Compare and discuss the relationship of the work you have chosen to other works found during the same time period or civilization.

Write a 3 page descriptive analysis and research paper on a work of art.
Choose any one ancient or medieval work of art on display virtually at museum of your choice. The Yale University Art Gallery has a great collection, the Wadsworth Atheneum has an excellent collection also. Further afield, the Worcester Art Museum, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, and the Metropolitan Museum in New York also have fantastic collections. You may virtually visit any museum in the world to complete this assignment! (If you are able to visit a museum in-person safely and wish to do so please feel free but it is not required for this assignment.)
1. Please exclude any works of art studied this semester in-class or in the online course shell.
2. Provide the weblink for your museum or gallery visit at the end of your paper.
3. Copy the wall text. On the wall next to each work, you will find a plaque with important information. Copy out the wall text next to your work word for word. As you write your paper, you can then refer to this information if necessary (sometimes it is just basic identifying info but sometimes there is historical background as well). If you cite from it directly, please use quotation marks and a footnote indicating your source.
4. Research the work of art, the time period it was created in, and the function of the work.
5. Compare and discuss the relationship of the work you have chosen to other works found during the same time period or civilization. For this portion you may reference works viewed in class to reinforce your ideas.
6. Use and quote three literary sources and document them on a separate source page, using MLA Format, you may use the textbook as a resource.
7. Paper must be typed, double-spaced, size 11 font, with no more than a 1” margin.
8. Be sure to include an image of the art work selected at the beginning or end of your paper.

Paper Breakdown Using the Formal Analysis:
Introduction: “What is it” State artist name if given, title of work, date, materials, civilization work was created within.
“How was it made” Describe the process of making the work and the visual elements used (line, color, texture, shape, composition, etc.)
“What is it used for” Explain the purpose or function of the work, why was this work created? Where was it found?
Comparison: “How does this art work relate to other works created during this time period”?
In your essay, formally compare the work on display with one work that we studied in class in order to explain how your selected art work fits within the context of the artistic period in which it was created. How is your chosen work similar to the works we looked at? How does it broaden your understanding of the period in which it was made? How might your work reflect the interests, values, or concerns of the culture that created it? Does it exhibit characteristic qualities of time period or exceptional qualities? Apply what you’ve learned in class and through your reading. Be sure to construct a sustained, organized, and coherent essay in which you use visual description and analysis of the work to help you make your points.

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