Look first, interpret second: an exercise in careful observation

When looking at an image, it is easy to put “what I can see” and “what it means” into the same sentence. I prefer to separate the two steps first. The point is not to exclude associations, but to notice which parts can be checked against the image and which come from personal experience. This is an editorial approach to observation, not the only standard for interpreting images.

Imagine a scene for this exercise: a cup stands toward the right side of a table, its handle points toward the left side of the image, and an area beside it is empty. This is an invented example, not a description of a particular Tarot card, deck or historical work. We do not need to invent an artist’s intention to support our reading.

Draw two columns on a sheet of paper. Label the left one “Details I can point out to someone else” and the right one “My interpretations”. On the left, note the cup’s position, the direction of its handle and its relationship to the empty space. Put “It is waiting for someone” on the right. That may be an interesting association, but these details alone do not make it a fact about the image.

Next, write an alternative to one interpretation in the right-hand column. If your reading was “waiting”, you might also write, “The space may simply have been left for another object.” The alternative does not need to sound better, and the two readings do not need a winner. Its purpose is to show that a detail may allow more than one reading, and that a first impression still needs reasons.

Now turn a judgment into a question. Instead of “This image expresses loneliness”, ask, “Which specific details make me think of loneliness? Is there anything in the image that does not support that reading?” If the question concerns an artist, a date or a symbol’s use in a particular deck, record it separately as something to research. Until you find traceable evidence, keep personal associations distinct from historical conclusions.

Finally, make a small check. Read one observation from the left column to someone else and see whether they can find the place you mean in the same image. Then explain that the right column records your interpretation. You can also try this sequence in everyday conversation: describe something specific that happened, explain your understanding of it, and ask whether the other person sees another possibility. This is an optional communication exercise, not a promise to eliminate misunderstandings.

You do not need to finish with a definitive answer about the image. Three things are enough: an observation you can check, an interpretation clearly identified as your own, and a question you are willing to pursue. Leaving room in an interpretation does not make the reading empty. It helps us see more clearly which evidence we are standing on.

Its exercises and interpretations are for learning and reflection, not professional advice.