This article was originally posted on August 31, 2015.
82 Questions to Ask about Art
If you are stumped about how to lead a discussion about a work of art, use this list of art questions to give you some ideas!
As art teachers, we know the importance of creativity and the joy of making something with your own hands, but we also know the power of looking at the artworks of others.
Looking at art is an emotional, independent experience. Each person looking at a work of art will view it through the lens of their life and draw different meanings based on what they see. Talking about art allows us to break free of our solitary interpretations and uncover new insights.
Classroom art discussions are a launching pad for creativity, collaboration, and cognition. By exposing our students to works of art, giving them the space to examine their reactions, and opening a dialogue to share their thoughts, we help them develop empathy, connect with history, flex their critical thinking and observation skills, and consider the human spirit.
If you haven’t done it before, starting a classroom art discussion can be intimidating, but the benefits are worth overcoming the nerves. Below you’ll find 82 questions you can use to start and extend conversations about works of art with your classes. If you’d like more guidance, check out my five tips for leading a meaningful classroom art discussion.
Grab this art questions list and an artwork from 10 Artworks Perfect for an Art Criticism Lesson for older students or 20 Great Artworks to Look at with Young Kids for younger children, and start talking about art with your students!
Pair these questions with art cards for a variety of engaging art appreciation activities! Learn how to make a DIY art collection and start a weekly masterpiece presentation in your classroom in this post.
Want all of these art questions plus printable question cards in a free PDF download?
82 Questions About Art
82 questions you can use to start and extend conversations about works of art with your classroom. Free download includes a list plus individual question cards perfect for laminating!
82 questions you can use to start and extend conversations about works of art with your classroom. Free download includes a list plus individual question cards perfect for laminating!
Questions About Art
- What’s going on in this artwork?
- What was your first reaction to this artwork? Why do you think you had the reaction?
- Does your opinion about the artwork change the longer you look at it? Why?
- Describe the lines in this artwork
- Describe the colors in the artwork
- Which area of the artwork is emphasized by the artist? Why?
- Which area of the artwork is most important? Why?
- How did this artist use space? (Space in Art Examples)
- How did the artist use balance? (Artworks that Use Balance)
- How did the artist use proportion? (Examples of Proportion in Art)
- How does your eye move through the artwork? What choices did the artist make to make that happen?
- Close your eyes and describe the artwork from memory. Why did you remember what you remembered? Why did you forget what you forgot?
- How would you describe this artwork to someone who has never seen it?
- What elements of this painting seem real?
- What adjectives would you use to describe this artwork?
- What verbs would you use to describe this artwork?
- What elements seem dreamlike or imaginary?
- What is strange about this painting?
- What is mysterious about this artwork?
- What is normal about this artwork?
- What is boring about this artwork?
- Why is this artwork not boring to look at?
- What is exciting about this artwork?
- If this painting had sound effects, what would they sound like? (More activities about art senses)
- If this artwork was a brand, what would be its slogan?
- What is missing from this artwork?
- If this artwork were music, what would it sound like?
- If this artwork could dance, what song would it dance to?
- What do we know about the artist after viewing this artwork?
- If you could ask the artist a question, what would you ask him/her?
- Who do you think was this artwork created for? Why do you say that?
- How do you think the artist feels about the final product?
- How do you think this artwork was made?
- Why do you think this artist created this work?
- What do you think this artist is trying to say in this artwork? What is the meaning or message?
- What’s the story being told, if any?
- What do you think happened before this scene?
- What do you think happened next?
- What emotions do you notice in the artwork?
- What emotions do you feel when looking at this?
- How do you think the artist was feeling when he created this artwork?
- How did the artist use line, shape, and color to contribute to the mood or meaning?
- What is the title? How does the title contribute to your understanding of the meaning?
- What title would you give this artwork?
- What symbols do you notice in the artwork?
- What juxtapositions do you notice?
- Put your body into the pose of some element of this artwork. How does it feel to be in that position?
- What would it feel like to be in this artwork?
- What does this artwork remind you of? Why?
- How do you personally relate to/connect with this picture?
- How can you connect this artwork to your own life?
- How might you feel differently about the world after looking at this artwork?
- Why do you think you should be learning about/looking at this artwork?
