Fluent Essays

The Analysis Project is focused research  that performs a close reading of one of the complete works of  literature or any visual artwork (painting or photograph) included the course modules.  Students also may not substitute outside materials. (For example, just because an artist was discussed for one painting does not mean you may go on the internet and find a different painting by that artist - you must write about the exact artwork presented in the course. Likewise, several poets and writers are presented yet you may only analyze the specific poem or story presented in the course modules.). Your assignment should offer an analytical interpretation of the work of art or work of literature by having a thesis about what the piece seeks to express and how the artist or author accomplishes this expression formally in its historical context.  The assignment should address the form, content, and context of the work, although not necessarily equally.  .Two outside/secondary sources are required.  (JSTOR, a database accessible through the FSCJ Library & Learning Commons is the best online research tool to find books and articles for Humanities.) You may have more than two secondary sources, although in an assignment of this length, more than four will limit the possibility for you to clearly develop your own voice and present your thesis about the work.  A note on sources: The provided course material does not count as an outside source. Sources are journal articles, books, and quality multi-media, such as video lectures by experts and museum blogs. Sources may be primary (such as a letter or publication by the artist him/herself) or secondary (such as scholarly criticism or historical research). Only one of your sources may be a web-based source, although certainly you may access print sources such as books and journal articles digitally. **Any and all sources must be documented correctly using MLA citation.**  Plagiarism and academic dishonesty are not acceptable; consequences as detailed in the colleges student code of conduct fully apply, including failure of the assignment and referral for disciplinary action. The assignment should be 4-5 pages, at least 800 words and no more than 1250 words, and be typed, double-spaced in MLA format. HUM - Analysis Essay Rubric 1/3 Criteria Ratings Pts 40.0 pts 40.0 pts 30.0 pts Thesis/Focus on Analysis 1 40.0 to >35.0 pts Exceeds Expectation Essay controlled by clear, precise, well­defined thesis: is sophisticated in both statement and insight. 35.0 to >30.0 pts Meet Expectations Clear specific argumentative thesis central to essay; may have minor terms undefined. 30.0 to >20.0 pts Developing General central thesis or controlling idea; may not define several central terms. 20.0 to >10.0 pts Beginning Thesis vague or not central to argument, central terms not defined. 10.0 to >0 pts Not Acceptable Essay has no discernible thesis. Thesis/Focus on Analysis 2 40.0 to >35.0 pts Exceeds Expectation Evidence of thorough analysis is demonstrated. Organizes and synthesizes evidence to reveal insightful patterns, differences, or similarities related to focus. 35.0 to >30.0 pts Meet Expectations Adequate evidence of analysis is demonstrated. Organizes evidence to reveal important patterns, differences, or similarities related to focus. 30.0 to >20.0 pts Developing Some evidence of analysis is demonstrated. Organizes evidence, but the organization is not effective in revealing important patterns, differences, or similarities. 20.0 to >10.0 pts Beginning Little evidence of analysis is demonstrated. Lists evidence, but it is not organized and/or is unrelated to focus. 10.0 to >0 pts Not Acceptable No evidence of analysis is demonstrated. Development of Ideas 1 30.0 to >27.0 pts Exceeds Expectation Well­chosen examples, persuasive reasoning used consistently to develop and support thesis: uses quotations and citations effectively; causal connections between ideas and evident. 27.0 to >24.0 pts Meet Expectations Pursues thesis consistently: develops a main argument with clear major points and appropriate textual evidence and supporting detail; makes effort to organize paragraphs topically. 24.0 to >14.0 pts Developing Only partially develops the argument; shallow analysis; some ideas and generalizations undeveloped or unsupported; makes limited use of textual evidence. 14.0 to >5.0 pts Beginning Frequently only narrates; digresses from one topic to another without developing ideas or terms; makes insufficient or awkward use of textual evidence. 5.0 to >0 pts Not Acceptable Little or no development; may list facts or misinformation; uses no quotations or fails to cite sources or plagiarizes material. Cultural Analysis Essay Rubric 2/3 Criteria Ratings Pts 30.0 pts 20.0 pts 20.0 pts Development of Ideas 2 30.0 to >27.0 pts Exceeds Expectation Elegant intro, body, and conclusion; well­ constructed paragraphs; clear and smooth transitions; arrangement of evidence is logical and apt. 27.0 to >24.0 pts Meet Expectations Clear intro, body and conclusion; paragraphs controlled by specific, detailed, and arguable topic sentences; clear transitions between developed and logically arranged paragraphs. 