Looking At Art: The Basics

Useful tips for approaching a work of art

Portrait of a man (1630–1633) by Frans Hals. Image Source Wikimedia Commons

My first piece of advice when looking at a work of art is always this: give yourself time to look. Works of art are real objects — most of the time — with a real size, shape, texture and composition. These are qualities that can be discovered by close attention, and sometimes a little research, on behalf of the viewer. The three qualities I’m going…