"Life is like music, it must be composed by ear, feeling and instinct, not by rule.' - Samuel Butler

Art and Emotion

Many artists express their emotions through their art-making, and the finished art will reflect that emotion. Other artists may make an image with the hope of creating an emotional response in the viewer. In looking at the details of several famous paintings below, which emotions do you feel? Decide for yourself first, and then scroll down to the bottom to see if you read these paintings the same way Artsology does.     

  Detail of a painting by Henri Matisse
Detail of a painting by Henri Matisse

  Detail of a painting by Roy Lichtenstein
Detail of a painting by Roy Lichtenstein

  Detail of a painting by Pablo Picasso
Detail of a painting by Pablo Picasso

  Detail of a painting by Marc Chagall
Detail of a painting by Marc Chagall

  Detail of a painting by Roy Lichtenstein
Detail of a painting by Roy Lichtenstein

  Detail of a painting by Francis Bacon
Detail of a painting by Francis Bacon

  Detail of a painting by Marc Chagall
Detail of a painting by Marc Chagall

  Detail of a painting by Grant Wood
Detail of a painting by Grant Wood

  So, what did you think? Here's how Artsology reads these emotions, although this is the beauty of art - there is no "right" answer, you may respond in a completely different way.
 Matisse: joy Lichtenstein #1: fear
 Picasso: sadness Chagall #1: love
 Lichtenstein #2: anger, creating fear Bacon: anger, or pain
 Chagall #2: happiness Wood: serious, grim


Salvador Dali at Artsology Artsology offers free online games about the arts, and delivers investigations into topics in the visual arts, music, and literature. Artsology is a good resource for fun learning about the arts for people of all ages and is enjoyed by students, homeschoolers, and adults. Follow us on Twitter or become a fan of our Facebook page. Miles Davis at Artsology

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