24.0 to >14.0 pts Developing Some awkward transitions; some underdeveloped or brief paragraphs; arrangement may not appear natural; contains unnecessary information. 14.0 to >5.0 pts Beginning Simplistic, tends to summarize; wanders from one topic to another; illogical arrangement of ideas. 5.0 to >0 pts Not Acceptable No transitions; incoherent paragraphs; suggests poor planning or no serious revision. Writing Conventions 20.0 to >17.0 pts Exceeds Expectation Sentence structure, grammar, spelling, mechanics, word choice, and usage enhance the clarity and effectiveness of the communication. 17.0 to >14.0 pts Meets Expectations Errors in sentence structure, grammar, spelling, mechanics, word choice, or usage seldom interfere with the clarity and effectiveness of the communication 14.0 to >9.0 pts Developing Errors in sentence structure, grammar, spelling, mechanics, word choice, or usage may sometimes interfere with the clarity and effectiveness of the communication. 9.0 to >4.0 pts Beginning Errors in sentence structure, grammar, spelling, mechanics, word choice, or usage interfere with the clarity and effectiveness of the communication. 4.0 to >0 pts Not Acceptable Errors in sentence structure, grammar, spelling, mechanics, word choice, or usage seriously interfere with the clarity and effectiveness of the communication Use of Research & Documentation 1 20.0 to >17.0 pts Exceeds Expectation More than 3 external  sources are used to  provide compelling evidence. All sources are relevant and reliable. 17.0 to >14.0 pts Meets Expectations A minimum of 2 external sources  is  used to support  claims. Most  sources are relevant and reliable. 14.0 to >9.0 pts Developing Less than 2 external sources are used to support claims. Some sources are relevant and reliable. 9.0 to >4.0 pts Beginning Limited external sources  are used. Most sources are neither relevant nor reliable. 4.0 to >0 pts Not Acceptable External research is not used to support statements. Cultural Analysis Essay Rubric 3/3 Total Points: 200.0 Criteria Ratings Pts 20.0 pts Use of Research & Documentation 2 20.0 to >17.0 pts Exceed Expectation All sources are accurately documented and in the desired format on the Works Cited/Reference page. 17.0 to >14.0 pts Meets Expectations All sources are accurately documented, but a few are not in the desired format on the Works Cited page. 14.0 to >9.0 pts Developing All sources are documented, but many are not in the desired format on the Works Cited page. 9.0 to >4.0 pts Beginning Lacks sources and/or sources are not accurately documented. Incorrect format is used. 4.0 to >0 pts Not Acceptable No sources provided and/or documented. HOW TO WRITE A LITERARY ANALYSIS ESSAY The purpose of a literary analysis essay is to carefully examine and sometimes evaluate a work of literature or an aspect of a work of literature. As with any analysis, this requires you to break the subject down into its component parts. Examining the different elements of a piece of literature is not an end in itself but rather a process to help you better appreciate and understand the work of literature as a whole. For instance, an analysis of a poem might deal with the different types of images in a poem or with the relationship between the form and content of the work. If you were to analyze (discuss and explain) a play, you might analyze the relationship between a subplot and the main plot, or you might analyze the character flaw of the tragic hero by tracing how it is revealed through the acts of the play. Analyzing a short story might include identifying a particular theme (like the difficulty of making the transition from adolescence to adulthood) and showing how the writer suggests that theme through the point of view from which the story is told; or you might also explain how the main character‟s attitude toward women is revealed through his dialogue and/or actions. REMEMBER: Writing is the sharpened, focused expression of thought and study. As you develop your writing skills, you will also improve your perceptions and increase your critical abilities. Writing ultimately boils down to the development of an idea. Your objective in writing a literary analysis essay is to convince the person reading your essay that you have supported the idea you are developing. Unlike ordinary conversation and classroom discussion, writing must stick with great determination to the specific point of development. This kind of writing demands tight organization and control. Therefore, your essay must have a central idea (thesis), it must have several paragraphs that grow systematically out of the central idea, and everything in it must be directly related to the central idea and must contribute to the reader’s understanding of that central idea. These three principles are listed again below: 1. Your essay must cover the topic you are writing about. 2. Your essay must have a central idea (stated in your thesis) that governs its development. 