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MAKING A MARK
There appear to be a diversity of views. My own personal view is that it should always be height and then width.
One of my personal missions in life is to persuade all art competitions and open exhibitions to get their forms right and list the dimensions the right way round! Hence this post!
So I decided to take a look to see if I could prove I was correct – having been irritated, yet again, by seeing artwork on a website with the dimensions listed (in my opinion) “the wrong way round”!
I looked for sources of information from:
- leading art galleries and museums
- reputable websites
HOWEVER I also found that there was a different perspective in the graphics and digital image / photography world!
So the answer is “it depends on what your are measuring” BUT
- if you’re measuring artwork then there is only one right answer!
- it’s different if you’re measuring photographs!
According to Art Galleries and Museums
It’s height then width and then depth.
I’m listing below the art galleries and museums which were reviewed – with artwork inspected on a random basis. Plus I’m including some images from those websites to prove what I’m saying!
Basically I stopped looking after the National Galleries of the UK and USA plus the Louvre in Paris. I’ve no doubt there may be some cultural dissension on this matter in places where people read from right to left – but I’m only trying to persuade the organisers of juried exhibitions in the West to get it right. I’ve not gone for global domination – yet! 😉
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| Dimensions at the National Gallery (London) – height first and then width A Young Woman Standing at A Virginal by Johannes Vermeer 51.7cm x 45.2cm |
Height first – then width
- National Gallery (London)
- National Gallery of Art (Washington)
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| Dimensions at the National Gallery of Art (Washington) – height first and then width Haskell’s House by Edward Hopper Dimensions: overall: 34.3 x 49.5 cm (13 1/2 x 19 1/2 in.) |
- Louvre, Paris
 |
| Dimensions at the Louvre Museum (Paris) – height first and then width Self-portrait of Chardin at his easel by Jean Baptiste Siméon Chardin |
Width first – then height
- I’ve not found one yet – but periodically come across this version in commercial art galleries – presumably listed by interns who don’t know any better
Useful reference articles
I looked at the extent to which the source of the article had regular contact with the regular art world and/or the extent to which they were websites I’ve referenced in the past because I found them useful
It’s height then width and then depth.
- Examples of Artwork Labels | The Practical Art World – a very useful article I’ve quoted elsewhere about labels in general
The measurement of an artwork usually refers to the outer size of the canvas, paper, or other material that is the base of an artwork. Unless the frame is an integral part of the work itself, its measurements should not be considered the size of the artwork. The standard is to list the height, then the width. The depth, if applicable, would be listed third.
- Listing Dimensions of Your Art Properly | Alyson Stanfield – this article includes a short reference to the fact that all listings of dimensions should be height then width.
- How to measure paintings like an expert | eframe – includes a useful pictorial demonstration of how to measure
The standard format for reporting measurements of a print is as follows: Height x Width. For a framed artwork, use this format: Height x Width x Depth.
BEWARE – there are a number of websites which state the dimensions the wrong way round i.e. they contradict how artwork is listed in leading internationally renowned art galleries and museums!
- They are usually frameshops or framing related websites – which accounts for how come we get some mess-ups on framing.
- Interestingly a number of framing sites seem to treat height and width as interchangeable – which they are when it comes to a frame – but they’re not when it comes to a mat for a work on paper.
Hands up all those who’ve experienced the framer who measures dimensions differently to you – where you got your deep bottom at the side and not the bottom!
Another perspective? Graphics and photography?
I found one article which maintains it’s definitely width x height.
- What Comes First? Width or Height? | highresolutions – this maintains that
The Graphics’ industry standard is width by height (width x height). Meaning that when you write your measurements, you write them from your point of view, beginning with the width.
I also checked with the software I use for cropping images and all the formats are width x height e.g 16:9 for the letter box image which is used such a lot these days on websites and social media
So the answer if dealing with photography, digital images of graphics is width x height.
