Your paper should be a minimum of 5 pages long (double spaced, Times New Roman font, 12-point type with 1” margins) and incorporate at least 3 secondary (research) sources from the Harper College Library: if using our textbook, a total of four sources are needed.
Please read the following instructions carefully before beginning the project.
1. Select a work of art as the topic for your paper. The work of art must come from Chapters 17-21(Modules 8-10) in the textbook. You may not select an artwork that was previously featured in a Discussion Board question. Review the themes in Chapters 22-27 (Modules 11-14). Choose one theme that your work of art demonstrates. The aim of your paper will be to analyze how the artwork relates to or connects to this theme.
Post your working thesis or idea in the Discussion Board “Unit 3/Paper Topic Feedback” to ask questions and get advice.
2. Use a combination of research and formal analysis to examine and analyze the connections between your chosen artwork and theme. Create a thesis about the relationship between the two and use the body of your paper to support your argument.
3. At the end of your paper, include a labeled photographic reproduction of your chosen artwork, your Works Cited page, (use MLA) and completed Evaluating Websites Checklist for any websites (as opposed to peer-reviewed journal articles) you choose to use.
Final Paper Format:
Introduction: This paragraph sets the tone for the rest of the essay by introducing the work of art you are discussing.
1. Identify basic details, such as the artist (if known) or culture, the title of the piece (in italics), the approximate date, the medium, and the dimensions. This information can be found in the image caption below the work, in the textbook.
2. Briefly explain the movement or cultural style the work of art represents and some of the salient features of the artistic period. Based on what you learned in Unit 2, what are the distinctive characteristics of the medium used (Review Chapters 6-15, Modules 4-7 on media)? Be specific but keep this portion to a few sentences if possible.
3. Briefly describe the subject matter of the piece in a sentence or two.
4. Most importantly, state the thesis (your “argument,” or what you believe the artwork conveys about your theme) that you will “prove” with your visual analysis. Make your thesis meaningful.
Example of a poor thesis: The ancient Egyptian statue Hatshepsut Kneeling is about gender.
Example of a poor thesis: The ancient Egyptian statue Hatshepsut Kneeling shows a female pharaoh with a male body.
Example of a strong thesis: The ancient Egyptian statue Hatshepsut Kneeling rejects conventional representations of femininity to make use of established symbols of (male) pharaonic power, thereby strengthening her unorthodox claim to the throne.
Example of a poor thesis: Diego Rivera’s mural, The Legend of Quetzalcoatl, illustrates the theme of national identity.
Example of a strong thesis: Diego Rivera’s mural, The Legend of Quetzalcoatl, combined a realistic and accessible style with images of pre-Conquest Mexico to inspire a positive, burgeoning national identity distinct from that of Spain.
Part I – Formal Analysis:
1. Brainstorming portion: Review the formal elements and design principles covered in Unit 1. Observe the artwork closely and explain how the formal elements and design principles are used, being as descriptive as possible. Discuss elements such as: color, composition, brushwork, line, perspective, space, pattern and rhythm, texture, medium, technique, light and shade, proportion and scale, movement, size, etc.
2. Writing portion: Based on the observations you have made, begin drawing conclusions. What ideas, emotions, meaning, or questions about your theme are expressed through the use of visual structure? How do the various formal elements and design principles work to effectively communicate these meanings and/or generate impact? Be sure to use formal analysis to support your thesis about the link between your art object and the theme.
The formal analysis section should be 2.5 pages long. Research is not necessary for this portion of the paper.
Part II – Research: Use research to obtain ideas and information to support the connection between the art object and your chosen theme. Build on ideas to develop your own, well-informed observations (but not unsupported suppositions–back up your ideas with the research of others). You may look into iconography (subject matter and symbolism), functionality, content, context, content, and scholarly interpretations/theories about the work. Be sure to structure this information to support your thesis.
The research portion should be 2.5 pages long. In-text citations and quotations are required.
Conclusion: Summarize your thesis and major points and leave the reader with any parting or “concluding” thoughts in this paragraph.
Illustrations: At the end of your paper, include a labeled photographic reproduction of your chosen artwork. The caption should include: the name of the artist (if known) or culture, the title (italicized) of the piece, the approximate date, the medium, and the dimensions. This information can be found in the image caption in the textbook.
Works Cited: Your Works Cited page must include a minimum of 3 sources. They should include representation from the following information source from the Harper College Library (See Harper College Library link for research ideas and support):
Reference sources (Oxford Art Online, Smarthistory, art dictionaries, etc.)
Books (hard copy or ebooks)
Scholarly, peer-reviewed journal articles: Academic Search Complete and JSTOR (Harper College Library Databases)
Videos or DVDs, hard copy or streaming (no more than one may be used)
Museum websites
You may not use the following sources to consult:
Wikipedia
Chat GPT
Your Works Cited page should follow proper MLA formatting, with sources alphabetized.
Verifying the Authority of your Sources/Research and Website Evaluation Checklist: Follow and use a completed Evaluating Websites Checklist for any websites (as opposed to peer-reviewed journal articles) you cite. If the checklist suggests a particular website is not appropriate for college-level research, do not use it. The Checklist can be found in the Evaluating Information Sources sub-folder in the Final Project Resources folder on Blackboard.
Additional Considerations:
Plagiarism: Plagiarism is “representing another person’s work as your own, either intentionally or through inaccurate or incomplete documentation. It includes, but is not limited to, copying any material (written or non-written) without proper acknowledgment of its source and paraphrasing another’s work or ideas without proper acknowledgment.” Plagiarism also involves using Chat GPT or any other AI software in your submission. The written work you turn in must be yours and yours alone. All ideas taken from another source must be cited, and sentences or phrases taken word for word from another source must be both placed in quotation marks and cited. Anyone found cheating or plagiarizing will immediately fail the paper. There will be no exceptions and no excuses.
Edit your work: Be sure to proofread for errors and run a spell-check. Points will be deducted on papers that have obviously not been proofread.