Art appreciation/history

FORMAT: This is to be a standard college level research paper. The length of the paper should be approximately 5-6 pages or more of text excluding any illustrations or list of resources. There should be at least three scholarly sources from academic journals or books. The citations must follow the MLA or CMS style. The paper should be submitted in the module of the ninth week under the section titled research paper.

The paper should cover art that has been discussed in class. The bulk of the paper should focus on art in the text, but one may use art that has not been discussed in class or text as supporting information. I recommend limiting your visual examples to around 6 or 7 pieces of art. Once you have made your selection, begin your research by using the Taft College Library online databases of peer reviewed journals (JSTOR and EBSCO may be of particular use).

Remember that the first chapter of the text has pertinent information about how to examine art. Furthermore, do not forget to contextualize your visual analysis (artistic elements such as color, line, texture, composition, or scale) in terms of culture, history, economics, etc.

Sample prompt 1: Compare and contrast a Greek and Egyptian temple

Sample prompt 2: How can art illustrate class structure?

Sample prompt 3: How is the idea of the ruler having divine origins expressed through art?

Sample prompt 4: How do burial practices differ in Viking, Egyptian, and Etruscan cultures?

Sample prompt 5 Compare and contrast Titian’s Venus of Urbino with Manet’s Olympia and Ingres’ Grand Odalisque

Sample prompt 6: Compare the use of light and color in Baroque art and Impressionism

Sample prompt 7: How can art be used to protest or advocate actions of the military?

Sample prompt 8: How are tombs and memorials used for social and political purposes? You may wish to look at several examples of Roman, Egyptian, and Mesoamerican tombs.