1. BEGIN: Choose one of the artifacts or monuments from chapters 1, 2, 3, or

1. BEGIN: Choose one of the artifacts or monuments from chapters 1, 2, 3, or 4.
2. RESEARCH: Consult at least TWO significant academic source outside the book that enhances your understanding of the object’s context and visual characteristics. Whatever the source, it should improve your ability to effectively analyze and understand the visual appearance of the object. This could be a museum site that allows you to observe the piece from several views. For objects removed from their original context, you might investigate more about their place of discovery. This could be an article that gives details about the conditions of its discovery, its state of deterioration, etc. This could even be a museum entry on a different object, but one closely related to that from the text. Consult the “Finding Academic Resources” page for extra guidance and ideas.
3. RESPOND/FORMAT:
a. First list the bibliographic data for the outside sources (Chicago-style
).
b. Introduce your chosen work.
c. Address each outside source by explaining how and why the information in the source allows new or better formal understanding of the work. Avoid repeating indisputable facts or common truths about the piece: these are not needed for a cited sources.
d. Within your synopsis of the citations, construct a full visual analysis of the work, similar to what we perform in class. Consider how the relevant visual elements (line, shape, mass/volume, value, color, texture, motion, proportion and scale, etc.) are composed using the relevant principles of design (unity and variety, balance, emphasis and subordination, rhythm).
d. Conclude by addressing how your visual analysis reflects the originating culture (Paleolithic, Neolithic, Sumerian, Assyrian, etc.) and/or indicate the piece’s intended purpose. Remember . . . we are examining cultures with radically different structures for sustenance and society (hunter/gatherer vs. agriculture, city-states vs. pharaohs, etc.)and the artworks reflect these different philosophies and ideas. Address how this either corroborates, enhances, or complicates the position taken by our text.
4. Respond to a classmate’s post! (due the following Monday)
Objectives:
Learn to navigate art historical resources outside the textbook
Perform visual analysis on a work of art
Reflect on your visual analysis and assessment of context to perform a cultural/historical analysis on a work of art
Provide information to your classmates on works covered by the text
Word count: 250-500 words
Grading Rubric: A=meets 3 criteria, B=meets 2 criteria, C=meets 1 criteria
Entry successfully identifies and uses an art historical resource outside the textbook
Visual analysis is effective and utilizes appropriate vocabulary
Entry addresses the cultural/historical meaning of the work. This meaning is directly related to the visual analysis.