SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

English for Academic and

Professional Purposes
Quarter 1 – Module 3 (Week 5 & 6)
Reaction Paper and Concept Paper

Department of Education ● Republic of the Philippines

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Module Content

This is where you start to write reaction papers and concept papers which
are needed in your future careers. These will also allow you to become critical
thinkers and creative writers.

These are the competencies covered in the lessons:

• Uses appropriate critical writing a critique such as formalism, feminism,

etc. (CS_EN11/12A-EAPP-Id-f-16)
• Writes an objective/balanced review or critique of a work of art, an event
or a program (CS_EN11/12A-EAPP-Id-f-18)
• Determines the ways a writer can elucidate on a concept by definition,
explication and clarification (CS_EN11/12A-EAPP-Ig-j-20)

WHAT I KNOW

Let us check your prior knowledge about this module’s coverage.

Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write your answer in your
answer sheet.

1. The New Critics were:

A. Feminist critics
B. Psychological Critics
C. Marxist critics
D. Formalist critics

2. What approach to literary criticism requires the critic to know about the author's
life and times?
A. All of these
B. Mimetic
C. Historical
D. Formalist

3. Formalist critics believe that the value of a work cannot be determined by the
author's intention. What term do they use when speaking of this belief?
A. The intentional fallacy
B. The affective fallacy

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 C. The pathetic fallacy
D. The objective correlative

4. Which poet popularized the term objective correlative, which is often used in
formalist criticism?
A. Virginia Woolf
B. C.S. Lewis
C. T.S. Eliot
D. Matthew Arnold

5. In a Freudian approach to literature, concave images are usually seen as:

A. Male symbols
B. Evidence of an Oedipus complex
C. Phallic symbols
D. Female symbols

6. He was an influential force in archetypal criticism.

A. Freud
B. Jung
C. Richards
D. Tate

7. Seven is an archetype associated with:

A. Astrology
B. Perfection
C. Birth
D. Death

8. This feminist critic proposed that all female characters in literature are in at
least one of the following stages of development: the feminine, feminist, or
female stage.
A. Virginia Woolf
B. Ellen Mores
C. Mary Wolstencraft
D. Elaine Showalter

9. A critic argues that in John Milton's "Samson Agonistes," the shearing of

Samson's locks is symbolic of his castration at the hands of Delilah. What kind
of critical approach is this critic using?
A. Mimetic approach
B. Psychological approach
C. Historical approach
D. Formalist approach

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10. One archetype in literature is the scapegoat. Which of these literary characters
serves that purpose?
A. Billy Budd
B. Hamlet
C. Captain Ahab
D. Ophelia

11. One of the disadvantages of this school of criticism is that it tends to make
readings too subjective.
A. Reader Response Criticism
B. Formalist Criticism
C. Historical Criticism
D. These are all equally subjective

12. This literary critic coined the term "fancy."

A. Samuel Taylor Coleridge
B. Virginia Woolf
C. Matthew Arnold
D. Carl Jung

13. Michael Foucault was the major practitioner of this school of criticism.
A. Structuralism
B. Mimetic Criticism
C. Deconstructionism
D. Formalist Criticism

14. This critical approach assumes that language does not refer to any external
reality. It can assert several, contradictory interpretations of one text.
A. Structuralism
B. Deconstructionism
C. Formalist Criticism
D. Mimetic Criticism

15. A critic examining John Milton's "Paradise Lost" focuses on the physical
description of the Garden of Eden, on the symbols of hands, seed, and flower,
and on the characters of Adam, Eve, Satan, and God. He pays special
attention to the epic similes and metaphors and the point of view from which
the tale is being told.
He looks for meaning in the text itself, and does not refer to any biography of
Milton. He is most likely a ____ critic.
A. Formalist
B. Mimetic
C. Reader Response
D. Feminist

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16. This literary critic warned: "We must remember that the greater part of our
current reading matter is written for us by people who have no real belief in a
supernatural order . . . And the greater part . . . is coming to be written by
people who not only have no such belief, but are even ignorant of the fact that
there are still people in the world so 'backward' or so 'eccentric' as to continue
to believe."
A. Matthew Arnold
B. C.S. Lewis
C. T.S. Eliot
D. G.K. Chesterton

17. A critic of Thomas Otway's "Venice Preserv'd" wishes to know why the play's
conspirators, despite the horrible, bloody details of their obviously brutish plan,
are portrayed in a sympathetic light. She examines the author's life and times
and discovers that there are obvious similarities between the conspiracy in the
play and the Popish Plot. She is most likely a _________ critic.
A. Tory
B. Historical
C. Feminist
D. Psychological

18. This poet might be described as a moral or philosophical critic for arguing that
works must have "high seriousness."
A. T.S. Eliot
B. Virginia Woolf
C. Elizabeth Browning
D. Matthew Arnold

