Objective
Write a five-to-seven-page paper (with an additional bibliography page) based on a work of art that you
have seen in a recent exhibition or at a major museum or gallery. Your paper will describe, analyze, and
explore the meaning and significance of the work that you choose based on the question, thesis, or idea
you wish to explore.
The works of art you select must fit within the time period of our course study in Western Art.
FOR ARTH 106, the works of art that are admissible are from Prehistory to 1300 AD. FOR
ARTH 107, the works of art that are admissible are from 1300 AD to the present day.
Process:
1). Select a Period of Art History from your Modules that interests you and begin to search the
Metropolitan Museum website that is also found in your Modules.
Select one or more works of art that you would consider writing about in your term paper.
2). Go to the Bankier Library’s website and search for art from the Period/Style your selected
work of art fits into. Find images and articles about works that have been published that
resemble the work at the Met Museum that you plan to visit.
3). When you actually visit the museum in person, save the receipt and upload it
separately along with your proof of visiting the Writing Center.
Choose a work that interests you and that you want to know more about so that you will enjoy
the challenge of researching.
Take good notes while at the Museum as details are often difficult to remember later. Make
accurate notes of the facts.
Take notes while at the museum. Use your cell phone (no flash) to further document what you
have seen there.
Write the title, date, and period/style of that work of art as well as its country of origin. Write
your observations of that work of art in terms of the iconography and style, the visual elements,
and the design of the work.
Make notes on the condition of the work, citing any damage or obvious restoration. Read the
note card on the museum wall and copy down any pertinent information to use in your paper.
You can cite that source in your paper as (Museum wall card).
4). Compare the work of art you see in person to a similar work of your choice, published in a
scholarly journal, monograph, or general art history publication, in order to better understand the
art and its context. Learn of the physical and historic context within which that work of art was
created. This is an important part of your paper.
5). State in your own words why you think that the particular work of art you saw in the museum
is/was important to the history of art. This statement might serve as your conclusion.
6). Notate any and all resources used in the process of writing this paper. If you paraphrase
information or quote it, the source (author, page) must be cited either parenthetically or as a
footnote. The full citation (author, title, publisher, date of publication) must be listed on a Works
Cited Page. You are REQUIRED to review AT LEAST 6 published sources (from books,
museum journals, scholarly articles from Bankier Library’s databases, and credible websites –
please use “.org” or “.edu” Internet sites. Please do not use “.com” sites unless they are official
sites for architectural monuments or museums) in order to learn about works from the time
period you’ve selected. Be sure to list these publications on your Bibliography and the sources
you quote on your Works Cited Page. Wikipedia is not an appropriate resource for this term
paper and will not count if it appears on your Works Cited Page.
FOR DETAILED ASSISTANCE IN ALL ASPECTS OF WRITING YOUR PAPER, USE THIS
FREE, ONLINE RESOURCE:
Specifics: Provide detailed information in your term paper
•Facts: What are the facts pertaining to this work? Provide your reader with the full title, date,
artist’s name, subject, medium, estimated dimensions, country where made, an intended
function or location of the finished work, if known. Often such information is available on a wall
card at the museum, or in a brochure accompanying the exhibition. Be sure to reference your
source in the paper you write. If such information is not available, or is listed with question
marks, you can still write about that work of art. Indicate on your term paper that certain
information was not available at the museum or has been included with question marks.
•The Work Itself: You will note the iconography, style, and design of the work of art early in your
essay. In your own words, describe the work of art. Identify the ICONOGRAPHY (tell us WHAT
is in the work of art – what is identifiable in terms of objects and symbols, people, words, types
of clothing, houses, landscape, or interior views. Use descriptive terms – your own words – to
tell your reader WHAT YOU SEE. IF the title of the work helps to explain what is there –
reference the title in your description.
•The work is to be identified by Period/Style as well as Personal Style if the artist’s style differs
from the dominant style of the period.
PERIOD/STYLE information will be available in the museum because works of art are organized
by the art historic period and style in major art museums.
Please discuss the materials and techniques and the ways in which those materials have been
manipulated – or used in the creation of that work. Is the work a sculpture? Is it cut, carved and
polished in marble? Is it forged in metal? Is it painted? Is it worn from age? You are asked to
determine which of the Visual Elements create the LOOK of the work – for example, which
colors are used? Are there any colors used? Is it black, white, and gray (tonal?) is it browns
(earth tones)? Is it a linear work? Is there a “time” element to the work? Is there a sense of
motion in that work of art?
•In describing the DESIGN of the work, you can consider principles of design: unity & variety;
balance; emphasis and subordination; directional forces; contrast; repetition and rhythm; scale
and proportion. If you have questions about design in the work you are viewing, please come to
see me during an office hour or ask about it during class.
•Research: Once you have drafted the above information about your work of art it is time to
read and review the credible sources you have found in your research to use to compare your
work of art to other (similar) documented works. In order to do this, you can search the on-line
databases available through the Bankier Library. You can also search the Bankier Library’s
collection of books. Search by Period/style or by the artist’s name (if known). There are
librarians and other professional assistants available in the Bankier Library who will assist you in
your search. Please note (again) that Wikipedia is not a reliable source for
scholarship. Research articles, books and other appropriate media to gather material. Do
additional research on the artist, the time period, and the original purpose of the work. (AGAIN:
Sites like Wikipedia or Britannica can be a good starting point but DO NOT USE as your
source. Instead find primary sources for your information.)
REMEMBER: A minimum of six sources for your information. You have a JSTOR account and
can EASILY look up articles on the subject through many different periodicals. DO SO. It will
make it so much easier for your research. Use books and periodicals and valid information from
the Museum or the Internet. When using Internet sources, look for .edu or .org sources for the
most reliable information. Check periodicals for reviews. Keep notes while researching so that
you can easily and accurately cite your sources later. (Names, page numbers, etc.)
In preparation for writing your paper, outline and organize your information. Consider what it is
you want to say about the work and what points you wish to make.
Ask yourself: How can I be sure that the work of art I have seen in the museum is
actually from the Period/Style that the museum claims? Your discussion in the term
paper will answer this question.
In your term paper you are asked to do some basic comparisons that will help to establish that
the work of art you have selected fits within the art historic period/style as described in the
scholarly sources you have found and read. This section of your paper might be about three
paragraphs in length, primarily include your own observations of the two works you compare.
Take a look at SAMPLE term papers provided to you by your instructor.
•Conclusion: Here is your chance to indicate the impact that this work of art had during the time
it was made — and the impact of that work of art on you. What was it about that work of art that
drew you to it? Include what you have learned about the culture that created that work of art
through the process of reading and writing about it.
