Art History Art Analysis Paper Assignment | Essay Help Services

I have to write an analysis paper on artwork from the time periods we covered in class. I have to pick two artworks that are 200 years apart in two time periods we discussed in class. The periods we discussed included Late Medieval Italy, Late Medieval and Early Renaissance in Northern Europe, The Renaissance in Quattrocento Italy, Renaissance and Mannerism in Cinquecento Italy, High Renaissance and MAnnerism in Northern Europe and Spain, the Baroque period in Italy and Spain, and the Baroque in Northern Europe. We have to pick art from websites such as LACMA, the Getty Center, MOCA, The Norton Simon, the BRoad, etc. We have to analyze the artwork and how they relate to the topics of the time period, how they don’t, their size, composition, line, proportion, light and shadow, texture, space, pose, how the figures are arranged, etc. I have the prompt, too

AH 120 LACC
AH 120 – Formal Analysis Paper Assignment. Upload file to Canvas as a PDF.
Assignment
Choose a pair of art works from two different time periods (at least two hundred years apart) and fall within our syllabus chronology. Write an analysis centered on your chosen objects using formal methods of analysis to compare and contrast them. The main thing I want to know about the objects is what interests governed the formal production of each work and how are those interests related to the time/era during which they were produced? How are they similar? How are they different and why?
Due to the current situation, students are not required to visit museums. I would, however, like you to select art objects presented on the websites of local museums such as The Getty Center, The Norton Simon, LACMA, MOCA, the Broad, etc. Make sure objects are from the time periods we cover in class. That way you can go visit them in the future.
Description: A formal analysis includes an analysis of the forms appearing in the works you have chosen. These forms give the works their expression, message, or meaning. A formal analysis assumes a work of art is (1) a constructed object (2) that has been created with a stable meaning (even though it might not be clear to the viewer) (3) that can be ascertained by studying the relationships between the elements of the work. To aid in writing a formal analysis, you should think as if you were describing the works of art to someone who has never seen them before.
When your reader finishes reading your analysis, they should have a complete mental picture of what the work looks like. Yet, the formal analysis is more than just a description of the work. It should also include a thesis statement that reflects your conclusions about the work. The thesis statement may, in general, answer a question like these: What do I think is the meaning of this work? What is the message that this work or artist sends to the viewer? What interests governed the production of each work? What is this work all about? The thesis statement is an important element. It sets the tone for the entire paper, and sets it apart from being a merely descriptive paper.
FORMAT: your paper should be 4 pages long (EXCLUDING title page, images, and sketches), double spaced, using Times New Roman font (12 pt) only and 1″ (inch) margins. Your paper must include images of the main works you have selected with full image captions underneath them (artist, title, date, medium etc). In addition, make sure your paper includes a thesis statement. Your grade will reflect your ability to follow these guidelines.
In the first paragraph, called the introduction, you will include:
•the name of the artists (if known), titles (which is underlined or italicized every time you use the title in your paper), date, and medium.
•what you think is the subject of each work
•a very brief description of the works
•thesis statement – usually the last line or so of your first paragraph.
From that point, the rest of the formal analysis should include not only a description of the pieces, but especially those details of the works that have led you to come to your thesis. Yet, your paper should not be a random flow of ideas about the works (i.e. stream of consciousness writing). Rather, your paper should have a sense of order, moving purposefully through your description with regard to specific elements (ex: one paragraph may deal with composition, another with a description of the figures, another
Prof. López AH 120 LACC
with the background, another about line, etc.). Finally, in your conclusion (the final paragraph) you should end your paper with a restatement of your thesis.
•See Sylvan Barnett’s A Short Guide to Writing about Art – Thesis and formal analysis sections. This text is available at LACC’s library. Two copies are on reserve at the Reference Desk and the other is in the library stacks.
• OWL Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab is also a great resource for writing papers.
•Remember that I am also available via office hours and email.
Things to consider when writing a formal analysis (in no particular order):
Keep in mind that you always need to Back Up Your Statements! If you are analyzing a conceptual art work, several of the formal qualities below will be irrelevant to your analysis. If that is the case, what criteria are helpful in understanding the work?
1. Record your first impression(s) of the artworks. What stands out? Is there a focal point (an area to which the artist wants your eye to be drawn)? If so, what formal elements led you to this conclusion? Your impressions can help you reach your thesis.
2. What is the subject of the artwork?
3. Composition: How are the parts of the work arranged? Is there a stable or unstable composition? Is it dynamic? Full of movement? Or is it static?
4. Pose: If the work has figures, are the proportions believable? Realistic? Describe the pose(s). Is the figure active, calm, graceful, stiff, tense, or relaxed? Does the figure convey a mood? If there are several figures, how do they relate to each other (do they interact? not?)?
5. Proportions: Does the whole or even individual parts of the figure(s) or natural objects in the work look natural? Why did you come to this conclusion?
6. Line: Are the outlines (whether perceived or actual) smooth, fuzzy, clear? Are the main lines vertical, horizontal, diagonal, or curved, or a combination of any of these? Are the lines jagged and full of energy? Sketchy? Geometric? Curvilinear? Bold? Subtle?
7. Space: If the artist conveys space, what type of space is used? What is the relation of the main figure to the space around it? Are the main figures entirely within the space (if the artwork is a painting), or are parts of the bodies cut off by the edge of the artwork? Is the setting illusionistic, as if one could enter the space of the painting, or is it flat and two-dimensional, a space that one could not possibly enter?
8. Texture: If a sculpture, is the surface smooth and polished or rough? Are there several textures conveyed? Where and How? If a painting, is there any texture to the paint surface? Are the brushstrokes invisible? Brushy? Sketchy? Loose and flowing? Or tight and controlled?
9. Light and Shadow: Are shadows visible? Where? Are there dark shadows, light shadows, or both? How do the shadows affect the work?
10. Size: How big is the artwork? Are the figures or objects in the work life-sized, larger or smaller than life? How does the size affect the work?
11. Color: What type of colors are used in the work? Bright? Dull? Complimentary? Does the artist use colors to draw your attention to specific areas of the work? How? If a sculpture, examine the color(s) of the medium and how it affects the work.