How to Understand a Painting

Art is practically a foreign language, and we’re here to be your personal translator for how to understand a painting.

Instructions

Step 1: Pick a painting Pick a painting that strikes your fancy, either in your art history book or in the museum.
Step 2: Study for subject and composition Carefully look at the painting, studying it for subject and composition, or how the elements are arranged.
Step 3: Determine color and tone Determine the color and tone of the painting.
TIP: Color, tone and brushstrokes are the primary ways an artist will signal mood.
Step 4: Find any common threads Look for anything that the objects or subjects in the painting have in common.
Step 5: Look for puzzles Be on the alert for anything logically puzzling about the objects—do they make sense? Are they contradictory?
Step 6: Look for illogical aspects Extend your alert to the whole painting; is it entirely logical, or, at least, not illogical?
TIP: Paintings that don’t make logical sense are best explained by reading up on that particular artist.
Step 7: Question the location Ask yourself 'Where in the museum is this painting located?' and 'Where was it supposed to be located before it ended up in a museum?'
Step 8: Find out when it was made Find out when the painting was created by reading the title card.
Step 9: Memorize and research the artist Memorize who created it, and find out information about the artist.
Step 10: Make a conclusion Use all of the details you’ve gathered and try to make a conclusion about the meaning behind the painting.
Step 11: Read the art history book Read sections of the art history book on specific painters, regions, movements or techniques.
FACT: When asked to explain one of his paintings, Willem de Kooning said, 'I’m not an ornithologist; I’m a bird.'