Pedagogical objectives
· Understand French colonialism and the ideological underpinnings of the Republican Empire
· Understand the concept of exoticism (orientalism, African influences, japonisme)
· Analyze two paintings from French artists which exhibit exotic characteristics
Question
Are paintings characterized by exotic themes or techniques necessarily imposing a hegemonic discourse to “understand” another culture or can they establish a dialogue with this culture?
Method
I will be looking for four parts in your paper:
· Part I: Historical information. Provide a brief summary of the French empire and the ideological underpinnings of it. You can use Stovall’s Chapter 6 to write this section of your paper.
· Part II: Theoretical framework: Provide an explanation of exoticism and its repercussions in the art world of the 19th century. You can use the power points used in class, MaryAnne Stevens’ article (“Western Art and its Encounter with the Islamic World: 1798-1914), the Civilizations documentary, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art website.
· Part III: Analysis of two paintings. The painters of the works must be French unless otherwise approved by the professor. I would like one painting to represent a theme exploited by exotic artists (content) and another where technique is more important to understand its exotic borrowings (form).
· Part IV: Conclusions. Draw conclusions to answer the question above (Are paintings characterized by exotic themes or techniques necessarily imposing a hegemonic discourse to “understand” another culture or can they establish a dialogue with this culture?) by using evidence drawn from the analysis of the two paintings.
Note: To cite a painting in a bibliography, MLA suggests the following format:
A Painting, Sculpture, or Photograph
Include the artist’s name. Give the title of the artwork in italics. Provide the date of composition. If the date of composition is unknown, place the abbreviation n.d. in place of the date. Name the medium of the piece, and finally, provide the name of the institution that houses the artwork followed by the location of the institution.
Goya, Francisco. The Family of Charles IV. 1800. Oil on canvas. Museo del Prado, Madrid.
Source: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/09/
Details
· 3-4 pages, typed, double-spaced (750-1000 words) to be uploaded 2U by Friday, April 15th, 2022. Please cite all sources and include a biography with works consulted using MLA style.
Grading
What I am impressed by in an essay:
· Please SHOW me rather than tell me. This entails an excellent use of quotes and details demonstrating your thorough knowledge of the works assigned.
· Quality above quantity. I rather get a shorter essay that is well written than a longer essay which is impossible to read. I cannot stress enough that a longer paper does not mean a better grade.
· A well-written essay with a solid structure and a solid argument.
· An essay that shows risk-taking. I do not want a paper that regurgitates what we have said in class. Originality is something that I esteem highly.
An A paper would have the following characteristics:
· An original and clearly stated thesis.
· Great organization. The sequence of ideas is effective and the writer is always in control of the organization.
· Excellent use of sources. It is clear that the writer read the works assigned carefully and chose great quotes to illustrate their point.
· Excellent use of language. The writing is controlled, elegant, and imaginative. The essay is well written.
I have also uploaded all the reading documents and eveything
For Part three of the essay please choose any two french paintings from the powerpoints given below.
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/aima/hd_aima.htm – this is the metropolitan museum of arts artical
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJljlW2MDto – this is the link to the civilisations documentary.
