4-6 pages of text, double spaced with standard formatting. At least 3 scholarly sources. The essay must include, footnotes, the name of the artwork, location of the artwork (current museum or collection), provenance of the artwork (where it came from), materials the artwork is made from, size of the artwork, date the artwork was made, and best referred source a reader can use for further research on the artwork. Place this information at the top of your paper. Do not include a title or tile page- just begin your paper with the list of attributes, in the same order as above.The second part of paper should be a formal description of what the object looks like. Use your best analytical toolset (and terms) to convey the shape, volume, rhythm, line, craftsman’s marks, etc. Imagine that the reader doesn’t have an image in front of them, and try your best to draw them a picture with your words.The third part of the paper will be your opportunity to put the object in context. For this exercise, imagine that your piece is on display in a museum and you are writing an explanatory placard that hangs beside it. Bearing this in mind, think about reaching out to an audience who knows very little about art and even less about the historical and cultural framework within which it is situated. Your mission is to make the object accessible, relevant, even exciting to a non-specialist viewer. Discuss the object’s significance in art history, providing background, context, comparisons, and an account of relevant issues. Think about what the piece is and how it connects to wider trends and developments. Remember, as these are intended to explain an object on display in a museum to someone who walks in off the street, it may be useful to provide some essential background on your culture as a means of introducing your piece.
