How to Write a Visual Analysis Essay: Examples & Template

A visual analysis essay is an academic paper type that history and art students often deal with. It consists of a detailed description of an image or object. It can also include an interpretation or an argument that is supported by visual evidence.

In this article, our custom writing experts will:

• explain what a visual analysis is;
• share useful tips on how to write a good visual analysis essay;
• provide an essay sample.

🎨 What Is a Visual Analysis?

The primary objective of visual analysis is to understand an artwork better by examining the visual elements. There are two types of visual analysis: formal and contextual.

• A formal analysis focuses on artwork elements such as texture, color, size, and line. It aims to organize visual information and translate it into words. A formal analysis doesn’t interpret the piece.
• Unlike formal analysis, contextual analysis’ primary goal is to connect artwork to its purpose or meaning within a culture. A contextual analysis includes formal analysis. Additionally, it discusses an artwork’s social purpose and significance.

Usually, students deal with formal visual analysis. Before starting to work on your essay, make sure to ask your professor whether to include contextual analysis or not.

The Purpose of Analyzing Images

Why is visual analysis important? What does it help to learn? There are several things that visual analysis helps with:

What Is Formal Analysis: Art History

When we look at an artwork, we want to know why it was created, who made it, and what its function was. That’s why art historians and researchers pay special attention to the role of artworks within historical contexts.

Visual analysis is a helpful tool in exploring art. It focuses on the following aspects:

• Interpretation of subject matter (iconography). An iconographic analysis is an explanation of the work’s meaning. Art historians try to understand what is shown and why it is depicted in a certain way.
• The analysis of function. Many works of art were designed to serve a purpose that goes beyond aesthetics. Understanding that purpose by studying their historical use helps learn more about artworks. It also establishes a connection between function and appearance.

Formal Analysis: Art Glossary

Now, let’s look at some visual elements and principles and learn how to define them.

Visual Elements:

Visual Principles:

🏺 How to Analyze Artworks: Different Types

Writing a formal analysis is a skill that requires practice. Being careful and attentive during the pre-writing stage is essential if you want to create a good and well-structured visual analysis. 

Visual analysis essay mainly consists of two components:

• Description of the selected image or object,
• Interpretation built on the visual evidence.

During the pre-writing stage:

1. Collect general information about an artwork. Describe it briefly. Pay special attention to visual elements and principles:

✔️	Composition	What do you notice first? Why?
✔️	Color	What colors are used? How are they arranged?
✔️	Shapes	Are the figures abstract or realistic?

2. Develop an interpretation. Think critically. What does the information in your notes imply? How can it be interpreted?
3. Support your ideas. To do it, refer to the visual elements directly. Avoid generalizing art and double-check your prompts. 

How to Analyze a Painting Using the Elements of Art

To write an excellent formal visual analysis, you need to consider as many visual principles and elements as you can apply. In the formal analysis part:

• Target your description;
• Address only those elements relevant to your essay;
• Pay attention to visual elements and principles;
• Introduce the subject of the painting and describe it;
• Explain why you have decided to discuss specific elements;
• Discuss the relationship between visual elements of the artwork;
• Use the vocabulary terms.

If you are asked to do a contextual analysis, you may want to:

• Focus on the historical importance of an artwork;
• Explore the style or movement associated with an artwork;
• Learn about the historical context and the public’s reaction to the artwork;
• Learn about the author and how they’ve created the piece of art.

Painting Analysis Essay Example & Tips

Here is a template you can use for your essay.

Description	Give a brief description of the painting. What do you see? What areas of the artwork grab your attention?
Analysis	In the analysis part, pay attention to visual elements and principles. Describe them and say how they all come together.
Interpretation	Look at the artwork from a cultural perspective. What does the author express? What does it mean to the viewer?
Evaluation	Finally, state your personal opinion. What do you feel when you look at the art piece?

Now, let’s take a look at an essay example.

Description	Starry Night (1889) is a Vincent van Gogh oil painting of a night landscape brimmed with whirling clouds, luminous stars, and a bright crescent moon. The artist uses a mix of warm, cold, and neutral colors. Yellows on top of blues create a clear contrast, making the stars and crescent moon stand out.
Analysis	In Starry Night, van Gogh uses his unique thick brush strokes. The technique adds depth and rich texture to the painting. The use of whites and yellows draws more attention to the sky. Vertical lines in the form of a cypress tree and a church tower break up the composition.
Interpretation	Through his painting, van Gogh contrasts life and death, brightly shining stars, and a gloomy yet peaceful village.
Evaluation	Starry Night is a painting that reflects Vincent van Goh’s inner world. It embodies his unique style and personality. The piece has a major influence on modern art.