3. Your essay must be organized so that every part contributes something to the reader’s understanding of the central idea. THE ELEMENTS OF A SOLID ESSAY The Thesis Statement The thesis statement tells your reader what to expect: it is a restricted, precisely worded declarative sentence that states the purpose of your essay -- the point you are trying to make. Without a carefully conceived thesis, an essay has no chance of success. The following are thesis statements which would work for a 500-750 word literary analysis essay: Gwendolyn Brooks‟s 1960 poem “The Ballad of Rudolph Reed” demonstrates how the poet uses the conventional poetic form of the ballad to treat the unconventional poetic subject of racial intolerance. The fate of the main characters in Antigone illustrates the danger of excessive pride. The imagery in Dylan Thomas‟s poem “Fern Hill” reveals the ambiguity of humans‟ relationship with nature. Typically, the thesis statement falls at the end of your introductory paragraph. 2 The Introduction The introduction to your literary analysis essay should try to capture your reader‟s interest. To bring immediate focus to your subject, you may want to use a quotation, a provocative question, a brief anecdote, a startling statement, or a combination of these. You may also want to include background information relevant to your thesis and necessary for the reader to understand the position you are taking. In addition, you need to include the title of the work of literature and name of the author. The following are satisfactory introductory paragraphs which include appropriate thesis statements: A. What would one expect to be the personality of a man who has his wife sent away to a convent (or perhaps has had her murdered) because she took too much pleasure in the sunset and in a compliment paid to her by another man? It is just such a man—a Renaissance duke—who Robert Browning portrays in his poem “My Last Duchess.” A character analysis of the Duke reveals that through his internal dialogue, his interpretation of earlier incidents, and his actions, his traits—arrogance, jealousy, and greediness—emerge. B. The first paragraph of Alberto Alvaro Rios‟s short story “The Secret Lion” presents a twelve-year-old boy‟s view of growing up—everything changes. As the narrator informs the reader, when the magician pulls a tablecloth out from under a pile of dishes, children are amazed at the “stay-the-same part,” while adults focus only on the tablecloth itself (42). Adults have the benefit of experience and know the trick will work as long as the technique is correct. When people “grow up,” they gain this experience and knowledge but lose their innocence and sense of wonder. In other words, the price paid for growing up is a permanent sense of loss. This tradeoff is central to “The Secret Lion.” The key symbols in the story reinforce its main theme: change is inevitable and always accompanied by a sense of loss. C. The setting of John Updike‟s story “A & P” is crucial to the reader‟s understanding of Sammy‟s decision to quit his job. Even though Sammy knows that his quitting will make life more difficult for him, he instinctively insists upon rejecting what the A & P represents in the story. When he rings up a “No Sale” and “saunter[s]” out of the store, Sammy leaves behind not only a job but the rigid state of mind associated with the A & P. Although Sammy is the central character in the story, Updike seems to invest as much effort in describing the setting as he does Sammy. The title, after all, is not “Youthful Rebellion” or “Sammy Quits” but “A & P.” The setting is the antagonist of the story and plays a role that is as important as Sammy‟s. 3 The Body of the Essay and the Importance of Topic Sentences The term regularly used for the development of the central idea of a literary analysis essay is the body. In this section you present the paragraphs (at least 3 paragraphs for a 500-750 word essay) that support your thesis statement. Good literary analysis essays contain an explanation of your ideas and evidence from the text (short story, poem, play) that supports those ideas. Textual evidence consists of summary, paraphrase, specific details, and direct quotations. Each paragraph should contain a topic sentence (usually the first sentence of the paragraph) which states one of the topics associated with your thesis, combined with some assertion about how the topic will support the central idea. The purpose of the topic sentence is twofold: 1. To relate the details of the paragraph to your thesis statement. 