19. A critic examining Pope's "An Essay on Man" asks herself: How well does this
poem accord with the real world? Is it accurate? Is it moral? She is most likely
a _____ critic.
A. Mimetic
B. Formalist
C. Feminist
D. Reader Response
20. One of the potential disadvantages of this approach to literature is that it can
reduce meaning to a certain time frame, rather than making it universal
throughout the ages.
A. Historical
B. Feminist
C. Formalist
D. Mimetic

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 LESSON 1
CRITICAL APPROACHES IN
WRITING A CRITIQUE

WHAT I NEED TO KNOW

Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson, the learners shall be able to
1. define critique;
2. identify the various approaches in writing a critique;
3. criticize the texts using the different approaches of criticism; and
4. apply the appropriate critical approaches in writing your critique.

WHAT'S NEW

ACTIVITY 1. SAY SOMETHING ACTIVITY

Directions: Take a look at this picture and give at least five (5) points that you see
in the picture. Write your answers in your answer sheet.

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Process Questions: Write your answers in your answer sheet.

1. How did you find the picture?

2. By looking at the picture, are you thinking about the beautiful nature?

3. What about the location?

4. Did it cross to your mind who is responsible of taking care of the nature?

5. What about the feeling of the lady jumping onto the water?

6. Did you ask yourself if you would want to do the same?

7. What about the reasons why God has created this nature for us?

8. Have you not wondered how God created the beautiful world?

All these questions will be answered critically by using different approaches.

This activity leads you to learn how to write criticism.

What is critique?

WHAT IS IT
 A critique is a careful analysis of an argument to determine what is said,
how well the points are made, what assumptions underlie the argument, what
issues are overlooked, and what implications are drawn from such observations. It
is a systematic, yet personal response and evaluation of what you read.

It is a genre of academic writing that briefly summarizes and critically

evaluates a work or concept.

Critiques can be used to carefully analyze a variety of works such as:

• Creative works – novels, exhibits, film, images, poetry

• Research – monographs, journal articles, systematic reviews, theories
• Media – news reports, feature articles

Like an essay, a critique uses a formal, academic writing style and has a
clear structure, that is, an introduction, body and conclusion. However, the body
of a critique includes a summary of the work and a detailed evaluation. The
purpose of an evaluation is to gauge the usefulness or impact of a work in a
particular field.

Why do we write critiques?

Writing a critique on a work helps us to develop:

 A knowledge of the work’s subject area or related
works.
 An understanding of the work’s purpose, intended audience,
development of argument, structure of evidence or creative style.
 A recognition of the strengths and weaknesses of the work.

How to write a critique

Before you start writing, it is important to have a thorough understanding of

the work that will be critiqued.

• Study the work under discussion.

• Make notes on key parts of the work.
• Develop an understanding of the main argument or purpose being
expressed in the work.
• Consider how the work relates to a broader issue or context.

Read about the critical approaches. You can highlight some important
ideas. You can use these in expressing your views.

The following are the different approaches in writing a critique:

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1. Formalist: This approach regards literature as “a unique form of human
knowledge that needs to be examined on its own terms.” All the elements
necessary for understanding the work are contained within the work itself. Of
particular interest to the formalist critic are the elements of form—style,
structure, tone, imagery, etc.— that are found within the text. A primary goal for
formalist critics is to determine how such elements work together with the text’s
content to shape its effects upon readers.

Questions to be Asked for Formalistic Approach

A. How is the work’s structure unified?

B. How do various elements of the work reinforce its meaning?
C. What recurring patterns (repeated or related words, images, etc.) can you
find?
D. What is the effect of these patterns or motifs?
E. How does repetition reinforce the theme(s)?
F. How does the writer’s diction reveal or reflect the work’s meaning?
G. What is the effect of the plot, and what parts specifically produce that effect?
H. What figures of speech are used? (metaphors, similes, etc.)
I. Note the writer’s use of paradox, irony, symbol, plot, characterization, and
style of narration.
J. What effects are produced? Do any of these relate to one another or to the
theme?
K. Is there a relationship between the beginning and the end of the story?
L. What tone and mood are created at various parts of the work?
M. How does the author create tone and mood? What relationship is there
between tone and mood and the effect of the story?
N. How do the various elements interact to create a unified whole?