How to Analyze a Photograph

Analyzing photos has a lot in common with paintings. There are three methods on which photo visual analysis relies: description, reflection, and formal analysis. Historical analysis can be included as well, though it is optional.

1. Description. It implies looking closely at the photo and considering all the details. The description needs to be objective and consists of basic statements that don’t express an opinion.

Good description	Bad description
The girl in the middle is the tallest one. She wears a white linen dress.	The girl in the middle is the most beautiful among the three.

2. Reflection. For the next step, focus on the emotions that the photograph evokes. Here, every viewer will have a different opinion and feelings about the artwork. Knowing some historical context may be helpful to construct a thoughtful response.
3. Formal analysis. Think of the visual elements and principles. How are they represented in the photograph?
4. Historical analysis. For a contextual analysis, you need to pay attention to the external elements of the photograph. Make sure that you understand the environmental context in which the photo was taken. Under what historical circumstances was the picture made?

Photo Analysis Essay Tips

Now that we’ve talked about analyzing a photograph let’s look at some helpful tips that will help you write an essay.

How to Analyze a Sculpture

Visual analysis of a sculpture is slightly different from the one of a painting or a photograph. However, it still uses similar concepts, relies on visual elements and principles. When you write about sculpture, consider:

Medium, size, and technique.	What is the sculpture made of? Is it done in a negative or positive technique?
Color and lightning.	Iа the sculpture is painted, describe its color. Did the sculptor consider the lighting of the sculpture’s initial location?
Human body and scale.	If a human body is a part of an artwork, consider how it is depicted. Also, note the scale of the sculpture relative to the viewer.
Function.	What was the sculpture’s purpose? For instance, you can mention if it represented a religious belief or honored someone.
Composition.	Look at how the sculpture is organized and whether it has a focal point.

Visual Analysis Essay on a Sculpture: Writing Tips

A sculpture analysis consists of the following parts:

1. Description. Include specific details, such as what the sculpture may represent. For instance, the human figure may be an athlete, an ancient God, a poet, etc. Consider their pose, body build, and attire.
2. Formal analysis. Here, visual elements and principles become the focus. Discuss the color, shape, technique, and medium.
3. Contextual analysis. If you decide to include a contextual analysis, you can talk about the sculpture’s function and how it conveys ideas and sentiments of that period. Mention its historical and cultural importance.

When it comes to sculpture analysis, you may also want to collect technical data such as:

• The size of the sculpture
• Medium (the material)
• The current condition (is it damaged, preserved as a fragment, or as a whole piece)
• Display (Was a sculpture a part of an architectural setting, or was it an independent piece of work?)

For instance, if you were to do a visual analysis of Laocoön and His Sons, you could first look up such details:

Visual Analysis Essay: Advertisement Analysis

Visuals are used in advertisements to attract attention or convince the public that they need what is being advertised. The purpose of a visual argument is to create interest. Advertisements use images to convey information and communicate with the audience.

When writing a visual analysis of an advertisement, pay attention to the following:

• text elements,
• font,
• illustrations,
• composition.

All of this influences how the viewer perceives the information and reacts to it.

When you write about an advertisement, you conduct a rhetorical analysis of its visual elements. Visual rhetoric is mainly directed at analyzing images and extracting information from them. It helps to understand the use of typography, imagery, and the arrangement of elements on the page.

Think of the famous visual rhetoric examples such as the We can do it! poster or a Chanel №5 commercial. Both examples demonstrate how persuasive imagery has been used throughout history.

How to Write a Visual Analysis Paper on an Advertisement

The presentation of visual elements in advertising is essential. It helps to convince the audience. When you analyze visual arguments, always keep the rhetorical situation in mind. Here are some crucial elements to focus on:

Audience	Who is the advertisement targeted at?
Purpose	What does the image try to convey to the audience?
Design	How is the information presented? What colors are used? Are there any highlights or repetitions?
Strategies	Does the image use any humor, celebrities, or cultural references to make the point?
Medium	Is there any text within the picture? If so, how does it work together with the image to create an intended effect?
Context	Who are the characters of an advertisement? Where are they?
Subtext	What are the implications behind the words used in the picture?

