FORMAL ANALYSIS
For this assignment you will need to select ONE work of art from the textbook in one of the chapters assigned this quarter and write a two-page formal analysis of it.
THE ART WORK SELECTED IS: Jacques-Louis David, “The Oath of the Horatii”. 1784. Oil on canvas, 10′10′′ × 13′11′′ (3.3 × 4.25 m). Musée du Louvre, Paris
For this assignment, you need to provide a complete description of the work of art. In the first paragraph, you should tell your reader what the work depicts before you begin the analysis of it.
You should consider the following:
Question 1: What was your first impression?
Question 2: Is the work emotionally or psychologically compelling, or is it neutral? How so?
Question 3: How do the formal properties help to make the work successful?
Question 4: How is space depicted or indicated?
Question 5: Is there a text (or narrative) that the picture illustrates or alludes to? If so, what is it, and is the artwork successful in its depiction?
Consider, also, how the following elements play a role in the work: General Format of the work (e.g., horizontal, or vertical)Scale
Perspective
Color
Texture
Axis of composition (vertical, diagonal, horizontal)
Relation of parts to one another
Line
Shading
Rhythm
Unity and variety