2. To tie the details of the paragraph together. The substance of each of your developmental paragraphs (the body of your essay) will be the explanations, summaries, paraphrases, specific details, and direct quotations you need to support and develop the more general statement you have made in your topic sentence. The following is the first developmental paragraph after one of the introductory paragraphs (C) above: TOPIC SENTENCE EXPLANATIONS AND TEXTUAL EVIDENCE Sammys descriptions of the A & P present a setting that is ugly, monotonous, and rigidly regulated. The chain store is a common fixture in modern society, so the reader can identify with the uniformity Sammy describes. The fluorescent light is as blandly cool as the checkerboard green-and-cream rubber tile floor (486). The usual traffic in the store moves in one direction (except for the swim suited girls, who move against it), and everything is neatly organized and categorized in tidy aisles. The dehumanizing routine of this environment is suggested by Sammys offhand references to the typical shoppers as sheep, house slaves, and pigs” (486). These regular customers seem to walk through the store in a stupor; as Sammy indicates, not even dynamite could move them out of their routine (485). This paragraph is a strong one because it is developed through the use of quotations, summary, details, and explanation to support the topic sentence. Notice how it relates back to the thesis statement. 4 The Conclusion Your literary analysis essay should have a concluding paragraph that gives your essay a sense of completeness and lets your readers know that they have come to the end of your paper. Your concluding paragraph might restate the thesis in different words, summarize the main points you have made, or make a relevant comment about the literary work you are analyzing, but from a different perspective. Do not introduce a new topic in your conclusion. Below is the concluding paragraph from the essay already quoted above (A) about Brownings poem My Last Duchess: If the Duke has any redeeming qualities, they fail to appear in the poem. Brownings emphasis on the Dukes traits of arrogance, jealousy, and materialism make it apparent that anyone who might have known the Duke personally would have based his opinion of him on these three personality flaws. Ultimately, the reader‟s opinion of the Duke is not a favorable one, and it is clear that Browning intended that the reader feel this way. The Title of Your Essay It is essential that you give your essay a title that is descriptive of the approach you are taking in your paper. Just as you did in your introductory paragraph, try to get the readers attention. Using only the title of the literary work you are examining is unsatisfactory. The titles that follow are appropriate for the papers (A, B, C) discussed above: Robert Brownings Duke: A Portrayal of a Sinister Man The A & P as a State of Mind Theme in The Secret Lion: The Struggle of Adolescence Audience Consider the reader for whom you are writing your essay. Imagine you are writing for not only your professor but also the other students in your class who have about as much education as you do. They have read the assigned work just as you have, but perhaps they have not thought about it in exactly the same way. In other words, it is not necessary to retell the work of literature in any way. Rather, it is your role to be the explainer or interpreter of the work—to tell what certain elements of the work mean in relation to your central idea (thesis). When you make references to the text of the short story, poem, or play, you are doing so to remind your audience of something they already know. The principle emphasis of your essay is to draw conclusions and develop arguments. Be sure to avoid plot summary. 5 USING TEXTUAL EVIDENCE The skillful use of textual evidence -- summary, paraphrase, specific detail, and direct quotations -- can illustrate and support the ideas you are developing in your essay. However, textual evidence should be used judiciously and only when it directly relates to your topic. The correct and effective use of textual evidence is vital to the successful literary analysis essay. Summary If a key event or series of events in the literary work support a point you are trying to make, you may want to include a brief summary, making sure that you show the relevance of the event or events by explicitly connecting your summary to your point. Below is an effective summary (with its relevance clearly pointed out) from the essay already quoted above on The Secret Lion (B): The boys find the grinding ball, but later attempt to bury it (SUMMARY). Burying it is their futile attempt to make time stand still and to preserve perfection (RELEVANCE). Paraphrase You can make use of paraphrase when you need the details of the original, but not necessarily the words of the original: paraphrase to put someone elses words into your own words. Below is an example (also from the paper on The Secret Lion) of how to translate original material into part of your own paper: Original: I was twelve and in junior high school and something happened that we didnt have a name for, but it was nonetheless like a lion, and roaring, roaring that way the biggest things do. Paraphrase: Early in the story, the narrator tells us that when he turned twelve and started junior high school, life changed in a significant way that he and his friends could not quite name or identify. Specific Detail Various types of details from the text lend concrete support to the development of the central idea of your literary analysis essay. These details add credibility to the point you are developing. Below is a list of some of the details which could