College of Staten Island

Introduction to Visual Arts

Comparison Exercise

Due onFebruary 23, 2011

The ability to closely examine a work of art allows you to gain information necessary for you to determine its meaning. One can learn much about a work by paying close attention to the way it was made and how it relates to its environment.

One can also think about the work in relation to other pieces, either works by the same artist or other kinds of work. This kind of comparative analysis helps to contextualize the work along various categories, such as historical, thematic, or media.

It is particularly helpful to compare the work to other pieces. Curators rely on this process in order to arrange their exhibitions. In this way various narratives can be constructed that tell the story presented by the exhibition.

Similarities and Differences

The process of comparison identifies similarities and differences between two or more objects. This not only helps to group work along various categories, it also helps to identify various developments along time. These can either be seen as continuations or breaks with certain artistic traditions. In this way, we can tell stories about the history of art.

Formal versus Interpretive Analysis

There are two levels of interpreting what you see:

1)a formal analysis describe how the art object is constructed—its actual appearance.

2)an interpretive analysis goes a step further and adds meaning to what is seen

So, for example, we discussed Edouard Manet’s Olympia and began by describing what we saw. We noticed two women, a black cat, a bed, shoes, etc. We then began to interpret the scene—the relationship between the women, the significance of the shoes, the flowers, etc.

The Assignment

You will make two comparisons. You will select one pair of images that are very similar and another pair that are radically different. (So, you will discuss four images altogether.)

For each of your four images, you will insert the image into your document and provide basic information:

  • Name of the artist
  • Title
  • Date
  • Media
  • Dimensions
  • Location

It’s possible that not all of these may be known, but you should be as thorough as possible.

For each pair, first describe the formal qualities of each work. After you describe each work, then begin to relate them in terms of their meaning. For the pair of similar images, you will want to describe their obviously similarities but emphasize their differences. Similarly, for the pair that is radically different, you’ll want to state their differences but then emphasize their similiraties.

Your Name: ______

First Pair: Similar Images

Artist: / Artist:
Title: / Title:
Date: / Date:
Medium: / Medium:
Size: / Size:
Location: / Location:

Image on the Left – Formal Analysis

Image on the Right – Formal Analysis

Comparison – (Similarities and Differences)

Second Pair: Radically Different Images

Artist: / Artist:
Title: / Title:
Date: / Date:
Medium: / Medium:
Size: / Size:
Location: / Location:

Image on the Left – Formal Analysis

Image on the Right – Formal Analysis

Comparison – (Similarities and Differences)