VAH 203 Survey of Art III: Formal Analysis Assignment

Turn in Hardcopy in class and upload PDF file to Isidore
For this you will peruse museum websites and choose ONE work of art to analyze. Your chosen
work of art can be a of any medium including a painting, photograph, textile, statue, etc., but it
must be made in Europe or North America between 1700 and the present.
This assignment requires that you conduct a visual analysis.
A visual analysis, like an English paper, proposes an argumentative interpretation that is
grounded in the content and form of the work of art itself.
Present your thesis in the first paragraph and then support it through detailed and carefully
applied visual description (evidence) and analysis.
Statements that are primarily emotional interpretations (it looks skilled, it seems happy, she
exudes sadness) are not evidence. They can be important elements of your argument if they are
supported. For instance, “the delicate brushwork, subtle gradations of color, and even
proportions are indications of the artist’s skill” or “the woman sits with her head bowed and gaze
focused inward; her hair falls around her face, creating deep shadows that accentuate her somber
mood.”
This is not a research paper.
You may complete some research on the artist but the majority of your paper should be dedicated
to the development of your own analysis of the work of art and presentation of your argument.
This means contextual historical information, such as details of the artist’s biography, should
only be included if it is needed to make your argument.
This paper should be 3-4 pages long (900-1200 words), 12 point font, double spaced.
Include the image(s) in your paper at the end of the text. Each image should be labeled with
artist, title, and date and include a Figure # which should be included in the text when the image
is referenced. The title of a work of art should always be written in italics.
If you do research the artist, make sure you cite your sources.
If possible, please go to a local museum. check websites for hours as they have been shifting.
Dayton Art Institute
Cincinnati Art Museum
Taft Museum of Art
Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center
Columbus Museum of Art
Wexner Center for the Arts
Some museums with good websites include (but are not limited to):
Metropolitan Museum of Art met https://www.metmuseum.org/
Museum of Modern Art https://www.moma.org/
Museum of Fine Arts Boston, https://www.mfa.org/
Art Institute of Chicago https://www.artic.edu/
National Gallery of Art, DC https://www.nga.gov/
National Gallery of Art, London https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/
(If you want to use another museum, feel free to explore)
Discipline-Specific Strategies
As with all writing assignments, a close visual analysis is a process. The work you do before you
actually start writing can be just as important as what you consider when writing up your
analysis. In other disciplines this often focused on close reading and re-reading of a text. In a
visual analysis this process begins with close observation and description. Write down what you
see, what draws your attention, and what questions the work prompts.
Conducting the analysis:
• Ask questions as you are studying the artwork. Consider, for example, how does each
element of the artwork contribute to the work’s overall meaning. How do you know?
• How do elements relate to each other? What effect is produced by their juxtaposition?
Writing the analysis:
• Develop a strong interpretive thesis about what you think is the overall effect or meaning
of the image.
• Ground your argument in direct and specific references to the work of art itself.
• Describe the image in specific terms and with the criteria that you used for the analysis.
For example, a stray diagonal from the upper left corner leads the eye to…
• Create an introduction that sets the stage for your paper by briefly describing the image
you are analyzing and by stating your thesis.
• Explain how the elements work together to create an overall effect. Try not to just list the
elements, but rather explain how they lead to or support your analysis.
• Contextualize the image within a historical and cultural framework only when needed for
your thesis.
• Remember not to rely on secondary sources for formal analysis. The goal is to see what
in the image led to your analysis; therefore, you will not need secondary sources in this
analysis.
• Be certain to show how each detail supports your argument. Include only the elements
needed to explain and support your analysis. You do not need to include everything you
saw since this excess information may detract from your main argument.
Keep in Mind
An art history paper has an argument that needs to be supported with elements from the image
being analyzed.
Avoid making grand claims. For example, saying “The artist wanted…” is different from “The
warm palette evokes…” The first phrasing necessitates proof of the artist’s intent, as opposed to
the second which relies on the effect of the image on the viewer.
While description is crucial to a good analysis your descriptions should be selectively chosen and
strategically introduced. Select only the details that illustrate your central ideas and further the
purpose of your paper.