Museum Analysis Work sheet

“Virtual Art Museum Analysis

“Directions”

“Visit your approved virtual art museum and select two works of art that evoke a

response in you. Plan to spend a minimum of 2 hours touring and interacting with your museum.

Make sure that you fully answer all questions utilizing college-level writing skills, including

complete sentences.

DO NOT use any analysis information provided in museum virtual tours, audio guides, or

printed/ website materials. Additionally, do not conduct any outside research for this

assignment.”

“Complete the worksheet and upload into the Canvas assignment dropbox by the due date

listed in the course syllabus. Include the required photograph/screenshots. One screenshot of

each of your two selected artworks, and a selfie of you with the museum virtual tour on your

computer. Remember because this is a virtual visit you must utilize a museum that has a full

virtual interactive tour, NOT just images or video from the collection online.”

“Part 1: Museum Visit- Use the Museum’s actual website to aid

you in completion of this section. ”

1. “Name of museum:”

a. The Louvre.

2. “The web address of the fully interactive virtual museum tour and the web address of the

actual museum:”

a. https://www.louvre.fr/en/visites-en-ligne

b. https://www.louvre.fr/en

3. “Discuss the current featured exhibitions. A featured exhibit is temporary, often on-loan to

the museum and therefore featured.:”

a. There are currently three featured exhibitions. The first one is “The Advent of the

Artist”. This opened on September 25, 2019 and is made up of about 40 artworks,

including literary works, from many artists from right before and during the

Renaissance. It highlights the transition of ordinary craftsmen to the highly

recognized artists we know today. The exhibition is currently closed to the public

until December due to COVID.

The second exhibition that is featured is dedicated to Albrecht Altdorfer, a German

Renaissance Master. On display is a vast array of his work including paintings,

drawings and prints. His works are organized in chronological order as well as by

theme. This exhibition was set to open on October 1, 2020 and go through January 4,

2021, but it never opened to the public and will remain closed until December due to

COVID.

The third exhibition is Body and Soul Italian Renaissance Sculpture from Donatello

to Michelangelo. Displayed are many works including painting, printmaking, and

drawing, but the primary focus is sculpture. There are three major themes in this

exhibition. The first theme is “Fury and Grace”, the second is “Affect and

Persuasiveness”, and the last is “From Dionysos to Apollo”. Each theme draws

attention to different ways the artists portrayed their interpretation of humans and

how they wanted the viewers to feel while looking at the sculptures. This exhibition is

brand new and was set to open on October 22, 2020 but unfortunately, like the other

two exhibitions, this one never opened to the public and will remain closed until

December.

4. “Discuss the permanent collections held by the museum. In what period or periods of art is

the museum strong? Who are the major artists represented?”

a. The Louvre’s permanent collection covers art from the medieval period to 1848.

These works are grouped into eight departments, called Curatorial Departments.

There are many different types of work in the Louvre collection including paintings,

Egyptian Antiquities, Greek, Etruscaan, and Roman Antiquities, Near Eastern

Antiquities, Sculptures, Decorative Arts, Islamic Art, Prints, and Drawings. There is

also a separate collection called The Pavillon de l’Horloge, which tells about the

history of the Louvre and how it was transformed from a Palace to a museum. Some

of the major artists that are represented within these collections are, Leonardo da

Vinci, Guillaume Coustou, Albrecht Dürer, and Hyacinthe Rigaud.

5. “ Justify the need to learn from museum collections, beyond a simple historical context.

Also, discuss what makes museum collections important.”

a. It is important to learn from museum collections because there is always a unique

story to be told within a collection of artworks. One that we might not get from a

simple history book in school. Each collection in a museum is organized either by

time period, artist(s), type of artwork, or sometimes they are put together to tell a

specific story. By viewing these collections, we can learn about how humans lived

and thought in a specific time period. We can also learn a lot about the lives of the

artist and how they interpreted humans and the world around them.

“Part 2: Visit your approved art museum and explore a

particular collection.”

1. “ Within your chosen collection, pay attention to the objects, their purpose, and how they

were constructed or created. Using your observations, what information do the objects

provide to you about the people or culture that created them? What can we learn about people

from this particular age and from this specific collection?”

a. The works in this collection show that the people from this particular age were pretty

simple people. They were also highly driven by religion or a higher power. It also

seems like art was a very significant part of their lives, which seems like an obvious

statement given they are well known artists now, but it’s definitely worth noting.

