diff --git a/django/db/models/fields/files.py b/django/db/models/fields/files.py
index f9bfc9d03f..7215897f16 100644
--- a/django/db/models/fields/files.py
+++ b/django/db/models/fields/files.py
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ class FileDescriptor(object):
 
     def __get__(self, instance=None, owner=None):
         if instance is None:
-            raise AttributeError, "%s can only be accessed from %s instances." % (self.field.name(self.owner.__name__))
+            raise AttributeError("The '%s' attribute can only be accessed from %s instances." % (self.field.name, owner.__name__))
         file = instance.__dict__[self.field.name]
         if isinstance(file, basestring) or file is None:
             # Create a new instance of FieldFile, based on a given file name
diff --git a/tests/modeltests/files/models.py b/tests/modeltests/files/models.py
index 741a28411b..ba3eb99910 100644
--- a/tests/modeltests/files/models.py
+++ b/tests/modeltests/files/models.py
@@ -35,6 +35,12 @@ class Storage(models.Model):
     default = models.FileField(storage=temp_storage, upload_to='tests', default='tests/default.txt')
 
 __test__ = {'API_TESTS':"""
+# Attempting to access a FileField from the class raises a descriptive error
+>>> Storage.normal
+Traceback (most recent call last):
+...
+AttributeError: The 'normal' attribute can only be accessed from Storage instances.
+
 # An object without a file has limited functionality.
 
 >>> obj1 = Storage()