Frameworks for Understanding Art: The Function of Comparative Art Contexts and Verbal Cues

Abstract

The purpose of this investigation was to study contextual variables that influence the understanding of works of art. A key artwork was introduced to college students with other works of art in three different comparative contexts (same-artist vs. same-theme vs. interdisciplinary). Verbal contextual conditions (cued vs. non-cued) were also manipulated to show whether students rely on explicit verbal prompts to find relationships among works of art. The results of a multiple-choice matching test and an open-ended writing task indicate both types of contextual variables can have a strong impact on what a student looks for and thinks about when examining a work of art. Verbal cues can prompt students to elaborate on possible art meanings. Comparative art contexts containing familiar ideas can reduce the occurrence of misunderstandings if those ideas are explicitly identified for students. These and other findings have a direct bearing on how educational interventions might be structured.