✅ How to Write a Visual Analysis Paper: Step by Step

Now, we’ll focus on the paper itself and how to structure it. But first, check out the list of topics and choose what suits you best.

Visual Analysis Essay Topics

There are a lot of artworks and advertisements that can be analyzed and viewed from different perspectives. Here are some essay topics on visual analysis that you may find helpful:

Painting:

• Analyze Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss (1907-1908.)
• The theme of humanity and The Son of Man (1964) by René Magritte.
• The use of visual elements in Almond Blossom by Vincent van Gogh (1888-1890.)
• Identity and Seated Harlequin (1901) by Picasso.
• Explore the themes of Paul Klee’s The Tree of Houses, 1918.
• Objectives, activities, and instructions of Pietro Perugino’s fresco The Delivery of the Keys to Saint Peter.
• Reflection on social issues of the time in Two Fridas by Frida Kahlo and Untitled by Ramses Younan.
• Analyze the importance of Mural (1943) by Jackson Pollock.
• The political message in John Gast’s painting American Progress (1872).
• Describe the visual techniques used in Toy Pieta by Scott Avett.
• The interpretation of the painting Indian Fire God by Frederic Remington.
• Explore the historical significance and aesthetic meaning of Ognissanti Madonna by Giotto di Bondone.
• Analyze different interpretations of The Three Dancers by Pablo Picasso.

Photography:

• The idea behind Lindsay Key (1985) by Robert Mapplethorpe.
• Explore the mythical appeal of Robert Capa’s photograph The Falling Soldier (Spain,1936) from Death in Making photobook.
• Describe Two Boys with Fish (2018) from Faith series by Mario Macilau.
• Kevin Carter’s Starving Child and Vulture (1993) as the representation of photojournalism.
• The story behind Philippe Halsman’s Dali Atomicus, 1948.
• Describe The Starving Boy in Uganda photograph by Mike Wells
• Analyse the view of a historic disaster in San Francisco photograph by George R. Lawrence.
• The statement behind Eddie Adams’s photo Shooting a Viet Cong Prisoner.
• How is Steve McCurry’s perception of the world reflected in his photo Afghanistan Girl.
• Analyze the reflection of Ansel Adams’s environmental philosophy in his photo Moon and Half Dome (1960).
• Describe Girl on the Garda Lake (2016) by Giuseppe Milo.
• Combination of internal geometry and true-to-life moments in Behind the Gare Saint Lazare by Henri Cartier-Bresson.

Sculpture:

• Modern art and Couple on Seat by Lynn Chadwick (1984.)
• Analyze the biblical context of Pieta (1498-1499) by Michelangelo.
• The use of shapes in Louise Bourgeois’ Spider (1996.)
• Analysis of the symbolism behind The Thinker (1880) by Rodin.
• The historical meaning of Fountain (1917) by Duchamp.
• Analyze the Miniature Statue of Liberty by Willard Wigan
• The combination of Egyptian culture and classical Greek ideology in statue of Osiris-Antinous.
• Reflection of the civilization values in emperor Qin’s Terracotta Army.
• The aesthetic and philosophical significance of Michelangelo’s David.
• Explore the controversial meaning of Damien Hirst’s sculpture For the Love of God (2007).
• Analyze the elements of art and design used in The Thinker by August Rodin.
• Symbolic elements in the Ancient Greek statues of Zeus.
• Depiction of the fundamental aspects of Buddhism in The Parinirvana of Siddhartha/Shakyamuni.

Advertisement:

• How Volkswagen: Think Small (1960) ad changed advertising.
• Analyze the use of figures in California Milk Processor Board: Got Milk? (1993) ad campaign.
• Analyze the use of colors in Coca-Cola — The Pause that Refreshes (1931.)
• Explore the historical context of We Can Do It! (1942) campaign.
• The importance of a slogan in 1947: A Diamond Is Forever by De Beers.
• Examine the specifics of visual advert: dogs and their humans.
• Describe the use of visual techniques in Kentucky Fried Chicken company’s advertisement.
• Analyze the multiple messages behind the print ad of JBL.
• Discuss the methods used in Toyota Highlander advertisement.
• Elucidation of people’s dependency on social networks in the advertising campaign Followers by Miller Lite.
• The use of the visual arguments in Schlitz Brewing Company advertisement.
• The role of colors and fonts in Viva la Juicy perfume advertisement.

