chicago

ARTH 207

Art History—Twentieth Century Art

Prof. Gross

Fall 2020

Paper Assignment: Visual Analysis

Select an image of a work in your text from one of the periods we have discussed in class, or one we will be examining later in the quarter (see your syllabus). The work does not have to be one I have shown in class. Do not select a work earlier than 1900. Write a minimum of 4 pages of text on the work, focusing on the following:

1) Begin with a thesis paragraph, and State your thesis in terms of an argument. This is key to the success of your paper (as a general rule, paragraphs must be 3 or more sentences). Begin by telling us the purpose of the paper; mention the artist, title of the work (which must be underlined or italicized), the date, and the period to which the work belongs. Select one area of focus for the thesis of the paper--something specific about the work that you intend to argue (examine, analyze, prove a point about). Then, in the following sentences of your thesis statement, cite the purpose and goal of the paper. After your thesis statement, your visual analysis section should develop into this focused thesis point.

Example Thesis Statement: “This essay will conduct a visual analysis of Wassily Kandinsky’s Composition VII of 1913, a large painting from Kandinsky’s Blue Rider period, and focus on Kandinsky’s use of color, and its connection to spirituality. As with other early 20th century artists, Kandinsky sought a new and expressive means of engaging color to represent a spiritual content that was free of traditional naturalism and religious iconography.” Note that the specific focus on color contains an explanation of “why,” which is historically verifiable.

2) Undertake a concise visual analysis, a careful, detailed description of the work, which proceeds from form to content. The intention is to give the reader a good visual description of the art object. Don’t assume things related to content to be true—you must corroborate statements with evidence from scholarly publications. Be specific about composition—try to avoid generalizations. Define terms! Don’t assume I am the only reader, and know what you will be talking about (even though I probably am). For example, if you mention primitivism, tell the reader what that is.

3) Supporting your argument (thesis). Proceed from content into an aspect of the work you found compelling as you consulted a scholarly book sources from appropriate archives, such as JSTOR. Certain internet sources are acceptable, as discussed in class. Focus on this thematic aspect, and use salient quotes or ideas from the sources you consulted to strengthen your concepts or arguments. You may want to conclude with a couple of remarks about further exploration into your topic.

Form: the paper must be typewritten, contain a title, be in black ink, have one-inch margins, be double-spaced, in 12-point font, with numbered pages, must contain foot- or endnotes, and a separate-page bibliography of at least 3 Scholarly sources. Include a photocopy of the work you are writing about. Please do not cite Khanacademy, Artstory, Wikipedia, or similar generalized sites as sources! Proper citation of sources is a must. The paper must use Chicago manuscript style. I recommend that you consult the Barnet book listed on the syllabus for further information regarding writing a visual analysis and proper citation form.

A word on the use of quotations: do not use quotations to take the place of your own visual analyses, or to provide very general information about the artist. And please do not have quotations stand on their own as sentences! Quotations need to be placed in the context of your own narrative.

*Your paper is due Thursday Oct. 22. Papers shorter than the required length will be marked down considerably.

Your paper must contain foot-or end-notes!!! As research is central to the assignment, papers submitted without footnotes will result in a failure.