Writing Assignment #3: Art of the Maya Tripod vessel at the metropolitan museum of art
Due: november 21
Instructions:
* Go the Metropolitan Museum’s website www.metmuseum.org
* Type the accession number of the assigned work of art into “search” at the top right of the
page. The number is 1979.206.364
* Look at the image carefully and thoroughly. Zoom in on details.
* When you are ready to write, follow these three steps:
1) Identify the work of art, telling me the name of the title of the work, the approximate date it
was made, and the culture that produced it. (This can be done in one or two sentences.)
2) Describe the physical appearance of the work of art––carefully putting what you see into your
own words. This is called formal analysis. Write about the colors, textures, and overall form of
the work of art. Then methodically describe the piece. You could, for instance, describe this work
starting at the edges and moving toward the center. Apply relevant vocabulary terms. (Aim for
writing at least four to five sentences of formal analysis.)
3) Discuss briefly what the original function of this work of art was. (This can be done in about
two sentences.)