Visual Analysis Essay Outline

You can use this art analysis template to structure your essay:

How to Start an Art Essay

Every analysis starts with an introduction. In the first paragraph, make sure that:

• the reader knows that this essay is a visual analysis;
• you have provided all the necessary background information about an artwork.

It’s also important to know how to introduce an artwork. If you’re dealing with a panting or a photograph, it’s better to integrate them into the first page of your analysis. This way, the reader can see the piece and use it as a reference while reading your paper.

Art Thesis Statement Examples & Tips

Formulating a thesis is an essential step in every essay. Depending on the purpose of your paper, you can either focus your visual analysis thesis statement on formal elements or connect it with the contextual meaning. 

To create a strong thesis, you should relate it to an artwork’s meaning, significance, or effect. Your interpretation should put out an argument that someone could potentially disagree with. 

• For instance, you can consider how formal elements or principles impact the meaning of an artwork. Here are some options you can consider:

Focus on interpreting how formal elements and principles give meaning to the artwork.	In Starry Night, the village is painted with dark colors, but the brightly lit windows create a sense of comfort.
Comment on the overall organization of an art piece.	Van Gogh’s swirling sky directs the viewer’s eye around the painting.
Another option is to relate the painting to the other artworks you have studied or seen before.	If we compare Munch’s The Scream to van Gogh’s Starry Night, we can see that a similar swirling technique was used to paint the sky.

• If your focus is the contextual analysis, you can find the connection between the artwork and the artist’s personal life or a historical event.

How to Write Visual Analysis Body Paragraphs

Body paragraphs of formal analysis consist of two parts—the description and the analysis itself. Let’s take Klimt’s The Kiss as an example:

The contextual analysis includes interpretation and evaluation.

Visual Analysis Essay Conclusion

When you work on the conclusion, try to conclude your paper without restating the thesis. At the end of your essay, you can present an interesting fact. You can also try to:

• Compare an artwork to similar ones;
• Contrast your own ideas on the piece with the reaction people had when it was first revealed.
• Talk about an artwork’s significance to the culture and art in general.

📑 Visual Analysis Essay Example & Citation Tips

In this section of the article, we will share some tips on how to reference an artwork in a paper. We will also provide an essay example.

How to Reference a Painting in an Essay

When you work on visual analysis, it is important to know how to write the title of an artwork properly. Citing a painting, a photograph, or any other visual source, will require a little more information than citing a book or an article. Here is what you will need:

1. Size dimensions
2. The medium
3. Current location
4. Name of the piece
5. Artist’s name
6. Date when artwork was created

If you want to cite a painting or an artwork you saw online, you will also need:

1. The name of the website
2. Website URL
3. Page’s publication date
4. Date of your access

How to Properly Credit an Artwork in APA

How to Properly Credit an Artwork in MLA

How to Properly Credit an Artwork in Chicago Format

Finally, here’s a sample visual analysis of Rodin’s sculpture The Thinker in APA format. Feel free to download it below.

You can also look at the following essay samples to get even more ideas.

1. The Protestors Cartoon by Clay Bennett: Visual Analysis
2. Visual Analysis – Editorial Cartoon
3. Visual Analysis: “Dust Storm” Photo by Steve McCurry
4. Visual, Aural, Read & Write, Kinesthetic Analysis
5. Schlitz Brewing Company Advertisement: Visual Arguments Analysis

Thanks for reading through our article! We hope you found it helpful. Don’t hesitate to share it with your friends.

Further reading:

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• How to Write a Research Paper Step by Step [2024 Upd.]
• How to Write a Term Paper: The Ultimate Guide and Tips

❓ Visual Analysis FAQs

🔍 References

1. Art History: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
2. Visual Analysis: Duke University
3. Writing a Formal Analysis in Art History: Hamilton College
4. Contextual Analysis: Pine-Richland School District
5. How to Analyze an Artwork: Student Art Guide
6. Introduction to Art Historical Analysis: Khan Academy
7. Guidelines for Analysis of Art: University of Arkansas at Little Rock
8. Elements of Art: Getty.edu
9. Formal or Critical Analysis: LibreTexts
10. Analyzing a Photograph: University of Oregon
11. Picture Composition Analysis and Photo Essay: University of Northern Iowa
12. Visual Analysis Guidelines: Skidmore College
13. How to Analyze Sculpture: NLA Design and Visual Arts: WordPress
14. Visual Rhetoric: Purdue University
15. Formal Visual Analysis: The Elements & Principles of Composition