2. Gender Criticism: This approach “examines how sexual identity influences the
creation and reception of literary works.” Originally an offshoot of feminist
movements, gender criticism today includes a number of approaches, including
the so-called “masculinist” approach recently advocated by poet Robert Bly.
The bulk of gender criticism, however, is feminist and takes as a central precept
that the patriarchal attitudes that have dominated western thought have
resulted, consciously or unconsciously, in literature “full of unexamined ‘male-
produced’ assumptions.”
3. Feminist criticism attempts to correct this imbalance by analyzing and
combatting such attitudes—by questioning, for example, why none of the
characters in Shakespeare’s play Othello ever challenge the right of a husband
to murder a wife accused of adultery. Other goals of feminist critics include
“analyzing how sexual identity influences the reader of a text” and “examining
how the images of men and women in imaginative literature reflect or reject the
social forces that have historically kept the sexes from achieving total equality.”

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 Feminist Criticism examines images of women and concepts of the
feminine in myth and literature; uses the psychological, archetypal, and
sociological approaches; often focuses on female characters who have been
neglected in previous criticism. Feminist critics attempt to correct or supplement
what they regard as a predominantly male-dominated critical perspective.

Questions to be asked for Feministic Approach

A. How are women’s lives portrayed in the work?

B. Is the form and content of the work influenced by the writer’s gender?
C. How do male and female characters relate to one another? Are these
relationships sources of conflict? Are these conflicts resolved? D. Does the
work challenge or affirm traditional views of women?
E. How do the images of women in the story reflect patriarchal social forces
that have impeded women’s efforts to achieve full equality with men?
F. What marital expectations are imposed on the characters? What effect do
these expectations have?
G. What behavioral expectations are imposed on the characters? What effect
do these expectations have?
H. If a female character were male, how would the story be different (and vice
versa)?
I. How does the marital status of a character affect her decisions or
happiness?

4. Historical: This approach “seeks to understand a literary work by investigating

the social, cultural, and intellectual context that produced it—a context that
necessarily includes the artist’s biography and milieu.” A key goal for historical
critics is to understand the effect of a literary work upon its original readers.

Questions to be Asked for Formalistic Approach

A. How does it reflect the time in which it was written?

B. How accurately does the story depict the time in which it is set?
C. What literary or historical influences helped to shape the form and content of
the work?
D. How does the story reflect the attitudes and beliefs of the time in which it
was written or set? (Consider beliefs and attitudes related to race, religion,
politics, gender, society, philosophy, etc.)
E. What other literary works may have influenced the writer?
F. What historical events or movements might have influenced this writer?
G. How would characters and events in this story have been viewed by the
writer’s contemporaries?

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 H. Does the story reveal or contradict the prevailing values of the time in which
it was written? Does it provide an opposing view of the period’s prevailing
values?
I. How important is it the historical context (the work’s and the reader’s) to
interpreting the work?

5. Reader-Response Criticism: This approach takes as a fundamental tenet that

“literature” exists not as an artifact upon a printed page but as a transaction
between the physical text and the mind of a reader. It attempts “to describe what
happens in the reader’s mind while interpreting a text” and reflects that reading,
like writing, is a creative process.

6. Structuralism focused on how human behavior is determined by social, cultural

and psychological structures. It tended to offer a single unified approach to
human life that would embrace all disciplines. The essence of structuralism is
the belief that “things cannot be understood in isolation, they have to be seen in
the context of larger structures which contain them. For example, the
structuralist analysis of Donne’s poem, Good Morrow, demands more focus on
the relevant genre, the concept of courtly love, rather than on the close reading
of the formal elements of the text.

7. Sociological focuses on man’s relationship to others in society, politics,

religion, and business.

Questions to be asked for Sociological Approach

A. What is the relationship between the characters and their society?

B. Does the story address societal issues, such as race, gender, and class?
C. How do social forces shape the power relationships between groups or
classes of people in the story? Who has the power, and who doesn’t? Why?
D. How does the story reflect the Great American Dream?
E. How does the story reflect urban, rural, or suburban values?
F. What does the work say about economic or social power? Who has it and
who doesn’t? Any Marxist leanings evident?
G. Does the story address issue of economic exploitation? What role does
money play?
H. How do economic conditions determine the direction of the characters’ lives?
I. Does the work challenge or affirm the social order it depicts?
J. Can the protagonist’s struggle be seen as symbolic of a larger class
struggle?
K. How does the microcosm (small world) of the story reflect the macrocosm
(large world) of the society in which it was composed?
L. Do any of the characters correspond to types of government, such as a
dictatorship, democracy, communism, socialism, fascism, etc.? What

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 attitudes toward these political structures/systems are expressed in the
work?

Now, you have learned the basic principles of writing criticisms. Let’s apply
our skill by doing these activities.

WHAT I CAN DO

ACTIVITY 2

Directions: Summarize what you have read by completing the table with what you
understood. Write your answers in your answer sheet.

APPROACHES IN
WHAT IT IS HOW IT IS DONE
LITERARY
(DEFINITION) (TECHNIQUE IN WRITING)
CRITICISM
Example: This approach regards A primary goal for formalist
literature as “a unique form critics is to determine how
Formalism of human knowledge that elements of form (style,
needs to be examined on structure, tone, imagery,
its own terms.” etc.) work together with the
text’s content to shape its
effects upon readers.