- Do you want to see this artwork again? Why?
- What do you want to remember about this artwork?
- What do you want to forget about this artwork?
- Who do you know that would really like this artwork? Why would they like it?
- Who do you know that would really hate this artwork? Why would they hate it?
- What do you like about this artwork?
- What do you dislike about this artwork?
- What is beautiful about this artwork?
- Why would someone want to steal this artwork?
- If you could change this artwork, how would you change it? Why?
- What does this artwork say about the culture in which is was produced?
- How do you think this artwork was used by the people who made it? What was its function?
- Was this intended to be a work of art or not? Why do you think that? How does that impact your understanding of the artwork?
- What does this painting say about the world in which we live?
- What does this artwork teach us about the past?
- How does this artwork teach us about the future?
- What was happening in history when this artwork was made? How does that change your understanding of the artwork?
- What are the values and beliefs of the culture in which this artwork was made?
- How might your interpretation of this artwork be different from someone in another culture?
- If you could ask this artwork a question, what would you ask it?
- If this artwork had eyes, what would it see?
- If this artwork were a person, what would they want to eat for lunch?
- If this artwork were a person, what would they look like?
- If this artwork were a person, what would their personality be?
- If the art could talk, what would it say?
- What would this artwork want to do when it grows up?
- If this artwork could travel anywhere in the world, where would it go? Why?
- If this painting were a person, what job/career would it want to have?
- What is this artwork afraid of?
- 82 Questions About Art (List)
- 82 Questions About Art (Printable Index Cards)
- Links to Artwork Suggestions
Genre painting
Genre painting developed particularly in Holland in the seventeenth century. The most typical subjects were scenes of peasant life or drinking in taverns, and tended to be small in scale. In Britain William Hogarth’s modern moral subjects were a special kind of genre, in their frankness and often biting social satire.
Simpler genre painting emerged in later eighteenth century in for example George Morland, Henry Robert Morland and Francis Wheatley. Genre painting became hugely popular in the Victorian age following the success of the brilliantly skilled but deeply sentimental works of Sir David Wilkie.
Towards the end of the nineteenth century a new focus for genre painting emerged. Artists wanted to capture the excitement and fleeting nature of the modern life they saw around them in fast-growing metropolises such as London and Paris. The simple and slightly sentimental genre scenes of the Victorian era were replaced by bustling street scenes and glittering cafe interiors captured by impressionist artists such as Auguste Renoir and Claude Monet. Reflections on the downsides of urbanisation also became a subject for artists. Camden Town Group painter Walter Sickert’s genre scenes painted early in the twentieth century include alienated couples in interiors – suggesting the loneliness people can feel in big cities.
Confusingly, the word ‘genre’ is also used in art to describe the different types, or broad subjects, of painting. In the seventeenth century five types – or ‘genres’ – of painting were established, these were: history painting; portrait painting; landscape painting; genre painting (scenes of everyday life) and still life. These genres were seen by the art establishment as having varying levels of importance, with history painting (the painting of scenes from history, the bible or literature) as the most important genre, and still life (paintings of still objects) as the least important.
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The Best Sales Email Subject Lines
Read through them all or use the index below to jump to the subject lines you need now.
- Cold Email Subject Lines
- Follow-Up Email Subject Lines
- Best Email Subject Lines After No Response
- Email Subject Line Examples for Meeting Requests
Cold Email Subject Lines
- Question about [goal]
- [Mutual connection] recommended I get in touch
- Hi [name], [question]?
- Did you get what you were looking for?
- [the e.e. cummings subject line]
- Hoping to help
- A [benefit] for [prospect’s company]
- X tips/ideas for [pain point]
- Idea for [topic the prospect cares about]
- 10x [prospect’s company]’s traction in 10 minutes
- I found you through [referral name]
- We have [insert fact] in common .
- So nice to meet you, [Prospect]!
- Feeling [insert emotion]? Let me help
- Hoping you can help.
- This is a sales email
- Your yearly [X] target
- [Situation] at [Company]
- Who is in charge of X at [company]?
- Have you tried [restaurant in prospect’s town]?
- So, you speak sign language?
- Will cut to the chase
- Might be off-base here, but .
- If you’re struggling with [common pain point], you’re not alone
- Can I make your life 20% easier?
