How to Look at Paintings More Effectively

A guide to understanding composition in art

Arlésiennes (Mistral) (1888) by Paul Gauguin. Oil on jute canvas. 73 × 92 cm. Art Institute of Chicago, U.S. Image source Art Institute of Chicago (open access)

For a long time, I’ve maintained the idea that understanding art is largely about taking the time to look.

Artists lay out many of the “answers” to their works before us, right there in the images, if only we can see them for ourselves.

Paintings are not like words on a page. They largely show their meaning through their visual arrangements. The key is to look more closely and thoughtfully.

So here are a few pointers about composition that might help…

Form

Form is how shapes are put to use, how we perceive them and what they make us think of. As an example, take this simple rectangle:

What could we say about its shape beyond the fact that it’s a rectangle?

We might say it is broad and short. Or stretched. If we imagine the rectangle is the outline of a building, then the building would be wide and thick-set, and perhaps we might say it looks stout and durable. Or flat and wide.