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 You have just been given several approaches in literary criticism that you
can use when you make your own review or critique. You can use this in the
following activities. Just remember to apply which is easy for you to do and follow
the techniques in using it.

ACTIVITY 3. READ CRITICALLY

Activities 1-3 gave your ideas about the manner and approaches to use in
expressing views. Let us learn more about this skill by reading a text which is an
excerpt of the homily of the Catholic Archbishop of Manila, Jaime Cardinal Sin.
But before you read it, let us define these words first.

Directions: Get the meaning of these words from any dictionary so that you can
understand what you are reading better: Write your answer in your answer sheet.

WORDS MEANINGS FROM DICTIONARY

Cynic
Demoralize
Destabilize
Anarchic
Unrelentingly
Chronic disease
Callous
Predominant
Transcend
Authentic
Vigorously

Ang Bayan Muna Bago ang Sarili (Excerpts

from the Homily of Jaime Cardinal Sin at the
mass celebrating the 5th death anniversary of
Ninoy Aquino)

(1) Five years later, we might ask ourselves; has Ninoy’s dream been fulfilled?
Have we succeeded in building a new nation, by “transcending our petty selves,”
by setting aside our differences by working together in a spirit of true self-giving,
loving our country first, above our own interest? Bayan muna, bago and sarili. It is
a question we must ask ourselves, as we remember Ninoy’s gift.

(2) It has been said that the truest motto of our people is “K.K.K”. No, not
Katipunan, shaping unity out of our diversity. How we wish that were our authentic
name! But rather:
Kanya-Kanya’ng Katwiran,
Kanya-Kanya’ng Kagustuhan,
Kanya-Kanya’ng Kabig (or worse)

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 Kanya-Kanya’ng Kurakot...
or whatever else each one “specializes” in!

(3) Cynics among us say that K.K.K is the definition of our national character, the
predominant strain in our national culture. It’s what we are when we are “most
natural”, most ourselves. “Bayan muna, Bago and Sarili” is an abstract,
nonoperative ideal, good for speeches, good for posters, goo for classroom
rhetoric but not for real, not for real life. For real is K.K.K.

(4) Kanya-Kanyang Katwiran, Kanya-Kanyang kagustuhan. We all remember the

three monkeys; See no Evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. Sometimes one wonders,
if it has become a national pastime, to see and hear and speak nothing, but evil
against our fellow-citizens. Talk can be a great service in a free nation: Talk is
space for free discussion, for intelligent debate, the exchange of information and
perception, the clash of views.

(5) Ninoy himself said: “We must criticize in order to be free, because we are free
only when we criticized.” We may not, at our own peril, forget that. But we must
remind ourselves that criticism is not an end in itself; it is not the absolute. It is
meant to help us to become free, but if it becomes the all-encompassing output of
our days, a way of life... so it takes up most of our energy, most of our time, when
we begin to take delight in tearing down, demoralizing, destabilizing; when we are
at each other’s throats all day long, then we really are engaged in self-destruction,
and the destruction of hope, the creation of despair, especially among the poor
who continue to suffer in our midst.

(6) There is a Latin saying: “Unicuique suum, non praevalebunt.” “Every man for
himself: That’s the formula for disaster.” When Ninoy spoke of “the quest for that
elusive national unity which is imperative for the nation’s survival”-he said
“survival”.
He meant “survival”. How can we survive, as a nation and as a people, if we have
made the name of our national game as anarchic free-for-all in a “basket of
crabs?”

(7) K.K.K also means, we are told, Kanya Kanyang Kabig, Kanya- Kanyang
Kurakot. Surely, I don’t need to dwell on this theme this morning. For weeks, the
papers, radios, TV, have shouted nothing else. It is the talk of the marketplace. I
myself have spoken, often enough, of the 40 big thieves left behind in our midst,
and many many smaller ones which might include . . . even ourselves? Who
among us did not reecho the sentiments and the work of the beloved Chino Roces
when he asked for a renewed moral order in government and society? It is a
problem which must be addressed, and addressed vigorously and unrelentingly.

(8) I am sure this will be increasingly done by our president, by consistent

personal example she has set a pattern for others to follow. I know she is bent on
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pursuing the battle against corruption with ever more forceful and energetic action.
But we know, we know that she and those around her cannot do this all by
themselves. As citizens, we must go “into an action mode ourselves.” The task
cannot be done without us.

(9) We must begin, rather, where we can begin, with ourselves we must ask:
What can we do about it? What in our own heart, in our own attitudes, in our own
practices, must be changed? What sacrifices must we ourselves do to make a
positive contribution of deeds, to put under control this chronic illness in our
society, and in our culture?

