Art comparison essay (Two Images) David, Napoleon Crossing the Alps, 1801 vs. Chairman Mao goes to Anyuan, 1968 PLEASE!! DO NOT USE A PREVIOUSLY WRITTEN PAPER because the instructor has been teaching for a long time and absolutely will recognize a duplicate. Plagiarism is not allowed. Write a 1200 word research essay, double-spaced, standard font size and margins exploring the two works in depth. Graded for thoughts, grammar, diction, syntax and implementation of art historical vocabulary. Must include: • A cover sheet (I’ll take care of this) • Images (.jpg) of the artworks you’ve selected with captions detailing artist, title, date, materials and dimensions of each • Research that includes at least four scholarly online sources (generally sites that end in .org, .gov, or .edu are your best bets; Wikipedia is NOT allowed) or books. • Footnotes or parenthetical references for any sources you cite • A bibliography of all resources you consulted, including your required text • A total word count at the end of your essay • You may use any standard formatting style (MLA, APA, etc.) as long as you’re consistent and accurate FOCUS your essay. You could focus on the way the human body is presented or how the landscape looks or how the works are evocative of the time period or how different media produce different results. But, FOCUS! Do not wander. Specificity is key. I. Introduction: Try to hook your reader with a compelling anecdote, quotation or interesting detail to garner interest. Be certain to offer all the pertinent details about your chosen images (artist or culture, title, date, materials). Develop a thesis about your image and use it to close out your first paragraph. Be specific as to what aspects of the two works you will focus upon. A good thesis offers your reader a roadmap for your discussion. Note: do not use the first person in this essay. II. Formal Analysis of Image 1: Describe all the physical/formal components of your objects. Use art historical vocab (the type of words in your glossary) as often as possible. Avoid “empty” adjectives like “beautiful” or “unique.” Those words tell your reader nothing specific. If you think the object is “beautiful,” tell your reader WHY. You may spend a couple of sentences on each of the following topics (but be sure to break up into additional paragraphs if you spend more than 4 or 5 sentences on any of these elements): a) Size and shape of the object: mention dimensions and discuss the size. b) Textures represented (is the surface smooth or rough?) c) Colors employed (are they bright? saturated? faded? d) Types of materials used (ordinary materials? luxury materials? e) How is space used (Is there perspective? Are the figures crowded or spaced out? Is there a ground line? Is there a landscape?) III. Contextual Analysis of Image 1: Describe the context of the object. Use art historical vocab as often as possible. You may spend a couple of sentences on each of the following topics: a) What was happening in the world at the time the object was created? b) What were that culture’s contributions to society? c) Do you know anything about the artist’s background? d) Do you know anything about how the object would have been made? e) Is this object typical of the culture its from or is it unique? IV. Formal Analysis of Image 2 V. Contextual Analysis of Image 2 VI. Comparison of the Two Images VII. Differences in the Two Images VIII. Conclusion: Resummarize your key points without being redundant. Attempt to close out your paper with the most pertinent points of your essay. Most essays should start very broadly, then become very specific in the body paragraphs, and finally in the conclusion become more general again.
