Writing about Art (Book Clubs)

In class, we analyzed "The Starry Night" by Van Gogh and compared it to poems/songs about it. We made observations, inferences, and interpretations of all of the above.

Now, choose an artist and visual work of art to interpret and write about.

1. Choose an artist.

2. Read a short biography of him/her in class.

3. In your notebook, take notes on the artist's work and life.

4. From the book, choose a painting/photograph to write about. Also in your notebook, list the following:

a) Observations: what do you see and notice in general? What colors, techniques, details, etc. do you see?

b) Inferences: what do the individual details mean?

c) Interpretation: what does the work of art mean overall? What do you think is the artist's purpose?

d) Extension: what does the work of art remind you of, make you think or feel? How does it relate and connect to another work of art, text, your self etc.?

5. Write a poem or song on the work of art and/or artist. Use the poems on The Starry Night we've read as mentor texts. Apply some of the ideas and techniques we discussed.

6. On your blog, write an entry about the artist and art work you chose. Also, include your revised poem.

In your entry, include:

a) relevant facts and details about the artist's life and work

b) a detailed analysis of the work of art you chose to focus on; include observations (what it looks like), inferences (what the details and techniques mean), interpretations (what it means overall), and extension (how it connects to your self, the world, and/or other texts; what it makes you think and feel)

c) a poem you wrote about the work of art


Professional essay on Vincent Van Gogh that incorporates biography and criticism of his work:

"Van Gogh's Night Visions" by Paul Trachtman

Read these student examples of writing on art:
a) Interpretation of an art piece
b) Poem written from a photograph

For further reading:

Online Resources for Visual Art
1. The Metropolitan Museum of Art – over 300,000 works of art to view
2. Web Gallery – here you can search by artists from the last 500 years
3. Artnet – great resource for modern art from all over the world:
4. Brooklyn Museum
5. Here is an in-depth look at American photographs from the last century. This is a good way to learn about important photographers
6. Look at work on the MOMA website; consider writing about one of the works of art you viewed on our trip to the museum
7. Also, search by artists. Here are some suggestions: Pablo Picasso, Frida Kahlo, Matisse, Miro, Breughel, Andy Warhol, Diego Rivera...

More Poetry on Visual Art
7. Here is a website with a list of poems on paintings and sculptures: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/tool.poem.cat.6.1.html?id=52
8. Here are some specific poems about art; read the poems and connect them to the works of art:
a. “Landscape of the Fall of Icarus” by William Carlos Williams: http://www.english.emory.edu/classes/paintings&poems/williams.html
b. Musee des Beaux Arts by W.H. Auden which is about the same painting as Williams’ poem: http://poetrypages.lemon8.nl/life/musee/museebeauxarts.htm