have been used in the developmental paragraph from the paper on John Updikes short story A & P (see the paragraph again for which details were used and how they were used). usual traffic fluorescent lights checkerboard green-and-cream rubber-tile floor electric eye shoppers like sheep, house slaves, and pigs neatly stacked food dynamite 6 Using Direct Quotations Quotations can illuminate and support the ideas you are trying to develop. A judicious use of quoted material will make your points clearer and more convincing. As with all the textual evidence you use, make sure you explain how the evidence is relevant—let the reader know why the quotes you cite are significant to your argument. Below are guidelines and examples that should help you effectively use quotations: 1. Brief quotations (four lines or fewer of prose and three lines or fewer of poetry) should be carefully introduced and integrated into the text of your paper. Put quotation marks around all briefly quoted material. Prose example: As the manager of the A & P, Lengel is both the guardian and enforcer of policy (487). When he gives the girls that sad Sunday-school-superintendent stare, the reader becomes aware of Lengel‟s character as the A & Ps version of a dreary bureaucrat who doesnt miss much (487). Make sure you give page numbers when necessary. Notice that in this example the page numbers are in parenthesis after the quotation marks but before the period. Poetry example: 4 From the beginning, the Duke in Brownings poem gives the reader a sense of how possessive he really is: Thats my last Duchess on the wall, / Looking as if she were alive (1-2). The reader cannot help but notice how, even though the Duke is talking about her portrait, his main concern is that she belongs to him. Notice that line # 1 is separated from line # 2 by a slash. Make sure you give the line numbers when necessary. 2. Lengthy quotations should be separated from the text of your paper. More than four lines of prose should be double spaced and indented ten spaces from the left margin, with the right margin the same as the rest of your paper. More than three lines of poetry should be double spaced and centered on the page. Note: do not use quotation marks to set off these longer passages because the indentation itself indicates that the material is quoted. Prose example: The first paragraph of The Secret Lion introduces the narrator as someone who has just entered adolescence and is uncertain what to make of it: I was twelve and in junior high school and something happened that we didnt have a name for, but it was there nonetheless like a lion, and roaring, roaring that way the biggest things do. Everything changed. Just that. Like the rug, the one that gets pulled -- or better, like the tablecloth those magicians pull where the stuff on the table stays the same but the gasp! from the audience makes the staying-the-same part not matter. Like that. (41-42) Make sure you give page numbers when necessary. Notice in this example that the page numbers are in parenthesis after the period of the last sentence. 7 Poetry example: The Duke seems to object to the fact that his last Duchess is not discriminating enough about bestowing her affection. In the following lines, the Duke lists examples of this fault: Sir, twas all one! My favor at her breast, The dropping of the daylight in the west, The bough of cherries some officious fool Broke in the orchard for her, the white mule She rode with round the terrace -- all and each Would draw from her alike the approving speech. (Browning 25-30) Be sure to provide the line numbers. 3. If any words are added to a quotation in order to explain who or what the quotation refers to, you must use brackets to distinguish your addition from the original source. Example: The literary critic John Strauss asserts that he [Young Goodman Brown] is portrayed as self-righteous and disillusioned (10). Brackets are used here because there is no way of knowing who he is unless you add that information. Brackets are also used to change the grammatical structure of a quotation so that it fits into your sentence. Example: Strauss also argues that Hawthorne present[s] Young Goodman Brown in an ambivalent light” (10). Brackets are used here to add the s to the verb present because otherwise the sentence would not be grammatically correct. 4. You must use ellipsis if you omit any words from the original source you are quoting. Ellipsis can be used at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of the quotation, depending on where the missing words were originally. Ellipsis is formed by either three or four periods with a space between each period. Original: Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise. Example (omission from beginning): This behavior . . . makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise. Ellipsis formed by three dots after the quotation marks. 