Artwork

This Module’s essay assignment gives you a chance to evaluate two works of art using the methods of art criticism explained in Chapter 5. You will write an essay (800 – 1200 words) and employ two different methods of critical theory—one for each artwork you choose.

Instructions

Step 1: Research

Using the Smithsonian American Art Museum, visit the sources of your choice and find one work of art that fascinates you. Next, choose one work of art from your eText that we have already studied (excluding any examples of artworks from Chapter 5). Include an image of both artworks, including the necessary captions (artist, title, date). (So, find one source of artwork on your own and then the piece of artwork I chose from my textbook is Detroit Industry by Diego Rivera)

Study both artworks in depth, including the biography of the artist, context of the time and place of the artwork’s creation, and techniques, style, media and design employed in the artwork.

Step 2: Writing

Essay (800 – 1200 words)

1. Write an effective introduction with a strong thesis statement. It should identify the specific works you will be writing about, the artists who created them, and which ONE method of critical theory you will be employing for each one (use a different method for each artwork).
2. Describe the first work using the vocabulary relevant to the medium. Next, utilize one method of critical theory (Formal, Contextual, or Expressive) to evaluate your first work. This section of your essay should include at least two substantive paragraphs.
3. Describe the second work using the same approach as above, but choose a different method of critical theory to perform your evaluation.
4. Conclude by explaining why you felt your chosen approaches provided the best means of examining and understanding these works of art.