How the eye is led

A formal analysis is an analysis of the forms utilized in the work of art; a specific type of visual description. It is a close inspection and explanation of visual structure, of the ways in which certain visual elements and
principles of design have been arranged and function within a composition. The formal analysis moves beyond simple description in that it connects the elements of the work to the effects they have on the viewer. The
purest formal analysis is limited to what the viewer sees. Because it explains how the eye is led through a work, this kind of description provides a solid foundation for other types of analysis. To write a formal analysis, you must look closely at an art object and translate your visual observations into written text. However, a formal
analysis does not simply record your observations. It also makes a claim about the work of art.
What is a critique?