How to Read a Picture

 
Just as writers have particular perspectives and techniques to get their message across, artists also use images to convey ideas. In fact, images can convey powerfully messages that words cannot. Artists also use various techniques to get their messages across. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but you need to know how to analyze the picture to gain any understanding of it!

Images are constructed.

Always keep in mind that an image is constructed. Even before photos could be digitally altered, a photographer selected time, place, camera angle, focal point, and various other features to create an image in a particular way. Photographs are constructed just like paintings, sculptures, and other mediums. Images have meaning. Images are created for reasons, and artists have messages that they want to convey. They use many techniques to get their messages across.

Many clues are given in an image to assist you, the viewer, to determine the artist's message. When you look at an image, look for details that answer the following:
  •     What dominates this image? (What do you see?)
  •     Who do you see in the image?
  •     Where did this occur?
  •     When did it occur?
  •     Why was this image created?

You can use two kinds of evidence to support your answer: details in the image and your own background knowledge.
  •     How does the title or any accompanying text relate to the image?
  •     What artistic or photographic techniques are used to promote a response from the viewer?
  •     Are there clues in the image about the style of art, buildings, fashion, or text that help answer your questions?
  •     What period in history and/or ideological perspective come to mind when you see the image and any related words, dates, or symbols?

Finally, consider the message in the image by asking yourself these questions:
  •     What is the main idea reflected in the source?
  •     What ideological perspective is shown (collectivist or individualist)?
  •     How is the source connected to liberalism?
  •     Does the source primarily support or reject the principles of liberalism? Which principles? Provide supporting evidence for your answer.





Consider this poster promoting the ideology of Socialism. 


 

Editorial Cartoon of Charles Edward Russel by Art Ward, Published 1912, Public Domain

 

 

Look at how one student answered these questions:


Question Answer Support
What

A man in a suit holding a parchment in one hand and a feather in the other stands over a city.

Details from image

Who
A socialist political party Inference- the poster supports socialism so I assume it was made by a socialist party
When
Early 1900s Details from the image: clothing, industry
Where
Great Britain

Details from the image: clothing, style of buildings

Background knowledge: the socialist Labour Party was popular in Great Britain at that time

Why
To promote democratic socialism Details from the image: positive words describing socialism, negative words describing capitalism. Pretty image of a perfect world goes with socialism, dirty ugly image with capitalism. Symbolism-the Greek style building in the upper background picture represents democracy, the quill pen and parchment paper represent legislation or "rule of law"


  1. What is the main idea reflected in the source?
    Socialism is good, capitalism is bad
  2. Does the source primarily support or reject the principles of liberalism? Which ones?
  3. What ideological perspective is shown (collectivist or individualist)?
    Collectivist. Socialism is a collectivist ideology that values equality, the public interest, and cooperation as opposed to liberalism which is individualist and values individual rights and freedoms, self-interest, and competition.
  4. How is the source connected to liberalism?
    It reflects both the rejection of classical liberalism and the development of the positive individual freedoms that were promoted during the evolution of modern liberalism through the introduction of democratic socialism.


SUPPORT: the principle of individual freedom in terms of freedom of opportunity for all, the principle of rule of law
REJECT: the principles of self-interest, competition, and economic freedom