- [Name], saw you’re focused on [goal]
- Will I see you at [event]?
- Can I help?
- Tired of salespeople who never give up?
- [Name] suggested I reach out
- Contacting you at [Referral]’s suggestion
- [Referral name]
- [Referral name] loves us & thought you might, too
- Fellow [University] grad here!
Imagine opening your mail app and seeing only the name, time, and date an email landed in your inbox. How would you prioritize what to open first?
It wouldn’t be easy, that’s for sure. Your prospects are constantly prioritizing their email inbox, even setting up filters and rules to organize their messages in order to respond to important and urgent notes as efficiently as they can.
You might be thinking that your cold sales email won’t make the prospect’s priority email list. With the following cold email subject lines, however, you can pique just the right amount of curiosity and get that prospect to open up your email.
1. “Question about [goal]”
What’s your question? They’ll have to open your email to find out.
2. “[Mutual connection] recommended I get in touch”
Few things are more powerful than referrals. If you share an acquaintance with your prospect, be sure to put that person’s name in your email subject line. The more your prospect trusts your referrer, the more compelling your email will be.
Smart reps know that referrals are as good as gold in sales. According to NoMoreColdCalling.com, referred prospects have a whopping 50% close rate. If you’ve been introduced to a prospect by someone they trust, make it clear in the subject line that it’s a referral.
3. “Hi [name], [question]?”
Questions provoke answers. Emails with question subject lines provoke opens and replies. Incorporating their name makes the email more personal, which will help it stand out in their inbox.
According to sales trainer Jeff Hoffman, approaching prospects like a curious student instead of a knowledgeable expert boosts engagement. Posing a question in your subject line asking for the prospect’s help paves the way for a conversation — the point of a prospecting email.
4. “Did you get what you were looking for?”
Use this one to follow up with an inbound lead or a website visitor. They’re clearly looking for help with a challenge — ask how you can be of service.
5. [the e.e. cummings subject line]
Most people incorporate capitalization when they draft emails (although some go a little CrAzY). With this in mind, an all-lowercase subject line will stand out.
6. “Hoping to help”
Have you heard? The age of Always Be Closing is dead; the best salespeople today adhere to ABH (Always Be Helping). Put this sentiment front and center — prospects will appreciate your candor as well as your willingness to be of service.
7. “A [benefit] for [prospect’s company]”
Here are some examples of what this might look like in practice:
- A new HR strategy for Business Inc.
- A savings of $25k for ABC Corp.
- An all-time revenue record for Organization Y
The specificity of the benefit and the personalized subject line will hook your buyer. Plus, just like the prospect’s own name, buyers are also partial to the name of their company. When in doubt, personalize.
8. “X tips/ideas for [pain point]”
People love numbered lists (hence, the rise of the listicle). Insert a number into your subject line to drive interest.
9. “Idea for [topic the prospect cares about]”
A free idea? Sure, I’ll take it. *click*
10. “10x [prospect’s company]’s traction in 10 minutes”
Throwing out some buzzy numbers can generate some immediate interest.
11. “I found you through [referral name]”
Again, don’t underestimate the power of mentioning referrals in a subject line. It immediately establishes a connection with the prospect and increases their investment in responding to you.
12. “We have [insert fact] in common . “
Spend five minutes looking through your contact’s LinkedIn or Facebook accounts. I bet you can find at least one thing you have in common — even if it’s just that you’ve both been photographed eating spaghetti. Be careful; don’t mention something too personal or something they clearly want to keep private, or it will come off as creepy. Pick something that the prospect made publicly known on their social profiles.
13. “So nice to meet you, [Prospect]!”
Whether they downloaded a piece of content or visited your pricing page, let your prospect know you’ve noticed their interest and are happy to finally touch base.
14. “Feeling [insert emotion]? Let me help”
Tap into current events in your prospect’s industry. Targeting marketers during the busy weeks before Black Friday? Try “Feeling stressed? Let me help.” Then share how your product or service can lighten their load.
15. “Hoping you can help.”
People generally want to help other people. If you’re reaching out to someone for the first time, ask, “I’d like to learn more about your marketing conference schedule this year. Would you be able to connect me with the right person to speak with?”
