This study examines the range of available art criticism formats, assesses the value of accompanying literature descriptions, and provides a conceptual framework for possible curriculum design. Descriptions and analyses are provided of art criticism formats presented in art education literature according to format characteristics, theoretical and research rationales, anticipatory information, types of objects to be studied, and instructional cues. These dimensions, in turn, are referenced to a continuum of educational and philosophical perspectives. Feldman's (1973) four-step format, (description, formal analysis, interpretation, and judgment), traditionally used by art critics, serves as a generalized frame of reference by which 15 other works are compared. Separate sections describe each of the five dimensions, the four steps of Feldman's traditional format, and applications of perceptual and learning theory in art criticism literature. Following a bibliography listing over 40 related references, two figures are provided to aid teachers in selecting a format appropriate to particular contexts and goals. In figure 1, the art criticism formats and their tabulated characteristics are cross-referenced with critical, educational, and philosophical continuum tendencies. In figure 2, critical, educational, and philosophical perspectives of art are listed on parallel continua that extend from an emphasis on external controls to a reliance on internal directives. A five-page bibliography is included. (LH)