Research Paper

PAPER OUTLINE

Your paper will consist of five sections:

Introductory Paragraph with THESIS STATEMENT

Formal Analysis

of your artwork   (refer back to thesis statement)   

Iconography

of your artwork (refer back to thesis statement)

Iconology 

of your artwork (refer back to thesis statement)

Summary Paragraph

with reiteration of thesis statement

1. 

Introductory Paragraph

– Identify your artwork and state your thesis.

2. Formal Analysis

- Description and analysis of the work in your own words:

Detailed formal description of the works, moving from the general to the specific (Analysis: 

breaking the whole into parts for understanding.) Include elements and principles of design: 

subject, lines, medium, color, light, space, composition, scale, and technique.  Ask and answer: 

How does the art work in formal terms?

3. 

Iconography

Discussion of the content, symbolism and meaning of the work as conveyed through its formal 

elements.  Include information about what story or idea the object depicts. 

4. 

Iconology

- Synthesis - Thesis of paper: SO WHAT factor

•Discussion of period style revealed in the form of the artwork and contextualization of the 

object in a specific movement/era.  Thesis communicates to viewer how to see and experience 

the artworks. 

Your synthesis should make clear the relevance of THIS WORK.  Your reader should 

understand why it is meaningful and useful to study the work and form discussions around it.

5

. Summary Paragraph

– Reiterate your thesis.