Description Assignment Overview: One of the fundamental skills art historians use is an informed v ...
Description Assignment Overview: One of the fundamental skills art historians use is an informed visual analysis to make educated decisions about the objects they study. An “unknown exercise” is when we examine an object for which we do not know the artist’s name, time period, subject matter, or style and try our best to make an argument for an identification. For this assignment, I am asking you to write a defense of what you think your chosen image is and WHY. More detailed instructions are below, but you will need to discuss who you think the artist is (might not be a specific individual), what the subject is, what the style is, the function, and the historical context. In your paper, you will defend your claims with evidence from what you see and what you’ve learned so far in class and the textbook. You will compare your image to one image we have discussed in class or from the textbook to further strengthen your claim. And directly cite the textbook, using 2 quotes from the text *This is NOT a research assignment. It is ok to not get this “right” This is an assignment about using what you see to make an argument about the object that is informed, and detailed and connecting the course content with your visual analysis skills. This exercise helps you to: Strengthen your visual analysis skills Apply your visual analysis skills to an argument about object identification Synthesize the role of style, subject, function and context into one paper. Directions: Choose one of the provided unknown images. (See the PDF linked above.) Look closely and carefully at the image and reflect upon the visual analysis skills we started to discuss on the first day of class (see PowerPoint and video.) Consider first the parts of the work that you can easily identify, such as medium (what is it made out of) and formal elements (i.e. line, color, shape, texture, space, mass, volume, composition). Based upon these observations, make a hypothesis about the stylistic period, function, context, and subject of the given work. This will be your argument. In formulating this hypothesis, it will be helpful to consider other works we have looked at throughout the semester as comparisons. Format: 2-4 pages (double-spaced, 12 point font) Organize your paper carefully with the following components: Strong introductory paragraph. This should clearly summarize your basic argument about the work of art (i.e., identifying the medium, historical context, function, subject and stylistic period) Follow your introduction with a formal analysis (1-2 paragraphs) This should describe the basic features of the work of art (line, shape, color, texture, scale, etc.). The majority of the paper (2-3 pages) should consist of paragraphs in which you argue for your conclusions. This is where you should provide the reasoning for the arguments stated in your introductory paragraph. Use this as a place to cite at least one comparative work that contributes to your conclusions, and concisely explain why that work offers a good comparison. For example, you might use a work of art that is similar to argue for why something belongs in a particular stylistic period, or you might use a comparison to show why your chosen work does not seem to belong to a particular period. End your paper with a brief conclusion in which you re-state your basic argument and add any final thoughts. Grading: The grade assigned for this paper is not based on whether you have correctly identified the characteristics of the object. Rather, a large portion of your grade will be based on whether you demonstrate that you have looked thoroughly at the object and thought carefully about its characteristics. Additionally, it is important that you make it clear that you have thought about this object in the context of works we have discussed in class of read about. Thus, it is essential that you both look carefully at the object itself and consider it in the larger context of the course. Research: THIS IS NOT A RESEARCH ASSIGNMENT. It should not require research outside of your class notes and the course readings/videos. You should rely upon your own visual analysis and comparisons to things we have discussed in class. AI cannot do visual analysis (yet) so I do not recommend using AI as a tool for this assignment. Do NOT do the following: Try to find the image on the internet Try to figure out the subject matter through research if you do not recognize it Share your exact analysis with a classmate to try and get the “right” answer Use AI to write the paper
