ART HISTORY PAPER OPTION

The assignment will require you to write a four-page paper that combines formal analysis and research. You will write the paper on one work of art that you choose from the list below and by going to the website www.82nd-and-fifth.metmuseum.org and watching four thematic discussions by museum curators.

Each thematic discussion centers on a work of art that the curator has chosen to discuss – each discussion is between two and three minutes. I’ve collected the talks most relevant to the art that we will study in class below. From the four talks that you listen to, choose one to write about.

Begin your paper with the following information which you can find by clicking on the link view complete record for this work of art:(unique_solution)

• Theme and Curator’s name
• Title of the piece
• Date
• Size
• Materials (Media)
• Culture

Example writing prompt: This paper will give a formal analysis of the Kouros sculpture as discussed by Joan R. Mertens under the theme of Naked Authority. The Kouros was produced by the ancient Greeks in the Archaic period, dates around 590-580 BCE, is made of marble, and stands just over 76 inches high. Additionally, the paper will research the theme of Naked Authority and discuss how and why Naked Authority is relevant to the Kouros figure.

To begin:

1. Go to www.82nd-and-fifth.metmuseum.org
2. Watch at least four, but choose only one of the following themes to write about:

Sealed                         ca. 2250-2150 BCE                              Mesopotamia

Sustenance                 ca. 1981-1975 BCE                              Egypt

Precaution                  ca. 1961-1898 BCE                              Egypt

Magical                       ca. 1887-1878 BCE                              Egypt

Enigma                       ca. 1352-1336 BCE                              Egypt

Snapshot                    ca. 1353-1336 BCE                              Egypt

Idolized                       ca. 945-600 BCE                                  Egypt

Hyperrealtiy                ca. 883-859 BCE                                  Neo-Assyrian

Bricks                           ca. 604-562 BCE                                  Neo-Babylonia

Naked Authority         ca. 590-580 BCE                                  Greece

Monsters                     ca. 530 BCE                                         Greece

Enamored                   ca. 3^rd-2^nd c. BCE                                 Greece

Centerpiece                27 BCE-68 AD                                     Rome

Predator                      ca. 1^st-2^nd c. AD                                   Parthian

Fine Dining                 3^rd c. AD                                              Rome

Cinematic                   629-630                                               Byzantine

Predestined                ca. 1170-1180                                     Middle Ages

Drama                         ca. 1115-1120                                     Middle Ages

3. Name and discuss the theme the curator has given to the piece? What does the theme mean? What evidence does the curator provide to explain how the art piece fits the theme? Try to write this in your own words instead of copying what the curator said word for word.

FORMAL ANALYSIS: First paragraph: introduce the image by title, artist, date, media, size, location and any other pertinent information. Explain the thesis/purpose of the paper.

Formal analysis provides the whole in which we see the parts of description and describes the effect. Formal analysis uses the components of description to give an overall understanding of the whole piece, therefore you will analyze the form of the art by discussing aspects of form like line, color, texture, mass, composition, etc., and the relationship between the formal elements to show how the work is meaningful and has purpose.

Description alone is an impersonal inventory of the form, for example, “Figures sit and stand in a green landscape.”  Much of formal analysis will consist of this kind of accurate description, however, formal analysis also describes how the form takes on meaning.  In the case of the above statement, one might ask how the description of the figures sitting and standing in a lush, green landscape works.  Formal analysis might tell us that the landscape is lush and idyllic and there are rich color harmonies; that the figures are elegant aristocracy drawing the viewer’s eye into the background.

RESEARCH: The research will reinforce the theme by giving a clear understanding of how and why the theme is carried through the artwork. For example, the Kouros sculpture has been given a theme called Naked Authority and the curator explains what that means – statue of a nude figure that stands independently without support. Your research should not only show a clear link between the theme and the artwork, but include historical context that is specific to the theme.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Relevant sources only! You should have at least four (4) sources combining both book or online sources (Long Beach City College library database, Encyclopedia Britannica, Khan Academy, Smarthistory, some museum websites like the Getty Villa, Getty Museum, British Museum, Metropolitan Museum, Vatican Museum, and some .edu sites are acceptable if they connect you to an accredited college or university). You can use your textbook for your book source.

CITATIONS: MLA or the Chicago Manual of Style.  Both are accessible online and through the library.  You must cite sources throughout your paper to show where you got them.  As undergraduate students, you are not expected to come up with original ideas/papers.  You are expected to demonstrate the skills necessary to write a college research paper.  Therefore, most of your ideas will not be original, but rather, borrowed.  When you borrow research without using citations, you are committing plagiarism which is a form of cheating.

WRITING THE PAPER

The technical criteria for your paper are as follows:

• 4 pages of text, roughly 250 words per page, double-spaced. Use 12 pt., readable font (Times New Roman).  Right, left, top, and bottom borders should be set at about 1”.
• Number the text pages ONLY!! DO NOT number the title page or bibliography. Each paragraph should transition into the one following it.
• Introduce the artwork: Always identify works of art as precisely as possible (title, artist, date, size, medium).
• State your thesis: See Research Tips above.
• Formal analysis: Incorporate this into your paper.
• Research: Present the evidence and remember to cite sources.
• Conclusion: Use the last paragraphs to create a summary of your topic and research.
• Title Page: Include your name, course name, date, and title of the paper.

GRADING CRITERIA

A more complete grading rubric will be on Canvas

Title page – 5 pts.

List of the videos watched – 5 pts.

Text – 70pts.  Graded on appropriateness of the topic, focus, relevant research, transitions between paragraphs, paragraph structure, sentence structure, spelling, and consistency.

Citations – 10pts.  Graded on accuracy, format, and relevance.

Bibliography – 10pts.  Graded on accuracy, format, and relevance.

Check class syllabus for due dates – both for outlines and final papers.  Late papers will be marked down.

On reserve in the library:  A Short Guide to Writing About Art by Sylvan Barnet.  There are many editions of this book and most will be helpful to all students.

Allow enough time!!  The paper will probably take more time than you think it will.  Expect that your topic and thesis will change somewhat during the course of your research and you will have to do further research.

Research Tips:

• Write out your thesis statement. Don’t make it too broad.
• Record your sources accurately.
• Verify quotations. Quotations are not self-explanatory, so you must indicate its relevance.
• Don’t let your paper become a string of quotations. According to Sylvan Barnet, “you are not merely setting the table with other people’s dinnerware; you are cooking the meal.”[i]
• Organize your notes and use them to write a first draft.
• Acknowledge all sources you used, even if you did not quote them directly.
• Edit, edit, edit!! Check grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

[i] Sylvan Barnet, A Short Guide to Writing About Art, 10^th ed. (New Jersey:  Prentice Hall, 2011), 294.