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Understanding Art Criticism: Analyzing Henri Matisse's Harmony in Red

Learn how to decipher the meaning and interpret Henri Matisse's artwork, Harmony in Red, through the steps of art criticism.

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Understanding Art Criticism: Analyzing Henri Matisse's Harmony in Red

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  1. Art Criticism Art criticism is studying, understanding, and judging works of art. Henri Matisse, Harmony in Red, 1908, Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia

  2. What if you don’t know what an artwork is communicating? • How can you figure it out? • Follow the steps of art criticism to help you discover clues to better understand a work of art

  3. The Steps of Art Criticism • Description (Literal Qualities): What do I see? (Size, media, process, subject) • Analysis (Design Qualities): How is the work organized? (elements and principles) • Interpretation (Expressive Qualities): What is the artist trying to communicate? Meaning? Mood? • Judgment: Is this a successful work of art?

  4. 1. Description What do you see?

  5. Red room • Wallpaper • Chairs, wooden • Table, table cloth • Woman • Fruit & wine • Cut flowers in vase • Window • Landscape • Trees, bushes, flowers, building • Colours- red, blue, green, yellow, white, black

  6. 2. Analysis How is the work arranged? Break down the painting into its composition, or the way the art principles are used to organize the art elements.

  7. ELEMENTS OF ART/DESIGN • Colour= • Line= • Shape= • Form= • Space= • Texture= • Value=

  8. ELEMENTS OF ART/DESIGN • Colour = red, blue, yellow, green, black, white • Line = straight-outline table, chairs / curvy- flower pattern / horizontal, vertical • Shape = geometric / organic • Form = flattened, table blends in with background • Space = crowded space, flattened plane • Texture = patterns • Value = flat, so shading

  9. PRINCIPLES OF ART/DESIGN • Unity= • Balance= • Emphasis= • Movement/Rhythm= • Proportion= • Variety=

  10. PRINCIPLES OF ART/DESIGN • Unity= color, shape & line, everything belongs • Balance= woman-chair, room- window, asymmetrical • Emphasis= woman arranging fruit, colour red, contrast between red and green, black and white, straight vs curvy lines • Movement/Rhythm= diagonal bottom right to top left, curved lines of pattern & trees, repeated curved pattern in wallpaper, cloth, trees, dots of colour in lemons and flowers • Proportion= perspective is off • Variety = lines, colours, shapes,

  11. 3. InterpretationWhat do you think Matisse is trying to communicate? Give your opinion based on the clues you have collected. What ideas, moods, emotions, and stories do you think the artwork communicates?

  12. In Matisse's Harmony in Red, red is the predominant colour in the painting. How does the predominant redness make you feel?

  13. The colour red usually makes one feel warmth because it is associated with fire, but also because the colour red has a physiological effect that excites and stimulates. More energy is reflected from warm colours than from the cooler ones. "Warm" colours - red, yellow and orange - traditionally are thought to evoke feelings of heat, whether psychological or real.

  14. 4. Judgment Do you think this work is successful? Why or why not? What reasons can you give for your idea of why this is a successful or unsuccessful artwork?

  15. Now look at the painting by Marc Chagall called Paris Through the Window and answer each of the art criticism questions on your own: Description: What do I see? Analysis: How are elements and principles of art used? Interpretation: What is the artist trying to communicate? Judgment: Is this a successful work of art?

  16. Description: What do I see?

  17. Analysis: How are elements and principles of art used?

  18. Interpretation: What is the artist trying to communicate?

  19. Judgment: Is this a successful work of art?

  20. TEST YOUR UNDERSTANDING! Look at the painting by Marc Chagall called Paris Through the Window and choose the Art Criticism step that each statement belongs in.

  21. 1. This painting was includes a colourful window with a cat on the window sill. a. description b. analysis c. interpretation d. judgment

  22. This seems like a very happy time for the artist. • a. description • b. analysis • c. interpretation • d. judgment

  23. The artist uses the element of colour to add visual interest to the painting. • a. description • b. analysis • c. interpretation • d. judgment

  24. The artist is depicting his vision of Paris. • a. description • b. analysis • c. interpretation • d. judgment

  25. 5. The artist uses a variety of shapes and colours. a. description b. analysis c. interpretation d. judgment

  26. 6. The artist successfully uses surrealistic imagery. a. description b. analysis c. interpretation d. judgment

  27. 7. The cat represents the artist looking out at Paris. a. description b. analysis c. interpretation d. judgment

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