8 Example (omission from middle): This maxim claims that Early to bed . . . makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise. Ellipsis formed by three dots used in place of the words and early to rise. Example (omission from end): He said, Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy . . . . Ellipsis is formed by four dots before the quotation marks -- the fourth dot is really a period which ends the sentence. 5. Use a single line of spaced periods to indicate the omission of an entire line of poetry. Example: The Duke seems to object to the fact that his last Duchess is not discriminating enough about bestowing her affection: She looked on, and her looks went everywhere. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The dropping of the daylight in the west, The bough of cherries some officious fool Broke in the orchard for her, while the white mule She rode around the terrace -- like and each Would draw from her alike the approving speech…. (Browning 24-30) 9 Punctuating Direct Quotations You will be able to punctuate quoted materials accurately if you observe the following conventions used in writing about literature: 1. When the quoted material is part of your own sentence, place periods and commas inside the quotation marks. Example: According to the narrator of The Secret Lion,” change was like a lion, meaning that its onset is sudden and ferocious. The comma is inside the quotation marks. 2. When the quoted material is part of your own sentence, but you need to include a parenthetical reference to page or line numbers, place the periods and commas after the reference. Example: The narrator of The Secret Lion says that the change was like a lion (Rios 41). The period is outside the quotation marks, after the parenthetical reference. 3. When the quoted material is part of your own sentence, punctuation marks other than periods and commas, such as question marks, are placed outside the quotation marks, unless they are part of the quoted material. Example (not part of original): Why does the narrator of The Secret Lion say that the change was like a lion? The question mark is placed after the quotation marks because it does not appear in the original -- it ends a question being asked about the story. Example (part of original): The Duke shows his indignation that the Duchess could like everyone and everything when he says, Sir, twas all one! (Browning 25). The exclamation point is placed inside the quotation marks because it appears in the original. 4. When the original material you are quoting already has quotations marks (for instance, dialog from a short story), you must use single quotation marks within the double quotation marks. Example: Lengel tries to stop Sammy from quitting by saying, “„Sammy, you dont want to do this to your Mom and Dad‟ (Updike 486). 10 h t t p : / / u w p . d u k e . e d u / w r i t i n g - s t u d i o Visual Analysis Definition of genre Visual analysis is the basic unit of art historical writing. Sources as varied as art magazines, scholarly books, and undergraduate research papers rely on concise and detailed visual analyses. You may encounter a visual analysis as an assignment itself; or you may write one as part of a longer research paper. The purpose of a visual analysis is to recognize and understand the visual choices the artist made in creating the artwork. By observing and writing about separate parts of the art object, you will come to a better understanding of the art object as a whole. A visual analysis addresses an artwork’s formal elements—visual attributes such as color, line, texture, and size. A visual analysis may also include historical context or interpretations of meaning. Be sure to read the assignment carefully to decide which elements of visual analysis your professor expects you to include. Some professors will look for a formal analysis alone; others will expect you to frame your formal description in terms of historical information. You may be asked to offer one or more interpretations of the possible meanings of the work. If necessary, ask your professor or T.A. to clarify expectations for the assignment. Actions to Take To write a visual analysis, you must look closely at an art object—or at a photograph of an art object—and translate your visual observations into written text. However, a visual analysis does not simply record your observations. It also makes a claim about the work of art.  Observe the artwork and write down your observations. Be precise. Consider the composition, colors, textures, size, space, and other visual and material attributes of the artwork. Go beyond your first impressions. This should take some time—allow your eye to absorb the image. Making a sketch of the work can help you understand its visual logic.  Formulate a main claim. Your claim might do one of the following: o Reflect on the overall organization of the work of art, e.g. “Paul Cézanne‟s Mont Sainte-Victoire [Figure 1] is composed of a number of repeated shapes and lines that serve to unify the composition.” 