Composition

• What is the main point of focus? Which part of the work draws your eye the most?
• Is it complex or simple?
• Asymmetrical or symmetrical?
• How is it arranged? Vertical/horizontal, vertical/diagonal, or does it use a grid?
• Is it balanced? Has the artist used the Golden Section? Are there mathematical relationships?

Colour

• Describe the colours ­ primary, monochrome, hot, cold, contrasting, realistic?
• What colours are dominant?
• Do the colours create an emotional response?
• Do the colours flatten the picture space, or do they establish depth?
• Could there be a cultural or symbolic reason for the choice of colours?

Paint

• Application How has the paint been applied? Smooth/rough, thin/thick, gestural/mechanical?
• Is there evidence of the layer of media?
• What techniques are used ­ glazing, blending, scumbling?
• What media is used ­ oil, acrylic, enamel, watercolour, mixed?
• How has the paint been applied ­ brush, stick, roller, rags, palette knife?
• Has the artist used the application of media to reinforce the meaning of the artwork? How?

Tone

• Describe the tonal values of the work ­ light, dark, contrasting?
• Is there a full range of tone?
• Is tone use to guide the viewer to any parts of the painting?
• Is tone used to create an emotional effect ­ dark, dramatic, gentle, peaceful, mysterious?
• Describe the quality of light:­ shadow, soft, dark, non­existent, dramatic, atmospheric, musty, diffused, dull, chiaroscuro, contrasting, strong, harsh, or subtle.
• Where is the light coming from? Is it consistent? Is it a single light source? What effect does this have?

Form

• Describe figures and forms.
• Are the forms/objects naturalistic, distorted, simplified, exaggerated, proportional, graceful, monumental, formal dramatic, idealised?
• Do the forms look solid and show volume, or are they flattened? How is this achieved?
• Are the forms geometric, organic, mechanical, simple, complex, and/or imaginary?
• Has perspective, and/or foreshortening been used to create realistic forms?
• Do the forms have solidity, mass, transparency? How is this created?
• Are the forms static or do they convey movement? How?
• Do the forms convey an emotional content ­ anger, sadness, excitement, calm etc?

Shape

• What is the relationship between the object (positive shapes) and surrounding spaces (negative shapes)?
• How do the shapes relate to the edge of the picture and the shape of the picture plane?
• Do the shapes create repetition, rhythm, movement, patterns etc? How is this created?
• What natures are the shapes ­ geometric, organic, simple, complex, fragile, solid, etc?
• Do the shapes have symbolic connotations ­ cross, circle, dove etc?

Space

• Is the picture space deep or shallow? How has this been created?
• Are perspective devices used ­ linear perspective, aerial perspective, overlapping, placement?
• Is there a vanishing point? Where is it placed? Why is it placed there?
• What effect does the depth of the picture have on the viewers' response?

Line

• Describe the quality of line (the edges of shapes and forms) in this work ­ long/short, hard/soft, jagged/smooth, continuous/broken, straight/curved etc.
• What effect does the use of line create ­ diagonals/curves for movement, horizontals for calm, opposing lines for tension/violence?
• What emotional effect do the lines create? Vigorous and animated or controlled and technical?
• Are the lines used to guide the viewer to particular parts of the picture?

Surface

• How are the surfaces of objects treated ­ generalised or very specific detail?
• How naturalistic are the surface textures like fur, glass, stone, wood? How have these effects been created?
• Has attention been given to creating patterns and/or textures? How? Why?
• Is detail used to guide the viewer (more detail on the important parts of the picture)?
• Are the textures differentiated (to separate parts of the picture) or mostly the same (to unify the picture)?

Pictorial

• What is the intention of the artist? What is he/she trying to communicate?
• Why have they chosen a particular theme, subject?
• Why have the chosen to include particular objects? What do these objects mean?
• Is there a social message they artist is trying to communicate? What?
• A wider context: How has this work been affected by the artist's personal background, beliefs, experience?
• Has the age, gender, ethnicity, or religious beliefs of the artist influenced this work?
• How has the artist been influenced by social/cultural/historical/political/environmental events?
• How does this work relate to other work by the same artist? What is similar and/or different?
• How does this work relate to the work of other artists? What is similar and/or different?
• Where/who did this artist get his/her ideas from?
• Has this work influenced the work of later artists? Who and how?

