This Friday forum was a blessing. I was having somewhat of a hard time with my Image Analysis Essay up until now. I wasn’t really sure about how I should be analyzing a picture and determining what it’s key factors were. Writing a six page essay on one image alone is challenging, especially since writing is my strong suit to begin with.
This Friday Forum made me understand that image analysis is all about common sense. There isn’t a scientific way of analyzing an image. Image analysis isn’t about measuring the spectral radiancy in an image with an electron microscope or whatever doo-hickey that measures the intensity of colors. There’s three methods that historians use to scrutinize an object for meaning: formal analysis, iconographic analysis, and social art historical analysis.
Formal analysis is about recognizing the objects basic forms like lines, shapes, and colors. This is the part about image analysis that is all about common sense. If you see a painting and a guy is wearing a fancy suit, with lavish furniture surrounding him, and he is staring out into a window with some French architecture in the back ground…then it is safe to say that this man isn’t poor, he’s either rich or well off, and he is living in France. BOOM common sense.
One thing that I found helpful and interesting was this phrase:
“When describing an image to someone who can’t see, what’s the most important thing you think you should convey?”
Iconographic analysis is about determining what the image is saying to you. What does the image symbolize? Historical analysis focuses on the context of the image. When was the image created? How was it created? Why was it created? Whom was it created for? What is it meant to do?
In the end it is all a big guessing game but with a little research thrown into the mix. You have to research your image, the time it came from, and the cultural events that was happening at the time. Do this and you can make an “educated guess” about what your image represents.
Hypothesize it!
OntheWarside 