Using the vocabulary of art connoisseurship, be sure to discuss your chosen art object in terms of its formal elements, subject matter, meaning, and historical context.
- Select an art object from one of the museums listed below. You can either visit the Harn Museum of Art at UF or you may virtually visit one of the following pre-approved museums. If you do not live in Gainesville and would like to visit an art museum local to you, please contact me for approval.
- Format your paper with a cover page, introduction, body paragraphs, conclusion, and bibliography in the Chicago Manual of Style format.
- Include a minimum of three (3) scholarly sources. Any paper submitted without the minimum scholarly sources, without a bibliography or incorrect citations will receive an automatic zero. Refer to the Citations & Sources page for additional information on locating appropriate sources.
- Do not give me Wikipedia, YouTube, PBS, blogs, travel websites and any other websites you have Googled. All sources must be academic and scholarly.
- Website exceptions are digital exhibition catalogues and auction houses such as Christie’sLinks to an external site. and Sotheby’sLinks to an external site..
- Visit the library or consult their digital databasesLinks to an external site. such as JSTOR and ARTSTOR.
- Do not give me Wikipedia, YouTube, PBS, blogs, travel websites and any other websites you have Googled. All sources must be academic and scholarly.
- Paper must be a minimum of 750 words with word count included on the cover page.
- Review papers are typed, double-spaced, 12pt. Times New Roman font
Identifying information regarding the work you are reviewing: the venue at which you viewed the piece, the specific exhibit it might be included in, the artist’s name, title of the artwork (italics), date, size and medium.- Any prerequisite information necessary for the reader to follow the discussion to come. For example, a brief description of the subject as presented in the artwork is necessary in the introduction if components of that subject are to be further discussed in the body of your essay.
- A clear and complete Thesis Statement
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- A Thesis Statement is concise, one or two sentences at most.
- A Thesis Statement is a pointed statement that clearly identifies what idea, viewpoint or conclusion you are presenting to the reader and what main points you will expand upon in the body of your essay in order to support that idea, viewpoint or conclusion.
- Includes the main points that will be expanded upon to support the viewpoints:
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Example: “Through the artist’s placement of people and furniture, jarring use of color and distortion of perspective, Van Gogh’s Nigh Cafe redefines the usually inviting environment of a neighborhood pub as a lonely and alienating space.” This statement includes the idea, viewpoint or conclusion to be supported in the body of your paper.
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Note: Since your essay is to address Subject, Form, and Meaning, the above example of a good thesis statement includes mention of each:
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