These artworks show that art wasn’t just a hobby for people, but something that gave

their life meaning. It was a way for them to express themselves and leave a mark on

the world. It was also a way of preserving their memories and leaving a personal

history book for future generations.

2. “ Select one particular object that reveals information or serves as a window into that

historical period. Name and describe that specific object and discuss in detail what it reveals

about its creator and time period.”

a. I think François Biard’s Four Hours at the Salon painting is a great window into this

particular historical period. This painting shows a crowd of people swarming around

a salon in the Louvre which displays great artworks of this time period. The guards

are shouting that the Louvre is closing and you can see many different emotions from

the people in this painting. There is a look of awe from the people looking at the

paintings, anger from people looking at the guards, and there is of course sadness on

many people’s faces. This work imparticular shows how important art was to people

of this time period. From looking at this painting, the viewer can quickly gather that

art was clearly a significant part of people’s lives in this time period, regardless of if

they were men, women, or children.

3. “ Discuss why it is important to preserve and study the creative endeavors of a given period

or place. Be sure to give at least three reasons in full and complete sentences.”

a) The first reason it is important to preserve and study the creative endeavors of a given

period or place is because there is a lot to be learned from it. We can learn so much

about how these artists thought, felt, lived, and interpreted the world around them in

the period they lived.

b) Another reason this is important is because sometimes these artworks can tell us

more about history than written history can tell us. Viewing art can often times have a

greater impact on our emotions than if we were to read about. Feeling the emotions

that the artist was feeling as he was painting or feeling the emotions he is

manipulating the viewer to feel can be very helpful in learning about their lives and

the world at a certain period in time.

c) The third reason it is important to preserve and study artwork is because it allows us

to see how not only art has changed, but also how the world has changed. It is

important for us to study and recognize these changes because it helps us learn from

the past and keep moving forward.

“Part 3: Select two works of art that evoke a strong personal

reaction. The first must be two-dimensional, the second must be

a work of sculpture. Insert a screenshot from the virtual tour of

each of your selected works of art that shows the artworks in

the museum setting.”

Example 1- 2D Art:

Title: Madame Vigée Le Brun et sa fille

Artist: Elisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun

Date/Period: 1786

Materials: Oil on wood

1. “What is the most important part of the work, the

Focal Point?”

a. The focal point of this painting is the daughter.

2. “What elements or principles of design did the artist use to draw your attention to the focal

point? Identify and describe how each element or principle is being used to draw your

attention to the focal point. (You must describe three different elements or principles of

design).”

a. The first element of design that I noticed the artist used to draw the viewers' attention

to the focal point is the bright, almost angelic white of the child's dress. It stands out

from the rest of the portrait in almost a glow against the other muted, dull colors

including the colors of the mother's dress. The artist also used this bright coloring on

the child's face and eyes. The child's skin glows almost as bright as her white dress

and her piercing blue eyes draw you in.

b. The second element of design that I noticed were the lines she chose to use. Her arms

are surrounding her daughter using horizontal lines which communicate calmness.

She also used the lines of her arms as well as the child's arms and the diagonal angle

of their faces to keep the viewers' eyes enveloped in the mother's embrace.

c. The third element of design that is worth noting is the artist's choice of material. She

used oil on wood which allowed her to be able to make the work look extremely

lifelike. She used the rich colors of oil paint to create a deep warm background to

highlight the angelic white focal points. She was also able to manipulate the oil paint

to make the couch and the mother's dress look extremely soft and smooth, yet shiny

like silk. All of these things draw the viewer in and might even bring up an emotional

feeling within the viewer.

3. “Describe what you think is happening in your selected work.”

a. I think it is just a mother holding her child, keeping her safe and warm in her

embrace.

4. “Clarity: Does the work have coherence? (Remember coherence, is how all of the elements

and principles of design work together to create or transmit meaning.) Explain?”

a. Yes, I believe this work does have coherence. The artist used many different elements

and principles of design in this piece, but they all work together and communicate

calmness and love to the viewer. The use of vivid color aids the viewer in focusing on

the figures in the center. The lines draw into the center as well, keeping you focused

on the man scene.

