Posted: February 24th, 2022

Choose any two FAMOUS works of art or architecture from the course* and write a compare & contrast essay based on your observations and viewpoints. Compare and contrast both works of the art based on your understanding of the period or art movement, meaning and historical context

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Art History Compare & Contrast Essay
Choose any two FAMOUS works of art or architecture from the course* and write a compare & contrast essay based on your observations and viewpoints. Compare and contrast both works of the art based on your understanding of the period or art movement, meaning and historical context. You may also compare and contrast technique, media, and the formal elements of art, including, color, texture, line, space, light and value. Give examples and support your statements and observations. LATE ESSAYS WILL BE ACCEPTED WITH A 20-POINT PENALTY, you will have plenty of time to complete this assignment.
*Why famous or well-known works of art? You will need three credible, serious (academic) sources for reference and citation.
Use the MLA format, typed, double-spaced, 12-point font, New Times Roman a “Figures” page and a “Works Cited” page, minimum four (4) typed pages (this DOES NOT include the Figures page or the Works Cited page). At least three sources or works cited. You may use the class textbook as one of your sources. An essay missing a Works Cited page will be given an automatic zero.
Photos or pictures should not be included in the body of the essay, but on a separate page, a “Figures” page, with appropriate numbering and identification caption: “Figure 1”, “Figure 2”, “Detail-Figure 2”, etc. The figures should also be properly identified with the artist’s name (if known), title, location (current or original) and date. The Figures page and the Works Cited page do not count towards the full four-page minimum requirement. These two pages should be located after the body of the essay.
AGAIN, DO NOT INCLUDE THE IMAGES OR FIGURES IN THE BODY OF THE ESSAY. The chosen works do not have to be found in the book but must be well-known, famous pieces, from the same periods covered in class or encountered in your class activities.
Submission: The essay will be submitted to “Turn It In” to check for plagiarism and grammatical errors. Any similarity report above 20% will be given an automatic zero, so make sure you use proper citation overall.
Proper citation is essential. Essays without at least three sources and correct MLA citation (works cited page) will receive a “0” automatically.
SWTJC Library MLA guides: https://library.swtjc.edu/citation-tools (Links to an external site.)
Purdue Owl has an excellent Guide for MLA: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_style_introduction.html (Links to an external site.)
Purdue Owl Art History Essays: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/writing_in_art_history/art_history_essays.html (Links to an external site.)
Due Date: Check the modules for the due date.
Length: Typed, four full pages minimum, double spaced. The essay may be longer.
Write the essay in the following suggested Integrated structure, you may use a block or alternating structure of you wish:
Helpful video tutorials (use “CC” for closed captioning):Comparison-Contrast Essay: Write an A+ Comparison or Contrast Paper (Links to an external site.)
Compare and contrast essay structure (Links to an external site.)
Introduction: Your introduction — should open generally (with a quotation, anecdote, generalization), and lead into the thesis statement.
All Comparisons (Artworks 1 and 2):
This section — which should consist of several paragraphs — should go through all similarities you find in the two works of art on which you are writing. There should be at least three comparisons (essentially at least three to four paragraphs) in which you give an example from both works of art being compared.
Do not focus on just obvious comparisons. For example, both sculptures are made from bronze but also, compare the techniques, historical context and/or meaning. You may also compare the meaning or content (the message) of both works of art.
All Contrasts (Artworks 1 and 2)
This section — which should consist of several paragraphs — should go through all the differences you find in the two artworks on which you are writing. There should be at least three contrasts (essentially at least three to four paragraphs) in which you give an example from both works being contrasted.
“David” by Michelangelo “David” by Bernini
DO NOT USE THE EXAMPLES ABOVE, CHOOSE YOUR OWN.
Do not focus on just obvious contrasts. For example, one sculpture is made from marble and the other sculpture is carved in marble. Instead, focus on the choice of materials and how the material will add meaning to the work’s message. For instance, the type of stone chosen to depict a pharaoh may be based on the permanence of that type of stone, sandstone vs. diorite, as an example. Contrast the techniques, casting vs. carving, casting is an additive process while carving is a subtractive process. You may also contrast the meaning or content (the message) of both works of art.
DO NOT USE THE EXAMPLES ABOVE, CHOOSE YOUR OWN. You may choose works of art that are not as obviously compatible as the examples above.
Conclusion: This conclusion is wrapping up everything you have just proven in your paper. It should restate the thesis in a new, more official way, and you should feel quite confident in your writing.
Here is a quick breakdown on how the Compare-Contrast Essay should appear, this is basic, you may write more than 10 paragraphs:
Paragraph 1: Introduction (with Thesis)-Maybe start with a quote?
Paragraph 2: Comparison A (Artworks 1&2)
Paragraph 3: Comparison B (Artworks 1&2)
Paragraph 4: Comparison C (Artworks 1&2)
