Art History Analysis
For this assignment, you are to choose an art artifact from your textbook and construct an essay (approximately 5 pages plus bibliography) on any one of the four topics listed below. Be careful to select an artifact that corresponds with the essay topic you have chosen. For example, essay topic #1 focuses on religious beliefs, therefore, Stonehenge, the Snake Goddess, Poseidon/Zeus, or Teaching Christ would be good options. You do not need to answer each question on a given topic. They are a questions to consider when drafting your paper. You may end up using some or all of them. You may even come up with some of your own. Use them as a guideline. Essay Topics:
- Many works of art are inspired by deep religious/spiritualbeliefs. Select an artifact and discuss its significance as a religious icon, a symbol of faith and spiritual power. What/who does the artifact represent? What religious/spiritual/emotion/belief was the artist attempting to convey? What methods did the artist use to try to communicate spiritual content? Does the work have any religious/spiritual significance today?
- A work of art is both material and emotional. Select one artifact and analyze the techniques and materials used by the artist to create it. How did technical considerations affect the outcome of the work? How does the technique/material reinforce the style of the work? What technical problems might the artist have faced in creating this object? Why do you think the artist chose a particular material to create this object? What would have happened had the artist chosen a different material/technique?
- Art often reflects the popular culture of the people who produced it. Select a masterwork that tells us something about the popular culture of a particular time and place. What does the artifact tell us about how the people lived, what was important to them, how they saw themselves, what they did for recreation, how they dressed, etc. How does art reflect the everyday lives of people in a particular time and place? Why is that knowledge useful to us today?
- All art contains basic elements of line, form, composition, color, texture, etc. Select an artifact and analyze the basic elements of the object. How did the artist use these elements to create a finished work? Is the work abstract or representational? Realistic or stylized? Materialistic or spiritual? How do the formal elements enhance the content of the object and reinforce the intentions of the artist? Do a diagram of the object to illustrate the basic composition of the work. Is the composition peaceful or chaotic? Simple or complex? Formal or informal? How does the color and texture enhance the mood of the work?
