To read a picture

We are exposed to large amounts of visual impressions every day and it is more important than ever to be able to read images and to be critical of what you see. Through dialogue-based communication and practical tasks, students will learn a concrete method for reading pictures. Together we look at several paintings from different periods in art history and ask questions such as: What do you see? How is the image composed? What is the eye-catcher? What is the connection between the title and the work, and what can the image tell us about the time in which it was made? Based on the answers and what we know about the picture's context and artist, we can interpret the pictures.

After the presentation, the students in groups must use the same questions to analyze and interpret each painting. In groups, the students each present their picture to the rest of the class.