Paragraph 5: Possible fourth comparison detail or writer’s opinion.
Paragraph 6: Contrast A (Artworks 1&2)
Paragraph 7: Contrast B (Artworks 1&2)
Paragraph 8: Contrast C (Artworks 1&2)
Paragraph 9: Possible fourth contrasting detail or writer’s opinion.
Paragraph 10: Conclusion (restate the thesis in a new way, be creative)
Compare and contrast guide from UNC:
https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/comparing-and-contrasting/ (Links to an external site.)
Essay advise from Purdue Owl:
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/writing_in_art_history/art_history_essays.html (Links to an external site.)
Compare and Contrast Essay
Most introductory art history classes will ask students to write a compare and contrast essay about two pieces – examples include comparing and contrasting a medieval to a renaissance painting. It is always best to start with smaller comparisons between the two works of art such as the medium of the piece. Then the comparison can include attention to detail so use of color, subject matter, or iconography. Do the same for contrasting the two pieces – start small. After the foundation is set move on to the analysis and what these comparisons or contrasting material mean – ‘what is the bigger picture here?’ Consider why one artist would wish to show the same subject matter in a different way, how, when, etc are all questions to ask in the compare and contrast essay. If during an exam it would be best to quickly outline the points to make before tackling writing the essay.
Compare and Contrast Example:
Stele of Hammurabi from Susa (modern Shush, Iran), ca. 1792 – 1750 BCE, Basalt, height of stele approx. 7’ height of relief 28’
Compare:
Stele, relief sculpture, Art as propaganda – Hammurabi shows that his law code is approved by the gods, depiction of land in background, Hammurabi on the same place of importance as the god, etc.
Contrast:
Top of this stele shows the relief image of Hammurabi receiving the law code from Shamash, god of justice, Code of Babylonian social law, only two figures shown, different area and time period, etc.
Stele of Naram-sin, Sippar Found at Susa c. 2220 – 2184 bce. Limestone, height 6’6″
Compare:
Stele, relief sculpture, Example of propaganda because the ruler (like the Stele of Hammurabi) shows his power through divine authority, Naramsin is the main character due to his large size, depiction of land in background, etc.
Contrast:
Akkadian art, made of limestone, the stele commemorates a victory of Naramsin, multiple figures are shown specifically soldiers, different area and time period, etc.
Iconography
Regardless of what essay approach you take in class it is absolutely necessary to understand how to analyze the iconography of a work of art and to incorporate into your paper. Iconography is defined as subject matter, what the image means. For example, why do things such as a small dog in a painting in early Northern Renaissance paintings represent sexuality? Additionally, how can an individual perhaps identify these motifs that keep coming up?
The following is a list of symbols and their meaning in Marriage a la Mode by William Hogarth (1743) that is a series of six paintings that show the story of marriage in Hogarth’s eyes.
Man has pockets turned out symbolizing he has lost money and was recently in a fight by the state of his clothes.
Lap dog shows loyalty but sniffs at woman’s hat in the husband’s pocket showing sexual exploits.
Black dot on husband’s neck believed to be symbol of syphilis.
Mantel full of ugly Chinese porcelain statues symbolizing that the couple has no class.
Butler had to go pay bills, you can tell this by the distasteful look on his face and that his pockets are stuffed with bills and papers.
Card game just finished up, women has directions to game under foot, shows her easily cheating nature.
Paintings of saints line a wall of the background room, isolated from the living, shows the couple’s complete disregard to faith and religion.
The dangers of sexual excess are underscored in the Hograth by placing Cupid among ruins, foreshadowing the inevitable ruin of the marriage.
Eventually the series (other five paintings) shows that the woman has an affair, the men duel and die, the woman hangs herself and the father takes her ring off her finger symbolizing the one thing he could salvage from the marriage.
Comparative Analysis:
The comparative analysis starts with a formal analysis of two or more individual pieces, and then adds
another level of discussion that evaluates relevant similarities and differences between the pieces. This added
level is useful in revealing details about trends within historical periods, regional similarities, or growth of an
individual artist over time.
• In describing the individual pieces, keep to the same conventions used when doing an individual formal
analysis.
• Ask yourself why this comparison is relevant. There is a wealth of information in why your professor has
asked for a comparison of two particular pieces.
• Depending on the length and complexity of comparison, one of the two following basic structures will be
more appropriate:
• “Lumping” involves discussing all details of one work, and then all details of the second work. This
method is preferred in lengthy or broad comparisons to avoid zipping back and forth between the works
too quickly. Remember to compare the two works by referring back to the first work when discussing
the second. This will ensure that you don’t simply write two descriptions.
• “Splitting” involves discussing a particular point in both works before moving on to another point. This
method is preferred in comparisons dealing with fine details instead of a broader look at each work as a
whole. Remember to discuss each point evenly to maintain a clear, parallel structure

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