Unit 4: Analyzing Content

Content is defined as everything contained within a piece of artwork, including the visual elements, subject matter, and underlying meaning or themes. Analyzing the content of a piece of artwork is crucial in understanding what the artist is trying to express. Any person could view an art piece and assume what the artist is displaying but being aware of the background and the underlying meaning of the painting highlights the true meaning of the artwork. In class, we’ve had discussions about Jacques-Louis David’s Death of Marat. Viewing the painting without having any prior background knowledge, one would assume that the male in the bathtub has committed suicide. There is a note in his hand, assumingly a suicide note. In reality, the male in the bathtub did not commit suicide, but was murdered. Another painting created in a similar manner as David’s painting was Sandow Birk’s Death of Manuel. The body of the deceased male was slumped exactly how Marat’s body was. The only difference was that Manuel’s body was in a car, while Marat’s body was in the bathtub. In order for the viewer to understand the pure content of the painting, they would have had to view David’s Death of Marat and understand the story being told. Analyzing content is extremely essential in determining the true meaning of what is being presented in the painting.