TEXTBOOK: Art: A Brief History (5th Edition) by Marilyn Stokstad
Writing Assignment: An Artist in their Cultural Context
For the final writing assignment you may choose any well established artist that we have learned about in class, through the book or in the slideshows you have viewed. Choose one of their artworks to write about, but, do not use your book as a primary source of information. Using what you have learned in class in addition to outside research, write a 4-6 page paper about that work of art.
You must include a picture of the work either on the cover sheet of your paper or at the end of your paper, in addition to a bibliography of at least 3 works cited. You may not use your textbook as one of your sources, but should find at least 3 reliable sources from the internet.
Points to consider can be addressed through the 4 steps of art criticism within your paper (see “Resources/Formal Elements”). This is a good way to organize your thoughts in writing your paper.
1. Description:
Who is the artist you are writing about? Describe the artwork itself. Give a brief biography and background of the artist. What time period/style was this artist working and what were the major artistic developments at this time that this artist was practicing?

2. Analysis:
What is the title of the work you are going to write about?

What is the subject, is the work abstract, representational or non-representational, is it 2-D or 3-D?

What media ( painting,sculpture,printing,etc), material and techniques does the artist use? Describe the characteristics of that media and the process which was used.
What Formal Elements does the artist use or emphasize? (see “”Resources” for the folder labeled “Formal Elements:Visual Elements and Principles of Design)

How is this work of art characteristic of the style that you are describing?

3. Interpretation:
What is the content/meaning of the work? Does it have a particular theme to the work?

4. Judgment:
What is your informed opinion of the artwork? What is your personal interpretation of the work? Why is it important to the history of art?