Overview

In this Art Quest, students will take an in-depth look at balance. Specifically, they will learn about balancing visual forces as well as discover how to recognize balance in works of art. In doing so, students will look at various works of art at the following museum Web sites:

• Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
• The Textile Museum
• National Gallery of Art
• Amarillo Museum of Art
• The Grand Rapids Art Museum
• Hood Museum of Art
• Lowe Art Museum
• Heard Museum
• Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
• Arizona State Museum
• Norton Museum of Art
• The Hyde Collection Art Museum
• Amon Carter Museum
• Terra Museum of American Art
• Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
• Smithsonian American Art Museum
• Whitney Museum of American Art

Objectives

After completing this Art Quest, students should be able to:

• Define the term balance.
• Describe various types of balance and identify them in works of art.

Suggested Follow-Up

After this Art Quest is complete, divide the class into groups of three. Have each group identify the types of balance used in various art magazines.