Museum Analysis Essay
This is now the final version of the assignment; a note-taking template in .pdf format is avialable here.

In order to fulfill the requirements of this assignment, it will be necessary to visit a local (Dallas/Fort Worth area) art museum that houses works of art from the eighteenth century to 1945. The work you choose for analysis must be representational (i. e. not abstract), and exemplify the principles and/or practices of a particular movement under consideration this quarter: Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Impressionism, etc. Your admission ticket must accompany the paper itself, which must run three to five pages in length. If at all possible, please include a photograph or other reproduction of the work you choose, and include the notes you take at the museum.

During the Summer Quarter 2011, I will arrange a visit to the Dallas Museum of Art week 10, which will allow students class time to devote to this assignment; however, those who complete this assignment before week 10 will earn extra credit.

In your paper, consider all of the following elements:

The artist’s treatment of his or her subject (be sure you can identify or locate the subject).

The way in which the artist handles formal elements: light, color, texture, perspective, line, scale, form.

The way the artist organizes the composition.

The artist’s use of techniques characteristic of the movement the work represents.

The artist’s choice of medium and support.

The object of this assignment is not primarily for you write a review of the work, but to describe it in formal terms, and to analyze the artist’s creative decisions.

Whether or not you “like” the work isn’t important (although it can affect how you understand what you’re looking at); instead, write about what you see going on in whatever painting, sculpture, or mixed media work you choose.

Basic outline:

Introductory paragraph: name the work and the artist, where it is located, when it was created, and briefly discuss why you chose this particular work.

Intermediary paragraphs: cover each of the elements described above logically, in separate paragraphs, with transitional sentences between them that move your reader smoothly from one consideration to the next. Use the note-taking template as a guide, but you needn't follow it line by line. Consider comparing the work to others (from the same artist or the same movement).

You may consult up to two appropriate outside sources in your evaluation after you have seen the work and written down your own observations. The object of this research component of the assignment is to locate support for your conclusions, and to deepen your understanding of the work. Sources may consider the particular work and/or the artist and/or the general movement and/or comparisons with other works. Choose critical and/or explanatory sources, not encyclopedias or commercial art websites. The museum’s own website may be especially helpful, and for this assignment you may use the textbook as one of your sources.

Concluding paragraph: Do not simply tell me what you told me. Rather, provide a summary assessment of the work and how well you think it represents the movement in which it is included, as well as how it fits into the body of work created by the chosen artist.

Include a Works Cited page in current MLA format, with each entry annotated to indicate its usefulness to your assessment, and how it added to your understanding of the work. Annotations should be at least three sentences long, and the credentials of the writer should be indicated.

Quotations, paraphrases, or summaries of information gleaned from listed works must be properly cited in the paper, using MLA in-line citation style.

On the cover sheet (described on the course style sheet, linked on the course home page) and on the paper itself, include a descriptive title (not just “Water Lilies by Claude Monet”). Do not include your name on any page except the cover sheet.

Your grade on this essay will be based on the following criteria:

Appropriateness of the topic to the assignment and the overall quality of the essay
Clarity of language and expression of ideas
Fluency in the language of art history (application of art historical terms in analyzing the work)
Appropriateness of grammar, syntax, and spelling
Cogency of reasoning (support for claims made about work)
Quality of citation and documentation using current MLA style

Some admonitions:

Do not try to fake this assignment; using the museum website as a substitute for actually visiting the building, or otherwise trying to circumvent the spirit and purpose of the assignment amounts to cheating and will be treated as such.

Putting the assignment off until the last possible moment almost always significantly lowers the possibility of success on the assignment. Make your plans in advance, and make sure you check the museum’s website for hours of operation, cost, and current exhibitions. Most museums have “free” days, but taking advantage of them requires planning.

This essay will be used to evaluate your progress in the general studies courses that comprise a significant portion of your program. It will help us assess your critical thinking, writing, and analytical skills, all of which are significant elements of future professional success. Please take the assignment seriously and give it your best shot. It's worth 10% of your grade.

Below you'll find some useful websites on aspects of formal analysis in art history. Don't forget that the Kleiner textbook includes information on formal analysis and criticism.

Art History, from the Writing Center at the University of North Carolina. This is a handy page with some solid, basic information writing papers in art history, and includes a section on formal analysis.

This Art Criticism and Formal Analysis Outline comes from a course on understanding art, and was constructed by a professor of costume design at the University of Wisconsin.

Understanding Formal Analysis from the J. Paul Getty Museum includes sections on Elements of Art and Elements of Design, with examples from their collection.

Art & Art History: Formal Analyses & Comparative Analyses is from the University of Texas writing center and offers some basic advice.