previous
Jacob Lawrence: Storyteller
Curriculum unit developed by the J. Paul Getty Trust

Lesson 3: Self-portraits: Telling Stories about Ourselves

Activity 4: Be an Art Critic

Overview:
Students learn the role of an art critic, and then write a critical review about one, or a series, of Jacob Lawrence's artworks.

Invite students to be art critics. An art critic's role is to help an audience understand and appreciate an artwork or a group of artworks. Art critics provide a way of thinking about an artwork's meaning or message. A critic also makes judgments about the merit or significance of an artwork.

Critics present their interpretations and judgments of artworks to an audience of a newspaper, television and internet review, among others.

Students should select one work or a series of works and write a critical review about it. The format for their writing will depend upon the audience selected. In writing about an artwork's meaning or message, and in offering judgments about its merit or significance, reasons for their point of view should be provided. Students may use the following questions to guide their criticism of the works:
  • What is going on in this artwork?
  • How are people depicted? What are they doing? What else is in the artwork?
  • What feelings or moods does this artwork suggest?
  • Which of the following words "fit" the feelings or moods: bold, proud, serious, angry, tired, energized, calm, peaceful, sad? Can you think of other words to describe the moods or feelings?
  • What ideas or themes does this artwork suggest?
  • Which of the following ideas "fit" the artwork: conflict, struggle, happiness, comfort, power, peace? Can you think of other ideas that might be suggested?
  • How has the artist used color, line, shape, space, exaggeration, size, and organization of the parts to help suggest moods, feelings, and ideas?
  • Do you like this particular artwork? Do you think the artist did a good job in creating it?
  • Is this an artwork you would recommend that others see? Why or why not?
After choosing the type of review to write (newspaper article, online arts magazine, etc), find and read examples of similar reviews.

Students will share their finished reviews with the class.


Intro | Table of Contents | Timeline | Image Archive | Lesson 1 | Lesson 2 | Lesson 3


© J. Paul Getty Trust