San Diego State University ART258: Spring 2024
Visual Analysis of a Museum Object – 20% of your overall grade
For this assignment, you are welcome to visit the museum in-person, or you can view the museum collection from their website. Select one or more works that interest you and that you would like to analyze in detail.
Here are the five museums you can select from:
San Diego Museum of Art https://www.sdmart.org/collections/
Timken Museum of Art, San Diego https://www.timkenmuseum.org/collection/
Getty Museum, Los Angeles https://www.getty.edu/art/antiquities/
Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) https://collections.lacma.org/node/580926
Metropolitan Museum https://www.metmuseum.org/about-the-met/curatorial-departments/egyptian-art
The object(s) must come from the geographical areas and ancient civilizations covered by our class. The assignment is due on Canvas through TurnItIn on Sunday May 5, 2024 at 11:59pm.
Instructions for Writing a Detailed Analysis: General guidelines:
page length: minimum 4 pages; maximum 5 pages
include a black and white or color image embedded into your esssay so the instructor knows what
you are writing about!
TYPE your essay (no hand-written papers accepted)
use double-space 12 point with 1” margins
include a Bibliography if necessary, with correct citations Chicago Manual of Style
please be sure to include all your information, Name, class time, etc.
Consider the following issues:
These questions are to help you analyse a museum object, but they may be addressed in any order, as long as you create a unified, well reasoned essay. Please be clear, concise and organized. Standard English and neatness are important components in effective communication.
Historical Context: In what historical period and geographical region was the piece created that we have studied from this class? Do you think that this work is typical of its period? Why or why not? Why is this work significant/important?
Scale: What is its approximate size? Do its size and shape affect its impact on the viewer?
Material & Texture: What is the work made of? Does its medium affect its appearance?
Subject Matter: What is the subject of the piece? Is its subject characteristic of the period in which it was made?
Composition: How are the forms arranged or organized? Consider the forms as a two-dimensional design on the surface of the canvas, or as three-dimensional forms in space. Is there a particular element that serves as the visual focus? Why is your eye led to this area? Are the different parts of the composition linked in such a way as to guide the eye around the piece? How is this achieved?
The Human Figure: If your work includes human figures, how are they depicted? Are their poses “natural”?
Light, Color and Brushstroke: If you are considering a painting, is there uniform light or does there appear to be a single light source? If so, where does the light appear to originate? Does this affect the composition? Are colors realistic? Do the colors employed affect your perception of the piece? Can you see the brushstrokes? How does this affect your response to the work?
