your paper is about.
Develop a strong thesis statement. This will help you have a guiding notion which will reflect your vision of the artwork.

How to write body paragraphs

With the help of a thesis statement, you are able to come up with concrete body paragraphs detailing the analysis from the observation you have made. To write good body paragraphs you need to have a full description of the piece of art. Additionally, it is the body paragraphs where you embrace the analysis and interpretation of your work.

Tips on body writing

Below are some tips to ponder on when writing the body of an art analysis:

Begin each paragraph with clear and precise sentences. This makes your article more appealing to your audience and easier to read.
Denote your first impressions. This will help you explain the reaction you got from viewing the art piece.
Study the features used by the artist. This will help you have the correct choice of words to use when writing.
Identify the focus of the work. Identify what captures your most. This will help you discover the artist’s point of emphasis and the purpose of the art piece.
Interpret the work. Having identified the purpose of the art piece, interpreting becomes easy. However, you ought to back up your interpretation with evidence from your description and analysis. This will help your audience comprehend your paper easily.

How to finish an art critique essay

When concluding an art analysis, always remember that you are providing your audience with the final judgment or evaluation of your work. To write the conclusion of an art critique essay, provide a summary of all the information you have gathered from the description, analysis, and interpretation of your art piece.

Tips on conclusion writing

Below are some tips to put into consideration when writing the conclusion of an art critique essay:

Describe whether the art is successful or not. Use your first impression to do it.
Explain how you have come up with your evaluation. This will enable your reader(s) understand how you make the judgment.
Provide a summary of why you think the art is a success or not. Based on the analysis, interpretation and evidence explain to your audience why you have come up with that evaluation.

Tips on revision

Going through your paper once, checking everything is indeed important. The significance of revising your paper lies in ensuring that you provide quality work to your reader(s). It helps you correct your paper and make it exceptional.

The following tips are essential when revising your paper:

Ensure that the details you have provided are based on the piece of art.
Certify that the interpretation you have given has supporting evidence.
Warrant that your essay has a smooth and easy flow and that your information is not contradictory.

Art critique essay sample

The Dance of Life

The ‘Dance of Life’ art was painted in 1899-1900 by Edvard Munch. In his painting, Munch presents women dressed differently and seemingly dancing with different men. In the background, there is a sea. The women in the portrait seem to be in different stages of their lives with the one in black seemingly the oldest and thus the most experienced in life. These women, according to Munch, were drawn to symbolize portraits of his lover Tulla Larsen. The image is quite suggestive and seems to hold a hidden message.

The different dressing used by the women in the picture symbolized different stages of their lives. The woman dressed in white represents the virgin, the one in red represented the carnal woman and the aged woman in black represents the satanic woman. Additionally, the sea in the background reveals something that is beyond reach. This could mean or represent the uncertainty that engulfs mankind as they live their lives. In addition, this clearly exemplifies the unknown; that which mankind does not know or comprehend about life or that which mankind does not know exists beyond life after death. This indicates that one did not know how far their lives were to go before their deaths. The portrait clearly shows or symbolizes the playing out of earthly life and the varying stages of the same.

In the background, a lone woman stands in front of a symbol representing the reflection of the setting sun while multiple men hang around another woman in white. This represents or shows the stage in life where one is on the search for a partner but finds it hard to get one.

Looking at the right middle ground, a male figure looks like his using force or trying to forcefully dance with the woman in white who appears to be leaning back. Most people who have analyzed this image seem to believe that the male figure embodies the caricature of the playwright Gunnar Heiberg.

The male figure and the female figure in red in the foreground represent Munch and Larsen. They appear to be physically contiguous and symbolically entangled through the shapes of the lower part of their bodies. However, their faces seem to indicate their separation from each other. This clearly shows how separated they are from the moment.

In conclusion, the art seems to be a good piece which clearly symbolizes the different stages of life.