monuments from the Brooklyn Museum of Art

Assignment Overview You are to analyze one work of art from the selected list of objects and
monuments from the Brooklyn Museum of Art. After close inspection of the works, in person,
develop a response paper that uses formal analysis as a process to arrive at a fuller understanding
of historical context and cultural meaning.
After viewing all works from the object list below, choose one work of art that you most enjoy,
formally or historically. Once you’ve chosen the work, go back and take detailed notes on its
subject matter, artistic form, historical context, and your own viewing experience. You are not to
rely on illustrations or reproductions €“ either printed in books or found online €“ as the goal of
this assignment is to experience a work directly and analytically over a period of time.
Basic requirements The paper should not exceed five pages in length (however, please do not
go below four pages). Please use typical format: Times New Roman, 12pt font, double-spaced,
1-inch margins, pagination, etc.
A separate title sheet is not needed, but please be sure to include the following: name, paper title,
the work chosen, course information, and numbered pages. It is a good idea to have your name
on each page in case of accidental separation. You are responsible for proof reading your paper
to have it free of basic errors in spelling, grammar and syntax.
Assignment Guidelines Generally, the paper has two concerns, each being about equal in length
and consideration. However, the best papers will combine the two into one process. The first
concern is a formal analysis; the second concern is placing the work and its formal qualities into
relation to the culture as you have come to know it through your textbook and class lectures.
This is not a research paper, but rather an assignment to make you think and use the basic
materials of the course in an integrated fashion. We do not discourage further research €“ in fact it
is fun €“ but it is not necessary and by no means will a pure research paper earn a good grade for
this assignment. You are free to use whatever information the museum provides on their labels or
informational signs in the area, but you MUST either quote the material with the source given in
parentheses (e.g., museum label), or better, paraphrase their material but also give the museum
label credit, in parentheses. However, this assignment is directed to you and your own
observations rather than to the use of external sources.
Formal Analysis
At the beginning of your paper please very briefly describe the condition of the work €“ i.e., good,
or damaged (unfinished, chipped, surface cracks, discolored, etc.) €“ and whether the condition plays a role in your reaction to the work. If the work is missing an arm or has a serious crack in it
and you do not say so, then you have not adequately described the work. If the condition seems
good and does not obviously interfere with your appreciation then simply state it as such. In
either case, you must make reference to the physical condition and the general physical presence
of the work.
The process is to ask a number of questions of the work through your reaction to it. If the work
appeals to you, try to locate the physical reasons for your emotions. That does not mean your
paper is to use value judgments, i.e., avoid such comments as great, poor, etc., except where
you fully explain an issue. It is not sufficient to simply call the use of modeling or color good
but rather you must explain what is there and how it is used.
Eventually you will arrive at a series of comments that hopefully will explain to the reader and
yourself why you like this work. But the criteria used to evaluate your paper will be the
coherency of your analysis. Have you explained the essential physical features that command
your attention: composition, color, gesture, space, etc.? Is there anything you have overlooked?
Remember, looking is an active, energetic and informative engagement.
Finally, take good notes since you must now rely on them when you go home to write the paper
and relate the physical characteristics to the historical and cultural frameworks. Informal pictures
(i.e., cameras, cell phones, etc.) are generally allowed, though you may be asked to turn off flash.
Historical Context
Consider the ways in which the physical properties and the emotional impact of the work can be
related to the culture and time that produced the work. Concentrate on developing the
characteristics of the culture that seem to be present both physically and emotionally in the work.
How do you know? The information presented in your textbook (and lectures) is generally
sufficient for this, but it is useful to go beyond them if you wish.
Further considerations: Are there emotional qualities that seem relevant to such considerations?
What values in the society do you feel are communicated through the work? Do you feel
differently than you think the members of that culture would feel in front of the work, or, do you
feel about what you would expect from that culture based on what you know of it?
Writing
The goal of looking, noting and analyzing is to provide basic material to help you explain what
many authors refer to as the expressive content. As demonstrated in class, a large part of the
overall meaning of an artwork resides in the relationship between its formal elements, their
expressive power and its historical or cultural context.
Object List The following stylistic headings are loose suggestions, and should not be taken as
absolute categories.

Post-Impressionism, Symbolism, Fauvism
1. Ensor, James. Masks Confronting Death. 1888. Oil on canvas. Floor 5, Gallery 1
2. Matisse, Henri. The Red Studio. 1911. Oil on canvas. Floor 5, Gallery 6