(10) If all we do is talk and talk, and throw dirt at each other-forgetting to mind the
ship and its engines, and steer it in mine-filled waters-why, we will still be taking
and quarrelling when our ship goes down into the sea!

(11) If everyone in this church this morning, in Ninoy’s memory, pledge before the
Lord that for one year, “Bayan Muna, Bago ang Sarili”, would really be made an
operative guideline, could it not mark at least a beginning? If for one year, just to
get going, we would make the principle govern our deeds, our conduct in society,
would that not be smart already? How can we “dream the impossible dream” and
promise to follow the stars” if we have become too calloused to do even this?

Answer the questions given: Write your answers in your answer sheet.

1. What critical approach did he use? Explain why you think that is the approach.

2. Do you agree with the author or not? Why or why not?

What you have read is an example of how one expresses opinions using
one approach in criticism. This can be a good model for you to study and follow.

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 ACTIVITY 4

Directions: Read the poem “Adam”, by Hugh Cook critically. Criticize it using
formalistic and feministic approaches. Write your answers on your answer sheet.

ADAM by
Hugh Cook

“Eden is boring.
Nothing explodes.
There are no trains to fall off the tracks.
And Adam finds himself
With something missing.
Comic books? Broadband? Balsamic vinegar?
Pachinko? Razor blades? Plasma TV?
He's aware of an itch
And scratching Has
yet to be invented.
He eyes the fruit,
The One Forbidden Thing.
"Not yet," says the serpent,
who’s seen the script.
But Adam is engineered for
impatience: Quests, missions,
objectives, Grails unholy or
otherwise. "Out!" says the angel.
And Adam shrugs,
Loses the core,
Strides to the open
gate. Something on
two legs
Is running after him.”

Cook, Hugh - Adam. 2003

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 LESSON 2

OBJECTIVE/BALANCED REVIEW OR
CRITIQUE OF A WORK OF ART, AN
EVENT OR A PROGRAM

WHAT I NEED TO KNOW

Competency 6: Writes an objective/balanced review or critique of a work of art, an

event or a program.

Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson, the learners shall be able to:
1. define balanced/objective assessment or criticism of artwork;
2. identify the forms and structures of writing art criticism;
3. identify techniques in reviewing different art forms;
4. interpret the broader context and different types of art; and,
5. write a balanced/objective review or critique of pieces of work.

WHAT'S NEW

ACTIVITY 1. PREPARE YOURSELF

Directions: Take a look at the picture below. What can you say about it? List
down what you think in the picture and write your answers in your answer sheet.

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 Picture from Microsoft office clip art

PROCESS QUESTIONS. WRITE YOUR NASWERS IN YOUR ANSWER SHEET.

1. What are your bases of listing down those words?

2. Are your lists based on facts? How do you know?
3. Do you consider your lists as your opinions? Why?

WHAT IS IT

A. What is balanced/objective review or criticism?

It is a system of interpreting, judging, and assessing a person, thing, or

any work of art not influenced by feelings or opinions in considering and
presenting facts. It is a systematic way of considering the truthfulness of a
piece of work.

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B. To have balanced/objective review of any piece of work, the following are
considered:

1. Description. Pure description of the object, piece of work, art, event, etc. It
answers the questions:

a. artwork - "What do you see?" (description constitutes form of art, medium, size
and scale, elements or general shapes, color, texture of surface, and context of
object).

b. piece of writing - "What do you see?" (form, structure, choice of words, length,
genre, etc)

2. Analysis. Determining what the features suggest and deciding why the artist
or writers used such features to convey specific ideas. It answers the questions:

a. artwork - "How did the artist do it?"

b. piece of writing-"How did the writer write it?"

The analysis constitutes the following: determination of subject matter,

analysis of the principles of design or composition, use of symbol and other
elements, portrayal of movement and how it is achieved, effect of particular
medium, relationships of each part of the composition to the whole and to each
other part, and reaction to object.

3. Interpretation. Establishing the broader context for this type of art. It

answers the questions:

a. artwork - "Why did the artist create it and what does it mean?
b. piece of writing - “Why did the write create it and what does it mean?

Remember: you shouldn’t make your interpretation too arbitrary! Provide

evidence and point out what exactly influenced your understanding of the artwork.
Here are the elements that you can include in your interpretation:

 How does this art object make you feel?

 What do you think of when you’re looking at the artwork?
 What did the artist want to tell you as a viewer?
 What do you think about the title of the work? Does it influence
your interpretation?
 If you can’t understand a painting or a sculpture, don’t hurry to
give a negative response to it. Think of other critics who have
provided a positive evaluation of the examined artwork. It doesn’t
mean you shouldn’t have your opinion! All you need is to find a
good way to express it.

