Expert: Jeni Andrews-Fraser - 10/14/2006

Question
I have to analyze the "Love Tokens" (1855) by Jules Adolphe Breton and I don't know where to start. I've never analyzed a work of art before. How do I go about this and where do I start? What do I need to watch for or point out? Also if you know where I can find a picture of this on the web that would be very helpful.

Thank you very much!


Answer
Hello Amanda

A formal analysis of a painting considers its lines, shapes, and colours: generally referred to as 'composition'.  What the artist puts into a painting (and often, what s/he leaves out, too!)

I found an image of this painting at  http://www.kingsgalleries.com/1024x768/galleries/breton/39.jpg which, although small and published by a retailer who copies paintings for a living, is nonetheless, adequate for your purposes, I hope.

Information on Jules Breton can be found at Wikipedia's site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules_Adolphe_Aime_Louis_Breton
which will help you with the subject and the topics for Breton's paintings.  An understanding of French Realism might help - depending on the the depth of your analysis.

All art exists within a particular social, economic, religious and cultural context.  This painting - a mid-19th Century French painting would have been created around the same time as paintings by Millet and, in England, the PreRpahelites.  So you might look at how similar/different these paintings are to your Breton.  Questions to ask yourself:  is this Breton painting what 19th century audiences enjoyed?  What they expected?  Who are the people depicted in the painting and what are they doing?  How is this significant and what social message does it send out?  

I am not sure why you are undertaking this analysis.  If for an art project, then you need to be aware of the composition of the painting - the light source, the paint handling, the realism created, etc.  If you are analysing it for another discipline - then the historical/social is more of a consideration.

I hope some of this information helps you.  Please come back to me if you are still a bit 'lost'.

Cheers
Jeni