ASSIGNMENT

Select a work of art/architecture made between 1400 CE and the present that you believe is particularly significant but has Does it represent a geographical area or a culture we did not study explicitly? Is it a type of object, or made of a material, that we have not studied in great depth? Is it exceptional in form and/or content for its period or style, or is it typical in some way?not appeared in our class. Argue for its inclusion in the ART 102 course in a 1-2 page paper.

A standard feature of an art historical education, the art history survey class attempts to provide both depth and breadth in an introduction to the field of art history over a huge chronological span. This necessarily involves skipping many important works of art. In this assignment, you will think about the omissions involved in constructing an art history survey.

Choose an object that has not come up during class time, but you believe deserves a place in the art history survey. Consider: Where does your chosen object fit within the history of art as we have studied it in this class? Does it represent a geographical area or a culture we did not study explicitly? Is it a type of object, or made of a material, that we have not studied in great depth? Is it exceptional in form and/or content for its period or style, or is it typical in some way?

Note: A museum visit is not required for this paper, but it is welcome. You may choose an object you have previously written about in the class, that you have prior knowledge of, or that was mentioned in a reading but not discussed in In any case, you will still be expected to make a compelling argument on its behalf. Alternatively, you might choose your work from an online museum collection, an exhibition, or an article.

Finding your object: One way to find an object is by browsing online museum collections and information produced by the See, for example: the Met collection. Museums often have active blogs or social media accounts that can provide another way of finding new objects or Instagram accounts like @metmuseum; @themuseumofmodernart; @whitneymuseum. Museums may make interpretive materials like audio guides available online. Alternatively, reading arts news can spotlight interesting objects and ideas.

Assignment Description: This paper is argument-driven, and as such should include a clear thesis statement and body text, grounded in historical and formal evidence, that supports your thesis. You should think both about what our survey class has covered and what we have had to leave out.

The goal of this assignment is to think critically about art history and how it is represented in the classroom. Refer to works we have studied in class, and compare them to the object you have chosen. Be specific and purposeful in your argument!

Writing a strong thesis statement:

For example: “The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Temple of Dendur should be included in the Art History survey syllabus because it presents an example of a different form of Ancient Egyptian architecture, showing that Egyptian architecture was not limited to the pyramids of the Old Kingdom.”

Instead of: “The Temple of Dendur should be included in Art 1011 because it is a very significant work of architecture.”

Research is not required for this paper, beyond the finding of the object: Draw on the knowledge you have from our class meetings, readings, and the assignments you have written. Information that is new to you when you read something on the museum website or a related source must be cited appropriately using the MLA style of citation.

Beyond that, in terms of contextualizing the object, further research beyond what has been covered in class may not be necessary. If you find yourself needing additional historical information for your argument, I recommend you limit yourself to museum resources and resources listed on the syllabus, or a standard art history textbook . Appropriately cited, of course!

Format: your paper should be 1-2 pages long and should be double-spaced, using 11 or 12 point Times New Roman font and 1 inch margins. At the end of your assignment, please include an image of your chosen work with full ID information  at the end of your assignment. Please also indicate, in the back matter of your assignment, how you found the object.