Include the following information: Institution (museum) where works are found, artists’ names, titles of works, country or place where the works were made, dates of execution, and dimensions, and attach illustrations of the two works. Please save the receipt of your museum admission and attach it to your paper as proof of your visit.
Submit both your hard copy in person and electronic file to Brightspace.
12 points Time New Roman font, double-spaced, minimum 1,000 words. Please include illustrations with captions.
1. This assignment requires an in-depth comparative formal analysis of two paintings or two sculptures. You must view the original works, not reproductions.
2. Choose two works that are similar in subject (e.g., two figurative works or two abstract works), yet different in style, working method, or medium. The closer the subjects are to each other and the more different their styles, the easier your paper will be for you to write. Choose works of art from the first half of the 20th century. You have a lot of freedom in choosing the works. Here are some suggestions for you:
Two abstract paintings from the same period (Kandinsky vs. Mondrian; Malevich vs. Mondrian).
Two sculptures from the same period (Picasso vs. Brancusi).
Two collages, photomontages, photographs, or photographs as integral parts of a work (Cubism, Futurism, Dada).
Two representational works (Fauvism, German Expressionism, Non-Objectivity, Surrealism, American Precisionism).
Two works, either abstract or representational, dealing with the same issue, such as gender, war, politics, mass culture, or race, yet presented differently.
3. It will be most convenient to choose works on display at the same museum and from its permanent collection rather than a special installation, as you must compare them several times. For a strong American collection, visit the 7th floor of the Whitney Museum of American Art. For Russian Abstract paintings, visit Guggenheim’s permanent collection. For a survey of 20th Century Art, the Museum of Modern Art is the best choice, as it will provide a more than ample selection to choose from. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a good option for Picasso to Pollock. For those who are interested in German and Austrian Art, visit the Neue Galerie.
Museums charge admission. In most cases, your student ID will allow either greatly reduced or free admission. There are also evenings that are free to the public. Check the museums’ schedules on their websites for hours, closed days, and admission policies. If you wish to visit a Long Island museum, discuss your suggestion with me first.
4. If you are unsure about your selection of the works, please consult me. I advise you to have several options available in case your first selection does not work well for your paper.
5. For those who are interested in photography or architecture, please consult me before you begin your assignment.
6. For a formal analysis of two works of art, generally you should start with descriptions of the works. Try to find the visual similarities and differences between the two works: format, composition, line, color, light, space, technique, texture, and general observations, and then move on to discuss the subject matter of the two works. What are the central issues that each artist focused on through his/her work? After the substantive discussion, give your own interpretations of the two works. Try to address issues of culture and society that interested the artist.
7. I strongly recommend that you consult Sylvan Barnet’s A Short Guide to Write About Art (Pearson Longman), especially those of you who are new to this kind of writing.
i’m using Picasso’s “Head of a Woman” and Brancusi’s “Bird in Space” from the MoMA
