“Despite the hypothesis that our classmates may mix up “Interpretation” with “Judgement”, I found out in the quiz that I am unable to distinguish between “Interpretation” and “Description” instead. It may be possible that I will include statements like “The person in the picture is wearing an old-fashioned hat.” in the stage of “Interpretation” as I believed that some adjectives like “old-fashioned” is a type of interpretation. It may be important for me to understand what types of words should be included in “Description” and how is it different from (or what should be added to achieve) “Interpretation”.”
by a MS1 Student, 2 May 2024
Good question!
Let’s further clarify the distinction between description and interpretation, using the example you provided.
In the case of the statement “The person in the picture is wearing an old-fashioned hat,” the use of the adjective “old-fashioned” leans more towards interpretation than description. While it does provide some descriptive information about the hat, it also suggests a subjective judgment or interpretation of the hat’s style.
Let’s break down the statement:
- Description (objective):
“The person in the picture is wearing a hat.”
- Interpretation (subjective):
“The hat is old-fashioned.”
To achieve a clearer separation between description and interpretation, you could revise the statement as follows:
- Description:
“The person in the picture is wearing a hat with a wide brim and a feather.”
- Interpretation:
“The hat’s design evokes a sense of vintage fashion, reminiscent of styles from a previous era.”
By separating the objective description of the hat’s physical attributes from the subjective interpretation of its style and historical associations, you can maintain a clearer distinction between the two stages.
In general, words or phrases that convey subjective judgments, opinions, or personal interpretations are more likely to belong to the stage of interpretation. These may include adjectives that express emotions, cultural references, symbolic meanings, or aesthetic qualities.
On the other hand, description focuses on providing objective and factual information about the visual elements of the artwork. It involves sticking to observable facts and visual characteristics without adding personal interpretations or evaluative statements.
In the quiz you took during the my Visual Arts lesson, the complete sentence provided was
“The painting shows a group of people standing around a beach (or lake). The clothes that the people are wearing are an older style.”
In this case, when you read the entire sentence holistically, it falls under the category of description.
Remember, the goal of description is to answer the question “What do I see?” by providing objective details, while interpretation aims to answer “What does it mean?” by offering subjective insights and explanations based on the visual evidence.
By practicing and honing your skills, you will become more proficient in distinguishing between description and interpretation, ensuring a more accurate and comprehensive analysis of artworks.
– Idy NG
