I cut so much you thought I was a dj

"Black cat before the attack." Martin Munkácsi. Arts et métiers graphiques. January 1, 1931.

Paula Rego (1935–2022), “Him”

from the ‘Pendle Witches’ series

Ask yourself, how does this piece make you feel? (No wrong answers)

Look for an artist statement nearby. What does it say about the artist and their relationship to their work? What does the artist say that they are trying to convey with their art? What contextual clues can you pick up from what they say about their background, or what they omit?

Look at the title of the piece. What is the artist saying about their work by naming it that, either explicitly or implicitly?

Look at the medium. Is there anything about the piece that stands out to you, knowing what it's made of?

Look at the year it was made. What cultural events might have been happening around this time? Was this piece part of a particular art movement? What was the purpose of that art movement, and what was it trying to say?

Evelyn Waugh, Brideshead Revisited (1944)

"Turkish marble." Sample item from a catalog showing marbled paper. The art of marbling and treatment of the new bronze colours. 1904.

"Aggie and her brothers." "Tommy's pet."

Two pages from a scrapbook by children of the Shinn family of Fremont, California. 19th century.