E.g., in this painting, the artist wanted to show us the king’s personality and
achievements.

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 The interpretation constitutes: (a) Main idea (overall meaning of the work),
(b) Interpretive Statement (Can I express what I think the artwork is about in one
sentence), and (c) Evidence (What evidence inside or outside the artwork supports
my interpretation?).

4. Judgment. Judging a piece of work means giving it rank in relation to other

works and of course considering a very important aspect of the visual arts; its
originality. It answers the questions “Is it a good artwork?” Is it a good
composition?

Here are some points that can help you write your judgment:
• How do you think: is the work successful or not?
• Does this art object seem original or not?
• What do you feel when looking at this piece of artwork?
• Go back to your first impression. Has anything changed? What did
you learn?
• If nothing changed, explain your first reaction to the work.
• What have you learned from this work that you might apply to your
own artwork or your thinking?

In judging the piece of work, there must be:

a. Criteria (What criteria do I think are most appropriate for judging the artwork or
writing?),

b. Evidence (What evidence inside or outside the artwork or piece of writing relate
to each criterion?)’ and

c. Judgment (Based on the criteria and evidence, what is my judgment about the
quality of the artwork or piece of writing?).

E.g., the artwork successfully conveys the atmosphere of a battle

through its composition and color scheme. Learning about its backstory helped me
to appreciate the painting even more.

C. How to Critique Different Art Forms

As you can imagine, all kinds of masterpieces are subject to art criticism.
For example, you can choose to write about paintings, drawings, sculptures, or
even buildings. And, naturally, all these forms of art have their specific features!

These tips will provide you with an art critique template for anything, be it an oil
painting or a cathedral.

1. Painting Critique. Paint is a medium that emphasizes light, colors, and space.
for example:

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  What school of painting does it belong to? Is it typical or unusual for this
particular school?
E.g., Monet’s Water Lilies is a typical Impressionist painting.

 Describe the way the artist applies paint. Are there broad paint strokes, small
points of color, or just a smooth surface? What effect does it help to achieve?

E. g., Van Gogh’s broad-brush strokes help to create a sense of

motion.

 Describe how the light is depicted. Where does the light come from? Is there
a strong value contrast? In what way does the shadow function? What, in
your opinion, does it evoke?

E.g., strong contrast makes the central figures stand out.

 Speak about the handling of space in the picture. Does it look flat or three-
dimensional? What kind of perspective is used? (e.g., one-point perspective,
or bird’s eye view?)
E. g., in this painting, Picasso uses multi-dimensional geometrical
shapes.

2. Sculpture Critique. Similarly, many specific factors influence the overall

impression of a sculpture.

Here are some things to pay attention to:

• Say if the material gives a particular texture to the statue. Is the

surface smooth, or is it uneven?
E. g., Rodin’s sculpture has an unusual earthy texture.

• The surrounding space is just as important as the sculpture itself.

Describe the place (in the museum, in a park, in front of a building)
where it is situated. What does it add to the sculpture?
E. g., the statue appears to walk along the road.

• Speak about the color of the sculpture. Is it painted? Does it rely on

natural lights and shadows?
E. g., the statue is white. A museum floodlight lights it from
above, creating expressive shadows.

• Describe the composition of the sculpture. What does it look like

when you approach it? Did the sculptor provide any instructions on
how to position it?
E. g., the statue is enormous and can be viewed from all
sides.

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3. Architecture Critique. You can write art critiques on architecture, too!

Just bear in mind the following points:

• What architectural style does it belong to?
E. g., the cathedral is a typical Gothic building.

• Was it built with a purpose? Did a specific person request it?

E. g., the Palace of Versailles was requested by Louis IV as
a symbol of his monarchy.

• Did one architect complete the building, or were there any

alterations? Why were they made?
E. g., the spire was added to the cathedral much later. It
became the integral part of its image.

• What do the exterior and the interior look like? What effect do they
produce? Is there a contrast between them?
E. g., the building has a high ceiling painted like the sky. It
also makes the organ music sound louder.

• Are there statues or paintings on the walls? Discuss them as well!

E. g., statues on the cathedral’s facade illustrate scenes
from the
Bible.

4. Photography Critique. Analyzing a photograph is a lot like critiquing a

painting.

Still, there are some unique features to consider:

• How does the photographer use focus? Is any part of the image
blurry? What effect does it produce?

E.g., the background is out-of-focus, which has a dreamy effect.

Is the picture monochrome? If yes, describe its tone, contrast, and
shadows. If no, describe the use of color.
E.g., the picture is in black and white, with stark contrasts.

• If it’s a photo of a face, pay extra attention to the emotion it

expresses.
If it’s dynamic, discuss the sense of motion.
E. g., the photograph conveys a sense of cheerfulness
through the girl’s expression and the use of light.

