How to View a Landscape Painting Critically

Posted by Anonymous , 9/4/2007 Tags:ViewLandscapePaintingCritically

Story Highlights

Introduction Decorative landscapes used simply to enhance portraits were popular in 15th-century

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Introduction

Decorative landscapes used simply to enhance portraits were popular in 15th-century Italian painting and 18th-century English and French figure painting. Landscape painting came into its own during the 16th century and evolved into a popular primary theme of the 19th-century Impressionists.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Steps

1

Step One

Evaluate the purpose of the landscape: as background to a narrative, decoration, an aid to composition, a balance of structural and decorative functions, or the central theme.
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Step Two

Try to discern the period and location of the painting by its style.
3

Step Three

Consider whether the landscape evokes a feeling or mood or is neutral.
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Step Four

Look at how light is used to illuminate or darken the landscape.
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Step Five

Read books on art history for a better understanding of the characteristics of particular periods and the influences of specific artists.

Tips & Warnings

  • Descriptive landscapes, which served as background to a religious or mythological event, were dominant through the Renaissance.
  • Landscape was used by some painters to create a balanced composition: A horizon line might accentuate some vertical motion, while other natural forms might be used to create a frame around a subject embodying the mood of the landscape, but not defining that mood.

Overall Things You'll Need

  • Art History Books
  • Museum Tickets
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