Posted by Making A Mark on Friday, July 30, 2021
1 comment:
Anonymous Saturday, May 14, 2022
In printmaking do you measure the paper it’s printed on or the plate size? Reply Delete
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The Traditional 3d Art Forms
In the beginning, people created statues out of stone and wood. The first preserved art object was a small, stone-carved female figurine that dates back to 230,000 years B.C. There was an array of similar figurines found all over Europe. It is believed that these statues symbolized female fertility and played significant roles in various rituals and ceremonies. These roughly carved art pieces presented our ancestors’ first attempts to use natural materials to translate their beliefs into a physical shape. Traditional three-dimensional types of sculpture derived from these basic art pieces are:
This is a dominant 3Dart form that has been evolving since ancient times. As the name states, it is an independent art object that usually represents people, animals, or abstract motives. Artists use stone, wood, or metal to create statues, and the choice of the right art medium depends on the size and complexity of the artwork.
As opposed to free-standing statues, relief sculptures emerge from the background as elements of a larger piece of art. We can recognize several different types of reliefs. Bas reliefs represent three-dimensional compositions with statues slightly standing out against a background. On the other hand, we have high relief artforms with statues projecting dominantly from the base. Sunk-relief is an art type commonly related to ancient Egypt, and it represented figures carved into the base.
Different Techniques Applied in Creating 3d Art
Artists have applied various techniques to manipulate stone, wood, metal, or clay and transform them into desired art objects. The choice of art medium depends on the kind of statue you want to make. Typically, people use the following art techniques when creating three-dimensional art:
- Stone or wood carving is a process of cutting out pieces of material until you get the desired shape. This is one of the oldest art techniques that dates back to prehistoric times.
- Casting is an artistic method applied when working with metal as a chosen art medium. This creative process involves pouring hot metal into pre-prepared molds to create colossal statues or compositions. Cast bronze sculptures are common representatives of this creative method.
- Welding is a creative method of blending two metal pieces to create a sculpture element. This technique is common in constructing three-dimensional pieces combining different elements.
- Glass art techniques involve handling hot, warm, or cold glass to shape and model this medium. There are various techniques applied in this creative process, including glass blowing, casting, and sculpting. Common cold glass techniques are engraving, rubbing, sandblasting, and acid etching.
Sculpture in Ancient Times
We will offer a short recapitulation of the development of sculpture as an art form, and we will start with the ancient civilizations that first developed a distinctive artistic style.
Ancient Egyptian Art
Sculptors in ancient Egypt were remarkably consistent in presenting feet, legs, and the head, accompanied by a frontal presentation of the torso and an eye. This seemed to be the most convenient way for them to finish every piece. Another typical Egyptian sculpture is a seated statue, and these were typically placed in the tombs of royalty and other respectable people. These luxurious royal statues were usually accompanied by a number of smaller modest sculptures that represented the servants who needed to help their masters in another life. These smaller figures were also intricately sculpted.
The statue of the Sphinx is the most famous Egyptian landmark, and it stands to guard the entrance of the pyramids at Giza. With the body and head of a lion and a human face, this is one of the most monumental statues of the ancient world.
The Classical Ideal of Greek Sculpture
Ancient Greeks were the first to introduce the idea of beauty and proportion into art, thus setting the foundations for traditional Western art. They tended to cultivate the artistic style of heroic realism, presenting people in a naturalistic way that required excellent skills. Ancient Greeks worshiped human beauty and created nude statues to celebrate it. These nudes are among the greatest achievements of classical art.
Building and decorating the Parthenon marked the peak of classical Greek sculpture. The statues and reliefs for this ancient temple were finished within ten years, involving an array of skilled sculptors. The tradition of using reliefs and statues as ornaments stems from this period, and it went on to dominate the medieval European styles.
Indian Sculpture
Indian art dates back to the third centuryB.C. when the first Indian dynasty ruled. Sculptors created reliefs that depicted stories from the most prominent Indian religions, Hinduism and Buddhism. The presentation of characters is mainly frontal as if they are facing a camera. The most staggering motif in Indian sculpture of that time is that of a full-breasted woman captured in most unusual poses.