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30. “[Name] suggested I reach out”
Referral sales expert Bill Cates notes that salespeople who get referred to new prospects “borrow trust” from the referral source.
This means that instead of coming in cold, the relationship between the rep and the prospect automatically becomes warmer thanks to the relationship between the referred prospect and the referral source. This subject line effectively uses that connection to your advantage.
31. “Contacting you at [Referral]’s suggestion”
This is a slightly more formal version of other referral subject lines on this list. Use it if you’re emailing someone in a less casual industry; for example, I’d suggest this subject line for a finance professional or higher-ranking employee.
All the salespeople who recommended this subject line passed on the same warning — if you didn’t get a referral, don’t use this line! It’s not worth the risk of your prospect asking your fake referrer, “Hey, did you tell so-and-so they should talk to me?” If that happens, you’ll look bad to everyone involved.
32. “[Referral name]”
This is another one from Ali Powell’s arsenal. “Just put the full name of the person in the subject line and nothing else. I promise this works!” she writes. For example: “Jane Smith” or “John Doe.”
The simple “referral name” subject line draws on the power of referrals without providing details. But there’s another reason it works — in a sea of emails labeled with verbs and adjectives, a person’s name (and one the recipient knows well) stands out.
33. “[Referral name] loves us & thought you might, too”
Follow up with your happiest customers and use this subject line to set the tone for your communication. As an extra bonus, include a personalized testimony from the referrer in the email or have them introduce you via email.
A referral with no context is just a referral, but one that leads with how happy the referrer is stands out — especially if you can snag an email introduction from your referrer.
34. “Fellow [University] grad here!”
This is less of a referral and more of a referring connection. Draw upon a similar hometown, state, or alma mater for instant rapport building.
This subject line works because people love to feel connected to one another. Calling upon a similarity with your prospect forges an instant bond and can lead to easier rapport and a few extra minutes of their attention.
Follow-Up Email Subject Lines
- Our next steps
- X options to get started
- You are not alone.
- 10 mins — [date]?
- A 3-step plan for your busy week
- [Prospect], I thought you might like these blogs
- Here’s that info I promised you
- I’d love your feedback on that meeting
- I had this idea since we last spoke
- I thought about what you said
- Don’t tell my boss
- What would it take?
- Here’s what I’ll do
- Talk on [day] at [1:45]?
- [Prospect], I loved your post on [website/publication name]
- Hi [Prospect], we met at [event]
- Still undecided? This might help.
- Try [product/service] for free
1. “Our next steps”
Use this subject line to follow up after a first connection or to re-engage a prospect gone quiet.
2. “X options to get started”
Pop in a few bullet points about how to kick off your relationship in the body text (a content offer, a phone call, an upgrade opportunity for current customers, etc.), and you’re good to go.
3. “You are not alone.”
This subject line hits home on two fronts:
- It’s intriguing.
- It’s human.
If you know the prospect is struggling with a difficult challenge, share stories of how others overcame a similar hurdle.
4. “10 mins — [date]?”
Short, easy, and to the point. If you can mirror this sentiment in the body of your sales emails, the replies will be flying your way.
5. “A 3-step plan for your busy week”
You know the pain points of your ideal customer, so bullet those pain points in the email body and provide short, actionable tips on how they can overcome those challenges over the coming week.
6. “[Prospect], I thought you might like these blogs”
Include their name in the subject line, and fill the email body with content you know they need. This is a great way to test disengaged or completely unresponsive prospects for signs of life.
7. “Here’s that info I promised you”
Always end your call or previous prospect communication with several next steps and follow-up topics. This gives each side direction — and also gives you a reason to follow up.
8. “I’d love your feedback on that meeting”
If you just gave a demo or led a meeting with a prospect’s colleagues, it’s a good idea to stay top of mind and immediately ask if you can answer any questions. This also helps gauge how things went and understand what the next steps should be.
9. “I had this idea since we last spoke”
This subject line does two things:
- Encourages them to recall your conversation
- Sparks interest in what your idea might be
This interest may earn you an email open.
10. “I thought about what you said”
This subject line functions similar to the previous one but with an added edge: They may now be curious if you’ve addressed a concern or objective, giving them more leverage. If they believe they now have an advantage, they may be more willing to hear you out.
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