Analyze the Qualities of Art Answers

Marxism involves interpreting artwork in terms of its social and economic context. Marxism comes from the philosophies of German economist Karl Marx. The goal of Marxism in art is to show how time, place, and society influence art trends.

This photograph is by Dorothea Lange. Answer will vary but may include the following: This photo of a migrant mother has become an icon of the Great Depression. The expression on the woman’s face and her cowering children help communicate the mood of this time. It shows the pain felt by all members of the family, and the despair felt by parents for the miserable lives of themselves and their children.

Answer will vary but may include the following: The artist took a Marxist approach when created this painting. We know this because the painting shows wealthy society, and Marxism related to art’s relationship with social, economic, and political circumstances.

With formalism, art is evaluated in terms of its use of the elements of art. Formalism is not concerned with content, and is not influenced by time and space (the objective world).

Answer will vary but may include the following: The artwork is a self-portrait painted by Frida Kahlo. As an independent and free-spirited woman, she chose to paint herself in a naturalistic way. She wanted to show the truth as beautiful, and the sternness and confidence within herself and the female gender.

The image is an example of formalism. Answer will vary but may include the following: The artist has focused mainly on visual elements, such as line, color, and shape, rather than the subject matter.

The most common methodologies of art are formalism, iconology, Marxism, Feminism, biography, and autobiography.

Iconography refers to meaning of the symbols and images in art. Iconology is the study of imagery in terms of broader cultural and artistic content in art.