AP Art History Summer Assignment. General Information

Transcription

1 AP Art History Summer Assignment General Information This summer you will complete a short writing assignment about two self-selected pieces of art from the course curriculum. Writing about art is a vital but difficult skill that I hope to help you develop throughout this year. While it is difficult, it should also be somewhat enjoyable. The assignment will be due within the first two weeks of school. It will be extra credit, but I really encourage you to do it, as it will help me to determine how much you know, your interest level, and your writing abilities. The link to the images is found here: You will have to scroll through the document to page 30 to find the images. As a side note, it would also be helpful to look through the rest of the course description, to get an idea of what you are going to learn this year. Directions Choose TWO of the three types of analysis you would like to write on two works from the course curriculum (one type of analysis per work) Your response should be no more than 2 pages per analysis, typed, 12-point font, doublespaced If research is conducted, please include a list of sources at the end If you use quotes, please use quotation marks and attribute the quotes to their authors Types of Analysis Writing about art is similar to writing about history or literature. It requires your idea to be stated and developed through evidence and explanation. However, the evidence is visual, rather than textual. There is a specific visual vocabulary that must be employed to translate our thoughts into words. The ultimate goal is to explain the relationship between the technique of the work and the impression on the viewer, as well as to explain how the visual elements create an overall effect. I. Formal Analysis This is the fundamental form of writing about art. No other information is required besides what you see, while some knowledge of the subject matter helps, your focus should be on the visual elements of the work, specifically: line, color, composition, and style. Then you

2 describe the effect of those artistic choices on the viewer. A formal analysis must employ a lot of description, but also must be thesis-driven and each point should tie back into the overall interpretation of the work. In Raphael s Marriage of the Virgin, the artist uses one point perspective, balanced composition, and vibrant primary colors to convey a sense of stability and order, thus representing the Christian narrative in the idealized harmonious aesthetics of the Renaissance. In the foreground, a man and woman stand on either side of a central figure, their adjoining hands create a focal point which extends back to the doorway on the horizon line. The orthogonal lines created by the tiled pavement move the viewer s eye along the same central path and emphasize the perspective of the scene. The deep hues of yellow and green in the central man s clothing complement the red and blue in the woman s, and form the palette for the rest of the onlookers, a simple, pure combination of colors that contributes to the sense of order. The almost perfect symmetry of the scene, as well as the relatively empty middle ground underscore both the spiritual scene and the aesthetic values of the time.

3 The author balances description, visual vocabulary of artistic techniques and visual elements (underlined) and analyzes their effect on the viewer. The thesis is in bold and provides a framework for the rest of the paragraph. The author also acknowledges that it is a Christian account of the marriage of the Virgin Mary and its period/style, the Renaissance. If the author had included more information beyond what was seen, it becomes more of a research paper. II. Research essay Research essays can focus on different types of analyses, or combine them. These types are iconographic, biographical, patronage, and historical/social context. Typically, the essays you write in AP Art History will involve some or all of these analyses, depending on what is needed to fully discuss a particular work. An iconographic analysis focuses on the iconography of the work, taking into account the symbolic role of images, the historical or mythological identity of figures, or any other elements that may have visual significance. Biographical analyses will focus on the life of the author, often their relationship with their patrons. Almost all works will have some kind of historical/social context where the work must be considered in terms of what was happening at the time it was created. It is important to tie all facts back to the work itself. You will rely on the principles of formal analysis to back up your claims. There are various iconographic interpretations that can be applied to Jan Van Eyck s Arnolfini Wedding. Many art historians have attributed symbolic meaning to the various

4 elements in the scene. The work has typically been viewed as a legal document of the marital union between Giovanni Arnolfini and his wife in The single candle in the chandelier represents the all-seeing eye of God, witnessing the ceremony. The dog at the couple s feet represents fidelity; the wooden carving of St. Margaret at the top of the bedpost, protection for expecting mothers; and the bedroom setting for the scene underscores the intimacy of the ceremony. Finally, the artist s signature above the mirror constitutes the central focal point of the scene and documents the artist s presence as a witness in the ceremony. Not only do these elements work in a symbolic manner; it is the very nature of their symbolism that gives the work its nuptial significance. The example cites specific iconographical details and uses formal analysis to describe what is depicted. III. Comparative Analysis Comparisons of two works of art are used in exam responses. They provide an opportunity to combine formal analysis with the knowledge of the artists, subjects, and relevant background information needed to make inferences about the relationship between the two works. A comparison begins by asking yourself what aspects of the two works stand out as particularly notable and whether or not these attributes are shared. Typically, one begins with similarities; if the two works share a stylistic background, have the same artist or relative period, or depict the same subject. Then, move on to the ways the two works different, beginning with the obvious and moving on to the more subtle and specific. Conclude each point by analyzing what this difference might reveal.

5 Assignment: Compare Donatello s David with Michelangelo s version of the same subject. How does the difference between these two indicate the stylistic difference between their two respective periods? Donatello s and Michelangelo s Davids share the same biblical subject, historical period, and sculptural form, yet differ in a number of significant ways that reflect their respective embodiments of the early and high Renaissance styles. The most apparent difference between the two is the moment in battle that each artist chooses to depict. Donatello s David stands victoriously above the head of his vanquished foe, his own head bowed in an almost feminine gesture of reflection, a picture of the idealized male nude. Michelangelo, on the other hand, has caught his David in the moments before the battle itself. He stands proudly in a position of perfect contrapposto, his hand holding the sling, the only iconographic reference in the entire piece, over one shoulder, looking into the distance with a pensive, almost fearful gaze. This David is no longer a shy pretty, version of youth, but a man on the verge of adulthood, an embodiment of the Florentine identity and the full realization of the artistic ability of the high Renaissance that Michelangelo came to represent. This is a short example; a fuller version would cover more points of comparison and go into more depth. Description should never take precedent over analysis, and the writing should always have a thesis. IV. Further advice Write in the present tense. Trust your eyes. If a work brings up a reaction, there is almost always a reason. Ask why an artist made a specific decision, then try to image how it could have been otherwise. Why was a certain color used? These questions help to place you in the mindset of the artist and gain further insight into the work. Look closely at the level of vocabulary used in each of the examples. I am not expecting you to write at this level. However, it something to work towards. If you do not know some of the words, look them up! Remember you are translating something visual into something verbal, and this can be difficult. Works Referenced Barnet, Sylvan. A Short Guide to Writing About Art. Eighth Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, Gately, Maeve. Writing an Art History Paper The Nesbitt-Johnson Writing Center. Hamilton College, Clinton, NY.