Based on the perspective of repertoires of appreciation, the degree of proficiency in art appreciation essays was defined from the following three viewpoints.
First, advances in the level of appreciation behaviors were considered. Three levels were established for each of the six appreciation behaviors.
Second, the diversity of appreciation skills was considered. By each of the four elements of an artwork coming into combination with each of six appreciation behaviors, we surmised that 24 variations on appreciation skills were possible. Based on this viewpoint, the number of variations became focused.
Third, contextual deepening in art appreciation essays was considered. Since a context is constituted by the interrelation of various appreciation skills, it can be used to judge the level of appreciation behaviors and diversity of appreciation skills. Based on this third viewpoint, proficiency can be quantified in a number pertaining to the relevance of sentences to each other.
Based on these three viewpoints, the situations in which viewers prepare appreciation essays were diagnostically analyzed. These viewpoints were used to analyze the level of viewers’ appreciation behaviors, the kinds of appreciation skills they used and how accustomed they were to using them, and the depth of the context of their appreciation essays; however, this framework can be applied not only to analyzing the preparation of appreciation essays but also to art appreciation learning in general.