Susie Hodge is author of more than 100 books on art history, artists, and art appreciation. These books range from introductions to art for all ages to stories of artists and their works. This book falls under the category of art appreciation- a term I dislike because it implies that you can’t “appreciate” art without learning something about it. But rather than talking down to the reader (as, alas, many do), Hodge speaks in a practical yet sophisticated voice that gives readers some of the tools they need to delve deeper into works of art.

The first section of the book is devoted to discussing ten elements that make up all art: scale, color, light, movement, medium, technique, content, location, time, and artist. Some of these can be studied without knowing much historical context or art techniques, but all of them can deepen understanding when you know more.

The second section of the book examines specific works of art against these ten elements. I was impressed at the diverse array of works chosen; included are female, male (and most likely non-binary) artists, works from several historical periods, and different cultures. Well known artists like Michelangelo and Andy Warhol are included, but so are Amrita Sher-Gil and Jenny Saville. She takes an exploratory approach rather than simply telling the reader what to think.

The one criticism I have of the book is that, although it states that its intention is to make “the casual gallery visitor” understand and get more out of a trip to a museum, a lot of what she shares only proves that knowing context and artistic techniques is necessary in order to fully understand art. For example, she explains Jan Van Eck’s “The Arnolfini Portrait” by informing the reader of the rich symbolism that is contained in the painting that would have been known to the people of the time. Interesting stuff for sure, but how is a “casual gallery visitor” supposed to discover these things without additional study or taking extra time to listen to audio commentary as they proceed through an exhibit?

As a professor who has taught arts “appreciation” for over 20 years, I very much appreciate this book. I’m still trying to discover, however, how we break through the barriers for preventing more people from enjoying the wonder of art.

Thanks to Quarto and NetGalley for the opportunity to examine this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A fascinating guide on how to look at and analyse a painting, including elements that can be used such as colour, medium, movement, technique, content, location, and the artist’s life. Thirty artworks were chosen as samples, ranging from a landscape painted in the 12th century all the way to an installation set up in the 21st century. I found the short snippets about the artist’s life particularly interesting as it can influence the way they paint or the subjects they choose.

This would be useful for artists and/or people who just like to look at paintings. They will be able to talk about them intelligently at least!

5 stars.

This is an excellent resource for art lovers, art students, and artists. Susie Hodge includes aspects of art history and science in ways that are easily understood by the layperson and vastly interesting. I found the second half of the book especially interesting to me as an artist. It's helped me better understand how to improve my own paintings and to review them critically.

I'm passionate about art and have no problem pointing out which works I like and which I don't. Until now, however, I have never been able to give a substantive reason for why I find some works of art appealing and others not. "Elements of Art by Susie Hodge has been very helpful in this regard. The author clearly discusses all the components of a work of art - scale, colour, light, movement, technique - and suggests what to look for when analysing. In addition, the book contains very interesting examples of completed analyses of dozens of works of art in various genres, from paintings to sculptures. Everything is presented in a very reader-friendly way, and even a person with little idea of art will be able to grasp the basics of art criticism. I highly recommend this book to anyone who lacks their own arguments in discussions about art and would like to learn how to analyse it more professionally.

I learned so much from this book. It’s really one that you could take your time and digest. I especially enjoyed the example artwork toward then end with the biography about the artists. It’s so interesting to learn where these amazing pieces of art came from. This is a great introduction to artistic elements and will definitely be a great reference to anybody getting started in this field.
Thank you for the eARC! I learned so much!

Part One of this concise book gives you an ultra-condensed art history and the elements by which to consider an artist’s offering, sweeping the vast plain from stone age to early 20thC in a few paragraphs. It remains in the realm of “safe” or buzzword artists, from Leonardo da Vinci to Damien Hirst.

Examples given are many, however, firmly weighted towards the early 20th C and onward.
There are no critical voices offered, the views are merely descriptive.
The “Consider this” inserts could be an interesting way for the reader/viewer to question their approach, but sadly they do come across as mildly patronising.

The second part - interpreting 30 individual artworks - fared better in my esteem, although it is a shame that the whole artworld up to the year 1900 is crammed into just 13 artworks out of those 30. Where are the Minoan and Roman artists, the Greek artists, where the medieval painters and sculptors, the Byzantine artists? Rococo is missing entirely. No historism or Victorian genre painting, no Neo-Classicism, no Biedermeier.
Again, a whiff of quota-filling (gotta have a lot of female artists (15 out of 30!) and at least one representative of non-Western art) and dealing mostly with the usual suspects.

Having said all that, in general I enjoyed the info on the artists and the interpretation of the artworks.

“Art is anything you can get away with”, a quote by Andy Warhol.
Never a truer word…

Breaking down the visual elements of art and using them to discuss art historical works are a big part of my curriculum. This book is written and designed in such a way that it is easy to digest for those who may not be as well-versed in the terminology and are just beginning their journey exploring Art History. I found the layout helpful where it isn't just pages of text, which can be intimidating for a lot of my students. As someone who already knows about a lot of the facts and elements mentioned in the book, I did find some of the facts repetitive from other books and didn't find a lot of new material compared to the rest. However, I still found it refreshing and I will be recommending this as an intro book to students who want to further their journey looking at Art History outside of my class.

