CRITIC PAPER

• Spoliarium


  A painting by Filipino artist Juan Luna
• Spoliarium


  • Submitted by Luna to the Exposición Nacional de Bellas Artes in 1884 in Madrid
  • Garnered the first gold medal (out of three)
  • Sold to the Diputación Provincial de Barcelona for 20,000 pesetas in 1886
  • Currently hangs in the main gallery at the ground floor of the National Museum of Fine Arts in Manila
  • Recreates a despoiling scene in a Roman circus where dead gladiators are stripped of weapons and garments
• Critique


  A genre of academic writing that briefly summarizes and critically evaluates a work or concept
• Works that can be critiqued

  • Creative works – novels, exhibits, film, images
  • Research – monographs, journal articles, reviews
  • Media – news reports, feature articles
• Structure of a critique

  • Introduction
  • Body (includes summary and detailed evaluation)
  • Conclusion
• Purpose of an evaluation

  To gauge the usefulness or impact of a work in a particular field
• Why we write critiques

  • Develop knowledge of the work's subject area or related works
  • Understand the work's purpose, intended audience, development of argument, structure of evidence or creative style
  • Recognize the strengths and weaknesses of the work
• How to write a critique

  1. Study the work under discussion

  2. Make notes on key parts of the work

  3. Develop an understanding of the main argument or purpose being expressed in the work

  4. Consider how the work relates to a broader issue or context
• Introduction of a critique

  • Name the work being reviewed as well as the date it was created and the name of the author/creator
  • Describe the main argument or purpose of the work
  • Explain the context in which the work was created
  • Have a concluding sentence that signposts what your evaluation of the work will be
• Summary in a critique

  Briefly summarize the main points and objectively describe how the creator portrays these by using techniques, styles, media, characters or symbols
• Critical evaluation in a critique

  • A systematic and detailed assessment of the different elements of the work, evaluating how well the creator was able to achieve the purpose through these
  • Deconstructs the work and identifies both strengths and weaknesses
  • Examines the work and evaluates its success, in light of its purpose
• Conclusion of a critique

  • A statement indicating the overall evaluation of the work
  • Summary of the key reasons, identified during the critical evaluation, why this evaluation was formed
  • In some circumstances, recommendations for improvement on the work may be appropriate
• APA style


  • A standardized way of writing a paper so that others who read it know exactly what every little reference and comma means
  • Started in the field of Psychology but has been adapted for use in other fields as well
• APA style is usually used for referencing in a critique