Fall 2016
Art 111 Paper Assignment
For your museum assignment you are to analyze one work of art of your choice from the
Metropolitan Museum of Art that dates from the time periods covered in class. You will use this work of
art to develop a paper that uses a formal analysis as a process to arrive at a fuller understanding of the
historical and cultural meaning of the artwork. By the end of the assignment, you should provide an
overview of the artwork touching on its most significant aspects.
Rules for Selecting an Artwork:
It may be a painting, sculpture, or architectural structure (or a derivative of these categories like a
drawing, sketch, print, etc.)
This artwork must come from the Metropolitan Museum of Art
You must see this artwork in person
It must date from the time periods covered in class (anything from any ancient period to the
medieval times, but nothing created later than the year 1200)
o Check with me the artwork of your choice is close to the borders of this date
o Papers that are written about artworks outside of this date range will NOT be accepted
It is okay if your selected artwork is also represented in the textbook so long as your analysis goes
beyond text and class material
Proof of museum visit is required (photo at the museum, ideally with your selected artwork)
Format and other Requirements:
Due by Thursday, December 1 st
Late papers are accepted but with a penalty of one letter grade deduction per class date late
Double-spaced, 1 margins, regular size font
About 1025-1375 words required (roughly 3-4 pages of text excluding title page and bibliography)
Provide an image of the work of art discussed in the paper
Fully identify the artwork by title, artist, date, medium, location of origin (most of the information
regarding the artwork can be taken directly from the label in the museum).
Introduction paragraph, with thesis statement, and a conclusion
Fall 2016
Parenthetical citations (sources cited in the body of your paper)
Work cited page (any formal citation style acceptable)
This is a formal paper; please use appropriate language.
Submit a copy to turnitin.com (Class ID: 13594820, Class Enrollment Password: art111)
Regarding Sources:
This is not a research paper, rather it is an assignment to make you think and use the materials of the
course in an integrated fashion. I do not discourage further research but only a minimal amount of
sources are required. Please use your own judgment when determining how many sources to use. If
you feel like you have a strong background on the work you select, you may use only the museum label /
museum website, the text, and your notes as your sources. However, youre going to want to give a
complete overview of the work of art and must touch on its most notable aspects if you cant do that
with only the aforementioned sources, you must do additional research.
Online sources are permissible so long as they are scholarly (end in .edu)
You may also cite anything thats posted on the Metropolitans website (metmuseum.org)
Wikipedia should NOT be cited as a source for this paper (you may use wiki to inform your research,
but their content ultimately cannot be trusted and must be verified through a more reputable
source).
Direct quotations should be used only when something is written so eloquently that you cannot
capture the same sentiments in your own words
Direct quotations must be indicated through quotation marks
The majority of your papers content should be presented in your own words with your sources
cited where necessary (paraphrasing)
Factual information that comes from a source other than yourself must have a citation
Regarding your Papers Content:
In providing a complete overview of your selected artwork, you should have two concerns in your paper
and each should be about equal in length and consideration. The better papers will combine the two
into one process. The first concern is a formal analysis and the second is placing the work and its formal
qualities into relation to the culture / historical background as you have come to know it through your
course text and the lectures.
Fall 2016
Formal Analysis:
A formal analysis requires a visual examination of the artwork, its formal components, and the method
through which it was made. Your formal analysis can (and should) be entirely your own based on your
first hand observations. You do not need to necessarily perform research for this part of your paper, but
you should take good notes when viewing the artwork in person. You may include the following topics as
part of your formal analysis:
Briefly describe the condition of your selected artwork: is it unfinished, restored, chipping,
discolored, missing something, etc.?
How does the setting of the artwork impact your reaction to it? Think about the lighting of the
room, impediments that keep you from getting close to the artwork, its pairing with and proximity
to other artworks in the gallery.
***Fully establish the composition of your selected artwork. Pretend you are describing it to
someone who has never seen it before. What has the artist represented? How has the artist
arranged his/her forms?
Describe the artists technique. How did he or she create the artwork? Are there any visual signs
that reveal how theyve handled their medium?
Additionally, for your formal analysis you will want to describe the most significant visual aspects of
the work of art (color, line, gesture, space, etc.) and how the artist has employed them to create
meaning.
You will not be able to treat every formal element given the page limitation of this paper so it is up
to you to select those visual aspects that seem to be the most significant and to fully develop a
discussion about them.
