Reference no: EM131443240

CRITIQUE PAPER (4 double-spaced pages of text)

This paper will focus on one artist, selected from your text, World of Art or websites provided by instructor. Research biographical information on this artist and select TWO works for discussion and analysis. Give the name of the artist, the title, date and medium of the works of art you have chosen. Identify the theme.

Begin your essay with brief biographical information on your artist. You will then provide detailed visual analysis of two works: you will discuss the style, the subject matter, and interpretations of the art. Remember, you will describe the art thoroughly - how it was made, the materials, the subject matter and content, the interpretation. Your essay must include a paragraph stating the meaning of each work of art and how the artist uses visual elements and design to construct this meaning. Use your critical visual analysis skills: the formal elements of visual design (line, color, light, composition, form).

End your essay with a paragraph that discusses your informed response to the work(s). Consider your interests (hobbies, beliefs, career goals) and life experiences that might affect your choice of theme.

YOU WILL NEED TO SUBMIT 5" X 7" COLOR PRINTS (COPIES) OF YOUR CHOSEN WORKS. All papers must include images (appended after 4 full pages of text), especially where detailed analysis and important comparisons/contrasts of artworks are presented. Refer to the images as Fig. 1, Fig. 2, etc. (in parentheses) within the body of your text. Images should be sufficiently large (at least a quarter of a page in size) and clear to be useful to the reader.

1 . Your report should be typed, have one-inch margins and numbered pages. The paper should be double-spaced and at least 4 full pages in length. Cover page, illustrations and works-cited page (6 references total, include 2 print sources) are in addition to the 4 full pages of text. Type size 10.

2. Include a cover page with the following information:
a. Your name
b. The course and number
c. The date the essay is submitted
d. The name of the artist(s) you are critiquing.

3. Spelling, punctuation, grammar and writing style will count in the grading process! All sources must be cited. (IF IN DOUBT, CITE.) Use MLA or APA format, available in the bookstore, library, online. Be sure to include a works cited page appended after the body of text.

4. Refer to the following CHECKLIST:
a. Who is the artist
b. Biographical information on the artist
c. The medium (materials) employed
d. How the artist constructs meaning through use of visual elements (describe)
e. What is the subject of the work(s) and why was it chosen by the artist?
f. Why was this work(s) made? What is the value of this work to the culture
in which it was produced?
g. Why did you choose this work? What is your informed response to this work?

Sayre, Henry M. Writing About Art. 6nd ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2006

My comments:
I chose the artist William-Adolphe Bougereau, and I picked 2 pieces of art
1- "A young girl defending herself against Eros"
2- "The difficult lesson"

Good choice - several options for discussion. See attached for excellent scholarly biography placing this artist in the social context of his times. Bougereau was a very popular academic painter of the 19th c - art historians now view his works within a different social and aesthetic context from the perspective of 20th c and modernity.
You might also consider approaching your selected works from a feminist perspective of works created for the male "gaze" as allegorical images and aesthetic objects rather than the pragmatic and realistic women of perhaps a Degas.

You will need 6 reference sources, quoted and cited in your text. The images do not count towards your 6 annotated bibliographic references.