As mentioned in Section One, many people make value judgments about artwork based upon its visual aesthetics, or the way it looks; however, it is important to make an informed decision. If the viewer is not “in the loop,” or aware of the conditions of the era in which the work of art was created, the value judgment will lack supporting evidence. This means that if you aren’t aware of what went on in history when the work was created, you won’t understand the message the artist is trying to convey, and you won’t be able to support your opinion.

In this section, you will learn how to look at a work of art more critically as you become familiar with the process used to critically evaluate art, based upon factual evidence.