Formal analysis is a way of visually describing things with careful examination. Often when using formal analysis it “concerns the visual and physical aspects of the work of art” (23). When using this method of analysis, usually the purpose is to get ‘the bigger picture’… literally. It SHOWS rather than simply telling us; and as the viewers, we’re trying to see what the artist was trying to get at and what the picture means and how it may effect the viewer- it extends further past it’s physical description.

Formal analysis is unique because it’s very open to interpretation, as each viewer will interpret differently and get different meanings from the paintings. Things like color, lines, space, scale, dimension, etc can all play into the visual exploration, and should all be considered when examining a painting- as they all play into decoding the painting and hopefully providing us with a meaning or explanation of what may have occurred at the time or the artists’ minds.