The exploration and study of art history would be rendered useless if one did not properly use formal analysis. What formal analysis is and what it’s asking us to do is to simply take note of what the artist has done visually in his or her work. What the artist has done visually is a broad phrasing, so it is important to hone in on visuals such as color, line, space, mass/scale, material, contrast, position, composition, and illusionism. While it seems like a lot to take in, each component is vital to pay attention to in order to fully grasp what it is the artist is trying to convey through their artwork. An artists use of a certain range of color, their emphasis of line and linear contours and the space they create within their work all speak volumes of what it is they’re trying to convey. These components can be categorized as the formal properties of formal analysis, but there is also subject matter and historical context to take into consideration when formally analyzing a piece of art.
In addressing the subject matter and historical context whilst using formal analysis, we are able to understand what/who the artist and their society had valued at the time and what they deemed worthy of preserving. The subject matter is more obvious than historical context, because it is supplied to you via the art you’re analyzing. Like in Titian’s Venus of Urbino, the subject matter is clearly Venus herself as she is not only front and center but takes up the majority of the canvas as well. While the subject matter here is clear as day, most would not know that Titian painted this work as a gift for a young, newly wedded couple to give a push to consummate their marriage. However, while subject matter is easier to depict in formal analysis, historical context works to further give the artwork meaning. In short, formal analysis is integral to art history because it is essentially asking us to understand the crux of the artwork we’re examining. And what is art without us attempting to understand it and assign it meaning? What is art, without formal analysis?
