How to View a Landscape Painting Critically
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How to View a Landscape Painting Critically
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.
2
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.
4
Step Four
Look at how light is used to illuminate or darken the landscape.
5
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
Relative Topics
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