The Elements of Art by Susie Hodge is an excellent introduction to art interpretation for those new to the subject. The first section breaks down the key elements to consider and these are then put into practice in the second section with look at specific works of art of all types. I found it very interesting, very easy to follow and the illustrations are beautiful. An excellent reference work to come back to again and again.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

Sumptuously stunning in its presentation of magnificent, lush, full-color art masterpieces and equally rich in succulent bite-sized educational content worthy of a lifetime of art history and appreciation classes compressed into easily understandable and accessible content, Susie Hodge’s “The Elements of Art—Ten Ways to Decode the Masterpieces,” is a triumph of functionality that embraces and demystifies the variances of aesthetic forms.

Hodges broadens readers’ horizons and imaginations beyond the core artistic fundamentals of line, shape, color, value, form, texture and the spaces that creative works exhibit by forcing viewers to become emotionally invested in each work that they evaluate.

She looks at classical art masterpieces throughout the ages and dissects them according to additional elements that offer a more personal reflection of the artist’s vision for that particular work: project scale/size; palette choices/colors selected; light and darkness (chiaroscuro); movement and flow; medium (oil, acrylic, marble, bronze, wood, etc.); technique (pointillism, photorealistic, impressionistic, etc.); content (what’s included with focal subject); location (place); time; and the artist.

Via those aspects Hodges’ encourages art connoisseurs, and wanna bees, to delve deeper into each art subject by considering each of these unique characteristics.

She asks viewers to think about why the artist chose a particular medium and material to use? Why did they use a particular composition and the included elements in the work? Why was the place chosen? Is there symbolism inherent in the art piece that an untrained person may not recognize?

These are all fabulous techniques for exploring the dynamic nature of art while broadening one’s understanding, perspective, and artistic vision—all critical elements in the educational process.

I love this gorgeous book because it challenges us to explore art beyond its framework and pushes us beyond own limitless understanding—past any of our pre-conceived boundaries, so that we can become one with art in a fully immersive manner.

JoyReaderGirl1 graciously thanks NetGalley, Author Susie Hodges, and Quarto Publishing for this advanced reader’s copy (ARC) for review.

Susie Hodge has written a number of books about museums and art. I have found all of the ones that I have read to be interesting and informative. That is again the case here with Ms. Hodge again sharing her insights and ways of looking at things.

This title is well organized. There are ten elements of art explored in these pages. These include scale, colour, light, movement, medium, technique, content, location, time and, the artist. After explaining each of these in a clear way, Hodge moves on to explore a number of paintings. Just some of these works are The Arnolfini Portrait (van Eyck), The Serenade (Judith Lester), The Monk by the Sea (Caspar David Fridrich), Under the Wave off Kanagawa (Katushika Hokusai), The Starry Night (Vincent Van Gogh), and Guernica (Pablo Picasso). There are too many to list but all are engaging and worth a look.

There are works here that readers will recognize and look at anew and those that will be getting a first glance. In each case, it is terrific to read what Hodge has to say.

Highly recommended to art lover experienced and un. Note the many gorgeous reproductions as the pages turn.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.

If you are anything like me, then you too most likely have struggled when someone asks you what you think of a certain artwork, or what your impressions of a certain art gallery visit are. Usually, I feel like whatever I might say will sound weird. Like, what is the point of saying “I liked it” if I have nothing to base it upon? How do I explain my opinion of something as subjective, so personal, as art? And then, enter this book. I’m a frequent art gallery visitor and therefore I’m often asked about those. Now I have some references to come up with my own way to describe what a certain artwork is to me.
Also, my tween often accompanies me and this book gives me new ways to talk to her about what we have seen and experienced.
I know that this most likely was not the intended use for this book, but this is what it is for me.

I have always enjoyed art but usually can't explain why I like something beyond that it pleases me. It's frustrating because I want to be able to explain why I like some pieces more than others, and I want to be able to use my preferences to find more art that I will enjoy.
This book is amazing because it goes through the basics of what makes up art, everything from light to when the piece was created to what kinds of colors were used. Then the book looks at specific important pieces and shows you what these artists did to create these amazing works of art. It's so much fun to be able to learn about art in a way I can understand.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

This is an incredibly useful guide for those who are beginners at art interpretation. The guide is color coded and includes explanations as well as examples.

The Elements of Art by Susie Hodge goes beyond theseven elements of art that most art students study (colour, line, value, shape, form, texture and space) and expands upon these to Scale, colour, light, movement, medium, technique, content location, time and artist.

Hodge explains each of these concepts and how they are employed in not just examining and understanding art, but also how to enhance our own compositions. It helps the artist or viewer to become immersed in the artwork on a whole new level, a deeper level

The book is well laid out and uses well-known pieces from installations to sculptures to illustrate their point further and I really liked the "consider this" points which are helpful if you are making notes in your art journal for example

In the second half of the book, Hodge reviews famous artworks and guides the reader through using these elements to explore the artwork further. A really nice touch is the key for each artwork which clearly denotes the elements that are being used

A very useful and engrossing book and an essential for any artist, art student or art lover. Wonderful

Thank you to Netgalley, Quatro Publishing Group and Susie Hodge for this fantastic ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own