Art research essay
Purpose
This essay fulfills the course requirement to conduct written research on a work of art or architecture. The work of art (or architecture) that you select will also be used to create your Research PowerPoint (due in Module 3).
Directions
Select an artwork (or architecture) from the eras covered in Modules 1 and 2. This means it must fall between the Prehistoric era through Ancient Greece. You will then write a research essay about your selected artwork. The idea is to find an aspect about this work you wish to research and present in an essay form.
Provide a clear thesis and demonstrate your support for that thesis in your research. Your thesis should be stated by the end of your first paragraph. Remember, a thesis is: a statement or theory that you intend to prove by the end of your paper. For example, you may want to discuss a work of architecture and its relation to social and political ideas of the society that created it. Or, if the artist’s biography is known, you may discuss how the work of art might relate to that biography.
Demonstrate the following within your research essay:
Identify the artist/culture who created the work. Who made this? Why was it made? What do we know about its creation and purpose?Explain
Identify the period and place it was created. How do factors like the historical context and location shape the meaning of the work?
Describe the artwork in detail. Utilize formal analysis in your description. Give attention to the materials and techniques the artist used to effectively communicate their ideas.
Identify and describe the style of the artwork e.g., High Classical or Hellenistic. Remember that in discussing style, you are often referring to a period style or regional style.
Formatting Requirements
Write 3 pages, double-spaced and typed, in 12pt. font.
Use a minimum of 3 sources (other than your textbook) Information for where to find those sources listed below under “Information Literacy”
Include MLA (Links to an external site.) citation style, with endnotes and a complete bibliography on two separate pages at the end of the paper. Your endnotes should be on their own page, as well as your bibliography. You don’t need to fill these two pages, but they should be on separate pages at the end of your paper. A full resource guide to MLA citation is also included in the Research Resource Guide.
