Educational Theories; Foundations of Education; Literature Reviews; *Visual Arts

This study examines the range of available art criticism formats, assesses the value of accompanying literature descriptions, and provides a conceptual framework for possible cur,:culum design. Descriptions and analyses are provided of art criticism formats presented in art education literature according to format characteristics, theoretical and research rationales, anticipatory information, types of objects to be studied, and instructional cues. These dimensions, in turn, are referenced to a continuum of educational and philosophical perspectives. Feldman's (1973) four-step format, (description, formal analysis, interpretation, and judgment), traditionally used by art critics, serves as a generalized frame of reference by which 15 other works are compared. Separate sections describe each of the five dimensions, the four steps of Feldman's traditional format, and applications o