1 1 Henry M. Sayre, Writing about Art (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2005) 58. Figure 1: Paul Cézanne, Mont Sainte-Victoire (1885-7) o Consider how formal elements impact the meaning of the artwork, e.g. “Rembrandt‟s use of chiaroscuro heightens the sense of drama in The Night Watch [Figure 2].” o Relate this work relates to other works you have studied, considering how is it similar to and different from these objects, e.g. “This Egyptian sculpture combines a highly conventional symmetrical style with mild asymmetry and a degree of realism [Figure 3].” 2  Support your main claim with visual details. o Analyze the form of the artwork: line, color, shape, texture, and material are good places to start. o Target your description. Address only those elements relevant to your main claim. o Organize your observations in a logical order.  You might, for example, follow a line through the painting, moving from the background to the foreground, or from left to right. Consider beginning with composition and moving to material, or vice versa. Many approaches are possible; choose a structure that makes sense for your main claim.  In the following example, the author introduces the subject of the painting and then describes the figure’s posture, gestures, and clothing: “Elongated and spectral, the figure of an older man is seated at a table, painted red. He leans far to the left. His narrow head is propped upon a skeletal fist; his other hand lies, its fingers slightly spread, open on the table‟s edge. He is wearing a cream-colored cap and a dark blue jacket [Figure 4].” 3 2 Sylvan Barnet, A Short Guide to Writing about Art (New York: Longman, 1997) 79. 3 Cynthia Saltzman, Portrait of Dr. Gachet: The Story of a van Gogh Masterpiece. Money, Politics, Collectors, Greed, and Loss (New York: Penguin, 1998), xv. Figure 2: Rembrandt, The Company of Frans Banning Cocq and Willem van Ruytenburch (The Night Watch) (1642) Figure 3: Ka-aper (c 2500- 2400 BCE) o Explain why you have chosen to discuss these specific elements. In other words, explain the significance of your choices for your main claim.  You may decide to incorporate a quotation from the artist to support your descriptive choices. For example: “In the corner of the painting, the barely perceptible outline of a woman can be seen against a latticed background. The vagueness of her presence is necessary, as Bonnard noted in one of his notebooks, because: „A figure should be part of the background against which it is placed [Figure 5].‟” 4 o Discuss the relationship among visual elements of the art work: “The admirable calligraphy of the text sharply contrasts the paucity of craftsmanship of the sculpture [Figure 6].” 5  Use vocabulary words mentioned in class. Foreshortening, linear perspective, and cross- hatching are some examples. Be sure to incorporate only those terms appropriate to your object.  If your assignment asks you to identify the style or movement associated with the artwork, you can explore this connection by comparing the artwork’s formal elements to the stylistic characteristics that you have learned in class. For example: “Robert Adam‟s library at Kenwood is quite classical, not just because of the Corinthian columns and barrel vaults, but also because it is symmetrical, geometric, and carefully balanced [Figure 7].” 6  You may be asked to situate your art object in its historical context. Ask yourself what the viewer needs to know about the time period in order to understand this artwork. o This may include biographical data about the artist, information about how the artwork was received in its time, or important framing of the social, political, or economic contexts of the time. o As in your formal analysis, choose evidence that supports your main claim. 4 Laure de Buzon-Vallet and Claude Laugier, in Sasha Newman, ed., Bonnard: The Late Paintings (Paris: Centre Georges Pompidou, 1984) 198. 5 Denise Schmandt-Besserat, When Writing Met Art: from Symbol to Story (Austin: University of Texas Press, 2007) 95. 6 Penelope J.E. Davies, et. al., Jansen‟s History of Art: The Western Tradition (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2007). Figure 4: Vincent van Gogh, Dr. Gachet (1890) Figure 5: Pierre Bonnard, Dining Room overlooking the Garden (1930-1) Helpful Links  Writing in the Disciplines: Art History: http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/arthistory.html  Overview: Visual Rhetoric /Visual Literacy: http://uwp.duke.edu/uploads/assets/overview.pdf  Visual Rhetoric/Visual Literacy: Writing about Paintings http://uwp.duke.edu/uploads/assets/painting.pdf  Visual Rhetoric/Visual Literacy: Writing about Photographs http://uwp.duke.edu/uploads/assets/photography.pdf Helpful Books  Suzanne Hudson and Nancy Noonan-Morrissey, The Art of Writing about Art (Belmont, CA: Thomson Learning, 2002).  Henry M. Sayre, Writing about Art (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2005).  Amy Tucker, Visual Literacy: Writing about Art (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2001). Figure 6: The Code of Hammurabi (c. 1792-1750 BCE) Figure 7: Robert Adam, Kenwood: Middlesex Library (1767-9) http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/arthistory.html http://uwp.duke.edu/uploads/assets/overview.pdf http://uwp.duke.edu/uploads/assets/painting.pdf http://uwp.duke.edu/uploads/assets/photography.pdf