This assignment asks you to do a written version of what we do in class: break down and analyze a work.
Choose a work from Chapters 27-end of the book that appeals to you. Although paintings/drawings are an obvious choice, you may also choose a piece of writing, a sculpture, or a work of architecture.
First, give a detailed description of the artifact. Remember that a work of art is partially determined by content (what it seems to depict), but also by how that content is rendered (for example, in visual works this could be elements like the piece’s brushstrokes, or the framing of the scene; in the case of written works, tone and diction, and rhyme scheme). Imagine you are describing it to someone who’d never seen it—give lots of detail regarding color, size, material, and the image itself. (175 words)
Second, describe its emotional effect. What did it make you think about? What drew you to it? What does it make you feel? Then think about what kinds of bigger questions/issues the work raises about human history/culture. What aspects of its message do you think are essential to understanding it? Try to relate the artifact to an element of life at the time and today.. How has that element changed over time? Or why do you think it hasn’t?
Third, look into the background of the painting or artist using ONE reputable source. Do not just write a summary of the artist’s life or of the work of art or, heaven forbid, restate what your source said. Use the source as background information to help you support your thoughts in the second part. You do not have to quote directly from the source, but please put your citation at the end of your essay. (Does not have to be a separate page–either MLA or APA is fine with me)
Be creative in your idea—the expression of your position in this segment is what I’m looking for, not whether I agree with it or not. Again, this should not be purely a research paper, but it should be your direct engagement with an artifact.
Your paper should be at least 500 words, but feel free to go over.
This assignment will be assessed on the clarity of your description and analysis, its degree of engagement with its topic, and the sophistication of thought it expresses