Writing in the Humanities Art Comparison Assignment Read the directions below and follow the links for better understanding. Purpose: A theme is a central idea that runs through works in the humanities, whether it be art, literature, film, or music. In this essay, the goal is for you to find two artistic images that share the same theme. In your essay, you will describe and analyze the similarities and differences between these two images. When you think about description, you might consider those things that you–or perhaps the subject of the image–might feel, taste, see, smell, or hear. Similarly, when you think about analyzing similarities and differences, you should consider elements such as subject matter, lighting, color, and layout. Some helpful resources are available below to guide you through this process: Hello, World of Art Writing About Photography (see especially page 2) How to Get Started: 1. Click on this link to preselected images from SPC’s Online Library’s database, ArtStor; 2. If necessary, log in with your Borrower ID (Student Number) and PIN (last four digits of your SSN or 9999 if international student); 3. Note: To access the images, you may need to click on “allow popups” in your browser and then reload the page for the photos to show. In ArtStor, you can zoom in and zoom out on the photos, seeing components of the photo not easily seen from afar. See these icons to zoom: Also, be sure to read the long version of the caption by clicking on 4. Select two images that you think have similarities in theme and on which you think you can compose 500-700 words. For instance, the two images below, Mona Lisa and Sharbat Gula might share the theme of femininity. Note: if you wish to discuss two images, not found among the pre-selected choices but otherwise found in the ArtStor database, then ask your instructor for approval. Your instructor may also consider the option of visiting a museum for this assignment. Please ask for clarification. Rhetorical Mode – Description: When describing art, one recognized way of analyzing the image includes moving left to right and scanning top to bottom (see Spatial Analysis here). Another useful way is to use the rule of thirds to help dissect and describe the content. Remember to consult resources, like this one, for elements and vocabulary to consider when analyzing and describing the image. Rhetorical Mode – Comparison: Comparing and its counterpart, contrasting, should come somewhat naturally, as children often engage in this activity when putting puzzles together, comparing which shape goes in which hole. Likewise, in essay form, you will engage with comparing and contrasting how artistic elements, such as theme, setting, and composition are similar or alike between two images. You should give equal time to discussing both works, but please do not feel that you have to discuss both the similarities and differences of each element within both works. Thesis: Your thesis should be the roadmap to your essay, pointing to the destinations you wish to travel. A thesis should not be a fact but should contain a persuasive element to it, arguing, not necessarily fiercely (i.e., in-your-face), for a particular claim. For instance, your claims do not have to be as ardent as this example: NO: “The Starry Night by Van Gogh is the single greatest work of art of the nineteenth century.” Your thesis and paper does need to have elements that can be explored or examined. At the very least, the two works should share a common theme, and then you might argue how two other elements are similar or different. For example, YES: The Starry Night by Van Gogh and The Boulevard Montmartre at Night by Pissarro both share a nocturnal theme; however, the way these two artists depict life after dark differs significantly, especially in focus and style. Note: The first element, theme, is mentioned in the first half of the sentence, while the other two elements, focus and style, are mentioned in the second half. The persuasive aspect, here, is to argue that the works differ. You do not want to just list three elements you will describe. You want to say specifically how they are similar or different. Do not give stage cues: Your thesis should never be so blatant as to state emphatically that you are engaging in the rhetorical mode of comparison and contrast. NO: This paper will compare and contrast the two works Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci and Afghan Girl taken by journalist Steve McCurry as they represent the female’s position in the world. YES: Although composed over four centuries apart, Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci and Afghan Girl taken by journalist Steve McCurry both represent the female’s position in the world. Presentation: Use MLA style rules for formatting your essay’s headers, page numbers, margins, etc. Consult this sample essay for examples of formatting. Research & Documentation with Images: You should not perform any outside research for this essay; rather, your analysis should contain your own thoughts and ideas. That said, you must include copies, reduced in size from the original, of the two images in the body of the essay (the dropbox assignment, Working with Images will help you with this task). You must also cite, in MLA style, the two images that you have selected from ArtStor, using both in-text (i.e., parentheses) and end citations (i.e., Works Cited page at end of essay). See the “Figures and “Figures Examples” sections in this Purdue OWL resource to assist you with in-text citations. Use this resource from Valencia College to assist you with end citations for the two images. Organization & Development: Your arguments should be logical and supported by well-developed ideas and unified, coherent, tightly bridged paragraphs. The Writing in the Humanities Essay Outline assignment will help with developing paragraphs for this essay. Audience: Write for educated individuals ages 16-65, meaning with such a wide audience that you should not assume that your readers know everything you do, or that you know everything your readers do. Style & Language: Write consistently in third-person point of view (i.e., avoid I, me, my, we, us, our, you, your). Use academic, formal prose containing no slang, contractions, jargon, or gender-biased language. Concerning that last limitation, make sure your nouns and pronouns agree; choose plural subjects over singular subjects (e.g., use individuals instead of individual). See examples and explanations below: NO: The reader can see that this work of art is about science; they can more specifically see that it is about the scientific discovery of planetary debris. . Note: reader is singular, and they is plural, so the noun and pronoun do not agree. NO: The reader can see that this work of art is about scientific discovery; he can more specifically see that it is about the scientific discovery of planetary debris. Note: using the pronoun he assumes a masculine reader and is, therefore, gender biased. YES/NO: The reader can see that this work of art is about scientific discovery; he or she can more specifically see that it is about the scientific discovery of planetary debris. Note: While gender neutral, and technically correct, using the pronouns he or she elongates the thought and will irritate readers. YES: Readers can see that the poem is about scientific discovery; they can more specifically see that it is about the scientific discovery of planetary debris. Note: using the plural subject readers avoids the gender-bias problem because the writer can now use they as a pronoun, instead of he. It also avoids the awkward problem of he or she. Finally, it avoids the problem of noun and pronoun disagreement. Peculiarities to Know When Writing about Art: Artistic Titles: The style guide published by the Modern Language Association (MLA), which is the guide humanities disciplines normally use, recommends that works of art appear in italics and that each of the major words in the title are capitalized. For example: NO: The last supper or The last supper YES: The Last Supper Please note: some of the titles for images in the ArtStor database have a variation of uppercase and lowercase in their titles in the caption. Ensure you change those titles to match the appropriate style referenced here. Tense in Artistic Works: Write about literary/artistic/cinematic works in present tense. Treat it as a living work. For example: NO: The Mona Lisa was a half-length portrait of a woman by the Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. YES: The Mona Lisa is a half-length portrait of a woman by the Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. Length: 500-700 words Example Essay: Sample Writing in