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Example of review of artwork (painting) 1:

The Weeping Woman by Pablo Picasso in France, 1937

https://16julianas.weebly.com/art-critique-example.html

Describe:

The Weeping Woman is a painting finished by Pablo Picasso in France,

1937. This type of artwork can be considered to be expressionism. There isn’t
an actual background scene in the painting. The background is completed with
different lines and colors. The woman is the focus point of this painting. She is
wearing an accessory on top of her head which demonstrates her elegance. My
first impression of the artwork is that the face of the woman is not proportionate
and is only painted with lines, no curves. The main colors that are used in this
painting are green, yellow, blue, purple, red and black. The painting is set
mainly of lined and little curves. The mood and visual effect that this painting
portrays can be considered to be suffering, and sadness.

Analyze:

The colors that the author uses can be considered to be quite different as
each color conveys a separate impression. The light purple that begins at the
bottom top of the woman’s eyes can convey sadness. The other half of the face
is mainly covered in green and yellow; these can be said to interpret other solid
emotions that the painter must have towards this woman as she was a vital
character in Picasso’s life. The painting is created with mainly lines which can
mean that the woman had strong physical features or that her different emotions
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 were felt passionately as lines are usually seen as strong technical elements.
The only curves that are being used are for her hair and eyes. The eyes look
quite down or depressive. This is because the woman is crying, which goes
back to the main mood which is suffering.

Interpretation:

I believe that Picasso wanted the audience to feel pain and provide a
statement that explains how all women feel and the agony that they are
consistently in. The audience can see that the woman has peeled away her flesh
by corrosive tears to reveal her white bones. The handkerchief she tries to stuff in
her mouth seems as a shard of glass. This vivid image can convey pain and
hurting. Picasso has expressed the behavior of this woman several times and
often describes the constant tears that fall off her eyes. So, the feeling conveyed
by the artwork is definitely suffering. Picasso wanted us to feel her and
understand the pain that she was going through. It was not easy to be a woman
during that time since females where often frowned upon. Picasso demonstrates
the appreciation that he has for her through this painting as he wants the
audience to understand her.

Judge:

Finally, the artist’s value may be to evoke pain, as mentioned previously.

This is due to the colors that Picasso used and the shapes that he draws; not
only these technical elements but also the images that the painter uses within the
actual face of the woman. The painting relates to the entire female community.
This community can understand the painting and know what Picasso was trying
to portray. Every woman is able understand and comprehend the message
behind this painting as we all feel the same way at one point in our lives. I believe
that this is a strong value in the painting. The weak value lies in the different
colors that the painter chooses. I found it confusing to interpret other areas of the
face as the colors that were used didn’t seem to match other locations of the
face.

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Example of review of artwork 2: The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci
What Does the Last Supper by
Leonardo da Vinci Depict?

‘The Last Supper’ of Leonardo da

Vinci is considered to be
undoubtedly a masterpiece.
Debates have ensued, though,
concerning the interpretation of this
piece of art. Some even claim that
Leonardo da Vinci tried to transfer a
secret message to us through it.
What is portrayed in this painting that has attracted and enchanted such a great
number of viewers?

The painting depicts a supper of twelve disciples of Jesus Christ and Christ
himself before the prophet is betrayed (Essak, 2013). Jesus Christ gathers all
together in order to eat and drink at a table, which is not so big and where the food
itself is plain. This humble atmosphere allows the viewers to focus more on the
disciples and Christ. In addition to this, Christ tells the assembly that one person
who is present in that supper will betray him. The painting actually shows the first
moment after this statement and the reactions of the disciples to this speech
(Saunders, 2011). Leonardo da Vinci artfully depicts shock, surprise and other
various human emotions in his painting. Although every person in the painting
possesses unique features, I believe” The Last Supper’ can be divided into four
symmetrical groups full of life and motion (Essak, 2013).

The group from the left side of Christ reacts impulsively and is united by one
and the same will. One disciple has even stood up and another has his finger
raised. The group that is on right-hand side is characterized by greater reserve.
There is a huge distance between them and Jesus Christ. Judah who can be found
among these disciples holding a pouch, perhaps with silver.

His dark and harsh appearance contrasts magnificently with the innocent
and light figure of John. Some scientists claim that this is not actually John, but
Mary Magdalene, because his face is feminine and gentle (Welborn, 2013). In
thinking critically, this version is hardly believable, as Christ gathered twelve
disciples, not eleven. Otherwise the symbolism of ‘The Last Supper’ does not
make any sense. Between Judah and John, the head of Peter can be seen and
moreover, he holds a knife in his arm as if he would like to protect Jesus. From his
right-hand side, another group of disciples is portrayed. They are turned in profile
and it looks like they are astonished by the news that was introduced. From the
opposite side, we may see Matthew who is asking the same question to the other
men trying to find the clear explanation of what is happening at that particular
moment.

