How to Tell If Fine Art Is Good

You can undoubtedly tell if a particular piece of art is good by focusing on the following three areas.

Technical Skill

Once you come across a piece of art, be it a painting, architectural work, music, or any other form of fine art, it is essential to look at how well the technique applied to create the art has been executed. Is the artwork realistic? A good number of artworks fail to stand the test of time because they have not been well executed regarding technique. For instance, if a painter fails to mix the paint correctly, it may fall off the canvas. This is poor artwork. A classic example of a poorly executed technique can be found in the “Last Supper,” the work of Leonardo da Vinci. In this piece, Leonardo applied an experimental method, where he mixed plaster and pigment. His artwork would begin to decompose almost immediately after creation.

Content

Talking about artistic merit without mentioning the content would be unfair. What is the message which the artist is trying to communicate through their creative work? Is the message well conveyed? If the artist is relaying war atrocities, does he use soft, pastel colours to deliver the message effectively? Of course, a beautiful painting may not effectively communicate the horrors of war.

Composition

The composition is another way of evaluating artwork. Do you know the elements of design? They include colour, texture, shape, line, value, and so forth. Are these elements depicted as interacting with each other? Is the artwork composed clumsily? If the components are barely touching each other in an awkward manner, then that particular artwork may not be good. Yes, this may be done purposefully in some cases, just the same way as some songs are intentionally composed with jarring contrasts and discord to communicate a particular message. However, most people find pleasure in harmoniously composed pieces, which is actually a herald of artistic mastery.