Provide examples and details from the artwork to support your conclusions.
Cultural / Historical Context:
A culture / historical context establishes how an artwork can be linked to its time and place of origin.
Consider the ways in which the physical properties and the emotional impact of the artwork can be
related to the culture and time in which it was produced. What characteristics of the culture seem to be
present both physically and emotionally in the work? How do you know? What values in the society do
you feel are communicated through the work? You may include the following topics as part of your
cultural / historical analysis (note: not all of these aspects will be relevant to every artwork):
Describe the narrative or story represented in your selected artwork (religious, mythological, and
historical narratives are popular in the ancient eras research your artists subject so you can
describe how he or she has chosen to represent it).
Fall 2016
If you select a portrait you may describe the significance of the person represented, the
accomplishments of their life, or what the painting reveals of their personality or social status.
Many of the ancient societies do not share the same notion of art as we do today. Does your
selected artwork have a function (either a clear-cut utilitarian function or perhaps it was used
symbolically or for a higher purpose)?
***Identify the style of the artwork. How does the work appear stylistically to be a part of its time
and place of origins? Use the intro slides from class powerpoint presentations to guide you in this
regard. It is probably a good idea to ask me if youre unsure to which style your artwork belongs, as
this should be a major part of your cultural analysis.
Provide examples and details from the artwork to support your conclusions.
You may also chose to tell me a little about the culture responsible for the artwork of your selection,
but only if it is relevant to the content of your paper. For instance, it may be useful to discuss why
Egyptians tend to form their sculpture so compactly, but only if you have selected a sculpture (not a
painting or work of architecture) that demonstrates this. Please avoid heavily historical details, as
the focus of your paper should always remain on bringing about a deeper understanding of your
selected work of art.
Are there any other cultural, religious, geographical, or socio-political values that need to be
explored?
Additional Museum Assignment: Reflection Essay
In addition to the paper assignment, which should be formal, I would also like for you to write a brief
essay of 1-2 pages describing your personal experiences in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This essay
should be handed in one week before the term paper and proof of attendance should be attached to it.
This essay should be proofread, but otherwise can be informal in appearance and content: it is a chance
for you to lighten up your writing tone and have fun with a writing assignment. For this assignment, you
shouldnt just list everywhere you went in the museum and every artwork you viewed. Rather, it should
consist of a series of reflections about your museum experience, whether that is your overall impression
of the museum itself or its exhibits, or a personal reaction to some of the artwork you viewed. This does
not to be submitted to turnitin.
About the Metropolitan Museum of Art:
Located at 1000 Fifth Avenue (at 82nd Street) (eastern edge of Central Park)
It is located on Museum Mile so make sure you visit the correct museum
Fall 2016
Always check the museum website before visiting to ensure there are no closures (for up-to-date
gallery closings, please call 212-570-3754.); you may also want to double-check the train and
subway schedule to avoid delays and closures
Directions from Penn Station: Take the M4 bus to 83rd Street and Madison Avenue; OR take the C
local train to 81st Street and transfer to the M79 crosstown bus (free transfer) across Central Park to
Fifth Avenue.
Open 7 days a week
Hours: SundayThursday: 10:00 a.m.5:30 p.m; Friday and Saturday: 10:00 a.m.9:00 p.m
Admission consists of suggested prices only; you may pay whatever youd like
The museum is gigantic and houses hundreds of thousands of artworks. There is no time
requirement for how long you must stay in the museum, but I recommend that you go early enough
so that you wont feel rushed (the museum can be overwhelming, and it is easy to get lost)
Large backpacks and umbrellas must be checked; its a good idea to travel light
Flash photography is prohibited! Repeated exposure to camera flashes can damage the artworks.
You may take pictures of most exhibits but only if your flash is turned off.
Never touch any artwork. Natural oils on our skin can also harm the art.
The museum allows pencils into their galleries, but not pens.
Useful Links / Resources:
SCCC Library:
http://www.sunysuffolk.edu/Students/library.asp
SCCC Arts Databases:
http://libguides.sunysuffolk.edu/content.php?pid=267488&sid=2207680
Use ARTstor for images, Jstor for articles
Metropolitan Museum of Art:
http://www.metmuseum.org/
***Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History:
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/
For Thematic Essays and useful background information
Google Advanced Search
Fall 2016
Type in .edu in site or domain tab to obtain only scholarly sources