Frankly speaking, while searching for a secret code of Leonardo da Vinci in

his painting ‘the Last Supper’, one may lose the real visible goal of the picture. It
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brilliantly portrays the discrepancy between the conciliation of Christ with his
future, his reserve, calm and absolutely different emotional states and unique
reactions of his disciples to the piece of news that he will be betrayed. The painting
has vague aspects about it and perhaps hidden symbols, but this is not the reason
why this painting attracts millions of people and involves them into the researches
and deep investigation of every centimeter of this masterpiece.
https://answershark.com/writing/creating-review/art-review/the-last-supper-by-leonardo-da-
vinci.html

Based on the above discussions and examples, let us have some activities.
The activities you will do will help you go through the journey one step at a time so
you have to accomplish them with care. Have fun!

PERFORMANCE TASK 1.
One of the Filipino cultures that we continuously preserved and practiced is
“Bayanihan”. It is an expression of spirit of communal unity or effort to achieve a
particular objective.

Directions: Below is the painting of “Bayanihan”; take a look at this, study,

analyze, and write a balanced/objective review of the painting considering the
elements discussed. Write your review in paragraph form in an A4 size of bond
paper.

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY THE ART REVIEW RUBRIC BELOW FOR

REFERENCE!

https://www.google.com/search?q=bayanihan+sa+bukid+painting+meaning&source

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 RUBRIC IN ART REVIEW

Excellent Good Fair Poor

(50PTS) (40PTS) (30PTS) (20PTS)
Introduction Introduction Introduction explains Introduction Introduction does not
explains author’s author’s selection of the mentions where present or does not explain
selection of the artwork and that caused the author came how the author selected
artwork in a him to consider it across the artwork the artwork.
thoughtful manner. further. but does not put
much effort into
explaining what
attracted him to
pursue it.
Description Author thoughtfully Author answers the Author somewhat Author does not answer
answers the question What do I see? answers the the
question What do I Discusses most of the question What do question What do I see?
see? Discusses ff: size, I see? Makes a weak attempt to
the size, medium, medium, process Discusses some describe the
process used and used and subject. of the ff: artwork describing very
subject. Author Author discusses most size, medium, few elements in the work.
shows strong of the process used and
understanding of elements: line, shape, subject. A few
the elements: line, space, elements used in
shape, space, color, texture, and the work are
color, texture, and value. discussed.
value.
Analysis Author answers the Author answers the Author somewhat Author does not answer
question: How is question: How is the answers the the
the work work question: How is question: How is the work
organized? organized? the work organized?
Thoroughly Discusses the major organized? Makes a weak
discusses the principles of art in the Discusses a few of effort to mention the major
major principles of work. the principles of art principles of art in the
art in the work. in the work. work.

Interpretation Author thoroughly Author answers: Author somewhat Author does not answer:
and thoughtfully What is the artist trying answers: What is What is
answers: What is to communicate? The the artist trying to the artist trying to
the artist trying to interpretation is based communicate? communicate?
communicate? on some visual facts The interpretation The interpretation is not
The interpretation and clues collected. is based on a few supported
is based on visual by visual facts and clues
visual facts and
facts and clues collected.
clues collected.
collected.
Conclusion Author concludes Author concludes with Author concludes Author concludes with a
with an engaging an interesting point with a somewhat shallow
and interesting about his interesting point reaction to the art work.
point about his reaction to the art work. about his reaction
reaction to the art to the art work.
work.
Mechanics No errors in punctuation, A few minor errors in A few minor errors Distracting and major
spelling, grammar or punctuation, in punctuation, errors in
capitalization. spelling, grammar or spelling, grammar spelling, grammar or
Uses APA style, double- capitalization but they or capitalization capitalization.
spacing do not that while Header and footer are not
and 12-point Arial font distract the over- distracting, the correct.
style. all meaning of the meaning can still There are mistakes in
Header and title format essay. Uses APA style, be discerned. spacing and font.
are correct. double- Some APA style,

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 Paper is at least 2-3 spacing and 12-point double-spacing Paper is less than 2 pages.
pages. Arial font style. and 12-point arial
Header and title format font style.
are correct. Header and title
Paper is at least 2-3 format may not
pages. be correct.
Paper is less
than 2 pages

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED

I have learned the following important points in this lesson:

1. Balanced/objective review or criticism is a system of interpreting, judging

and any artwork.
2. To produce balanced/objective review of any piece of work should be
done by describing, analyzing, interpreting, and judging.
3. There are different techniques in criticizing various art works.
4. Ideas should be presented in an organized way.
5. To convince the readers, reviewing/criticizing must be objectively written.

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