BASIC QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN LOOKING AT WORKS OF ART

What is my first response to the work of art? Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema Spring CARAVAGGIO Salome with the Head of St John the Baptist

What is the title? Does it help to illuminate the work? Raft of Medusa, Theodore Gericault Ecstasy of St. Theresa

CONTEXT Physical location – original setting? Who was the artist and patron? Historical events – cultural, political, religious, etc. Concepts & ideas - ideology

Physical Location & Condition Temple of Athena Nike

Physical Location – Original location vs. current location of the work? Ishtar Gate Altar of Zeus Pergamon

Artist and Patron Sistine Chapel, Last Judgment

When and where was the work made? Yosemite Valley by Albert Bierstadt 1866 Andy Warhol 100 Cans, 1962

What purpose did the work serve? Caesar Augustus Chartres Cathedral