5. “Interest: Does the work hold your interest? If so, how? If not, then why not?”

a. This work absolutely holds my interest! The way the artist made the paint look so

smooth and realistic, especially on wood, is so interesting. This work was also able to

hold my interest because it pulled at my heartstrings a little. You can almost feel the

warmth and motherly affection coming off of this work and it is so calming and

lovely.

6. “Thesis Statement: Create a thesis statement around your argument about what the artist is

trying to communicate about this work using the elements and principles in the work. ”

a. In her self-portrait, Elisabeth-Louise Vigée Brun et sa fille, the artist uses a clear focal

area, calming horizontal lines, and rich colors to allow the viewer to feel enveloped in

the loving embrace of a mother.

Example 2- Sculpture:

Title: Groupe de Venus et Cupidon (Group of Venus and

Cupid)

Artist: Unknown, Found in Rome

Date/Period: 2nd Century CE

Materials: Marble

1. “What is the most important part of the work, the Focal Point?”

a. The focal point for this work is Venus’s face.

2. “What elements or principles of design did the artist use to draw your attention to the focal

point? Identify and describe how each element or principle is being used to draw your

attention to the focal point. (You must describe three different elements or principles of

design).”

a. The first element of design the artist used to draw the viewer's attention to the focal

point is scale. This sculpture stands about 1.74 meters, which is roughly 5.5 feet tall.

Most people are around that height on average which means when standing in front of

the sculpture, most people would be eye to eye with Venus.

b. The second element of design the artist used is line. All of the lines in this piece are

drawing the viewer's eyes up toward Venus's face. The lines on Venus's dress are

vertical which bring the viewer's eyes up to Cupid's hands and body which are angled

diagonally toward Venus's left arm (which is connected to his head). Venus's left arm

is diagonal towards her face and finally, the lines on her sleeve bring the viewer's

eyes up to that space. On the other side of her body, the lines on her dress work the

viewer's eyes up to her right arm which is extended up, but slightly angled toward her

face and her fingers are almost subtly pointing in that direction.

c. The third element of design the artist used in this work is negative space, or the lack

of it. There is almost no negative space in this piece. Cupid and Venus are almost

connected between Cupid's body and Venus's left leg. Her left hand is gently rested

upon the top of his head. This creates some negative space behind her arm and the

child's head, but the sleeves of her dress fill the space behind it which communicates

a kind of motherly embrace.

3. “Describe what you think is happening in your selected work.”

a. Venus is holding a ball and Cupid is reaching up for it. Depending on what the ball

represents or contains, she could be teaching him something or protecting him from

something.

4. “Clarity: Does the work have coherence? (Remember coherence, is how all of the elements

and principles of design work together to create or transmit meaning.) Explain?”

a. Yes, this work does have coherence. The elements of design that the artist used, such

as scale, line, and negative space all work together to communicate strength as well as

maternal love. The lines draw the viewer’s attention to the mother and child. The

scale is approporiate for each to be with each other as a mother and child. The

negative space makes a feel real and has impact when you see it.

5. “Interest: Does the work hold your interest? If so, how? If not, then why not?”

a. Yes, this work does hold my interest and I think it would hold it even more in person.

There is such great detail on this sculpture and it is amazing to look at every little part

and really take it in. I am also really amazed with how this entire piece flows together

to keep your eyes on the focal point. It is even more incredible when you think that it

was created two-thousand years ago, without any modern tools.

6. “Thesis Statement: Create a thesis statement around your argument about what the artist is

trying to communicate about this work using the elements and principles in the work. ”

a. In the sculpture Groupe de Venus et Cupidon, the artist uses human scale, vertical

line, and a lack of negative space to communicate Venus’s strength and maternal

love.

“Part 4: Evaluation of the Virtual Museum Experience”

1. “Describe three things that you like most about your virtual visit to the museum. Please be as

specific as possible.”

a. It was really amazing to be able to see all of these well known historical artworks.

b. I feel like I appreciate art even more than I did before after visiting the Louvre. The

collections they have put together are absolutely amazing and very informative.

c. I found other artists that I really enjoy that I didn’t know about before!

2. “What did you least like about your virtual visit to the museum? Please be as specific as

possible.”

a. Besides the online tour system being a little annoying to navigate, the thing I liked

least was not being able to fully study these amazing pieces. A virtual image does not

do these works justice and I can’t wait to be able to visit them in person one day!

“Upload the selfie of you with the museum virtual tour on your computer and you in the photo.

*Yes you must be in the photo.”