This French 4 lesson explains describing art in French step by step, with examples in French and English. Then practise with the worksheet on describing art in French and check yourself with the quiz.
Quick answer: To describe a painting in French, name the work, then place elements with au premier plan, à l’arrière-plan, à gauche and à droite, and add colors and mood. To analyze a poem, count the vers and strophes, identify the rhymes, then name the figures de style, such as comparison or metaphor.
Level: French 4 (high school, ACTFL Intermediate Mid) · Standards: ACTFL Intermediate Mid, WL 1.2 Interpretive, WL 1.3 Presentational, WL 4.1 Language Comparisons, WL 2.2 Cultural Products
Describing art in French: the lesson
How do you describe a painting in French?
Begin with the type of work and the subject, then guide the reader through space. Choose one order, from the background to the foreground or the reverse, and keep it. Use Ce tableau représente… — This painting shows… — or On voit… — We see…
| French | English |
|---|---|
| un paysage | a landscape |
| une nature morte | a still life |
| une toile | a canvas |
| les couleurs chaudes / froides | warm / cool colors |
Common mistake
Une librairie sells books; it is a bookstore, not a library. For a library, say une bibliothèque. Also, un roman is a novel, never a “romance.”
What are the main literary genres?
Each genre has its own French name and its own purpose. A writer of novels is un romancier or une romancière; a writer of poems is un poète or une poétesse.
| Genre | Meaning |
|---|---|
| le roman | a long story in prose |
| la nouvelle | a short story |
| le poème | a text in verse, often with rhyme |
| la pièce de théâtre | a play, written for the stage |
| la fable | a short tale with a moral |
| la bande dessinée | a comic book |
To talk about your reading, use the passé composé for what you did and the present for what the book says: J’ai lu une nouvelle qui raconte la vie d’un pêcheur. — I read a short story that tells the life of a fisherman. To give an opinion, add J’ai trouvé ce livre émouvant, parce que les personnages sont sincères. — I found this book moving, because the characters are sincere.
How do you analyze a poem?
Look at the form before the meaning. A poem has des vers (lines) grouped in des strophes. Rhymes can be crossed (ABAB), flat (AABB) or embraced (ABBA).
Figures de style
- la comparaison: rapide comme l’éclair
- la métaphore: le lac est un miroir
- la personnification: la mer dessine
- l’hyperbole: j’ai mille choses à faire
Culture note
The name of Impressionism comes from a painting by Claude Monet, Impression, soleil levant, which was shown at an 1874 exhibition in Paris. A critic mocked it, and the label stuck.
Zoé’s tip
When you analyze, always add the effect: not only c’est une métaphore, but elle donne une image de calme.
Key points to remember
- Position words (au premier plan, au centre, à l’arrière-plan) organize the description of a painting.
- Genres include le roman, la nouvelle, le poème, la pièce de théâtre, la fable.
- A poem is made of vers (lines) grouped in strophes; rhymes follow patterns such as ABAB.
- A comparison uses comme; a metaphor states the identity without it.
- Une librairie is a bookstore, not a library.
Describing Paintings and Analyzing Poems: frequently asked questions
How do I describe the position of objects in a painting?
Use au premier plan, au centre, à l’arrière-plan, à gauche, à droite, en haut, en bas. Pick an order, such as background to foreground, and keep it.
What is the difference between a vers and a strophe?
A vers is one line of a poem. A strophe is a group of lines, like a stanza in English.
What is the difference between a comparison and a metaphor?
A comparison uses a link word such as comme, as in fort comme un lion. A metaphor states the identity directly, as in cet homme est un lion.
Is une librairie a library?
No. Une librairie is a bookstore. A public library is une bibliothèque.
How do I give my opinion of a book?
Use J’ai trouvé ce roman… followed by an adjective and a reason with parce que. Quote or paraphrase one scene to support the opinion.