Symbolism

• What do the objects in this picture mean?
• Where do the objects come from (appropriated)? Which culture, time period, location?
• Are the symbols personal, culturally specific or universal?
• What are the relationships between symbols ­ clashing, harmonious, sympathetic, contrasting?

The composition has been divided into two triangles one, is still apart from the two figures and shows off the bright blue sky and a ship in the background. The other is a darker zone consisting of a lot of greens and browns as opposed to the warm oranges and vibrant blues and reds. These colours could represent the Ariadne's sadness as the ship leaves her and Bacchus's newly found love for her. The bright green tree in the background where the party of people have presumably come from signifies that this man would like to lead her off the brown, ugly shore to the bright and vibrant forest from where he came.

Although his mature works may not contain the vivid, luminous tints of his early pieces, their loose brushwork and subtlety of tone are without precedent in the history of Western art.- Wikipedia, on Titian.

the rest of the people in the painting seem to be in dimmer lighting, 

positioning your focus on the main two.

Ariadne, the points of focus in this painting, are the lightest figures. This contrasts to the darker forms and draws our eye to the glowing skin of these figures.

The work is divided into two triangles of contrasting tone and colour- on the left the blue expansive sky and the

Movement is created by the

Timeless draperies with elaborate folds were typical of Late Renaissance artists.

Flat two-dimensional picture plane - no perspective.

Women seem unaware of each other, only staring at the viewer, as if that is the only thing important - they are disconnected from anything but the viewer.

There are a lot of styles all gone into this - Oceania art, African art, Spanish art, and other influences seem to be trying to gain the attention of the audience - which has been said by critics to be proof of a transitional point in Picasso's art.

Was painted before he truly started cubism, but it is the starting point of this art style being the prime way he made art.

Simplified forms - simplified to planes of colour and angles.

Strong horizontal lines created through the women's bodies, which gives a sense of power to the women, they seem strong and righteous. They almost seem to be saying to the audience, why do you judge us for being prostitutes? From the angular shapes, and the way the women are positioned, diagonal lines are created, leading the viewers eye around the painting, and causing more confusion from the viewer because it is so erratic and unbalanced. The angular lines of this artwork, in combination with the diagonal lines creates a feeling of anger and confusion.

He has not attempted any tonal modelling, but has added in some strange shadows onto some body parts, making them seem weird, and not human. Because of the planes of colour, the flat space, and the use of tribal mask type faces, it gives the appearance as being made out of wood - they are strong and hard.

The women are in positions that appear posed - they look like a normal nude would, but Picasso challenges what a nude should be. He is questioning the true essence of a person, and if the outward appearance is all there is.

The angular shapes and lines within this artwork create movement and tension, although the models are posed and stiff. It appears as though the world is moving around them, showing that people ignore these prostitutes. It also shows that this brothel must be very busy a lot of the time.

The brushstrokes of this artwork are quite obvious, especially in the background, with some of the background even appearing to be unfinished. This creates a feeling of movement, and a feeling of mess or hardship, which could refer to the state of the brothel, or to the lives of the prostitutes.

The main point of focus for the audience and where they're drawn to is the figure in the centre of the image who is much more defined than others and is draped in a dark red cloth. However the audience also finds themselves drawn to the figure on the far lefthand side, linking the two with the stark brightness of their cloaks.

The image is quite

complex as it has many varying techniques used to portray the figures and their actions, as well as featuring many different colours

The figure is Asymmetrical as one side of the image is

much more crowded than the other. The left hand side has much more depth of, and empty space in comparison to the right side which features a much closer view point and has more figures, as well as a difference of colour, the right side is all much more earthy and natural colour tones predominantly green and brown.

Titian has effectively used the contrast in tones of colour to create attention and highlight the parts of the image he most wants you to pay attention to

Statement: Titian uses vibrant, rich oil colours.

Example: This can be seen in his treatment of the colours of the robes Bacchus (blue) and Ariadne (red) are wearing, and in the richness of the green of the tree leaves at the top of the painting.

Explanation: Venetian artists like Titian were fascinated by the concept of 'colorito' - they believed that placement of colour could be used to build a composition, and colours could be mixed and layered on the canvas. Working with slow drying oil paint allowed for this. Whereas in Florence, artists like Michelangelo believed in 'disegno' - careful planning and drawing as the basis of a good artwork. This was needed due to the fast-drying qualities of fresco or tempera paints.