Posted: January 26th, 2021
Analyzing 2 similar work of arts essay
This paper must be 5 pages, typed, double-spaced, 12-point, Times New Roman. Do not adjust margins from the default settings. Do not center-justify. The paper needs to be left-justified (this does not mean you should not indent for each new paragraph).
You may find that consulting outside sources will make for a stronger paper. I highly recommend you do some reading on your chosen theme before you go into the museum. You must cite your sources using the Chicago Manual of Style.
As with the first museum paper, you must travel to a museum in your area to view a work of art on display. You may again feel free to choose any object you like from any time period and any geographic location. Please remember that you must visit a museum. Trips to independent galleries are not acceptable.
For this second, longer paper, you will choose two objects for comparison. However, this comparison will not simply be a comparison of two disconnected images with no relation to one another. Your goal is to choose a subject/theme that the two works have in common and look at the different ways each artist has negotiated that theme. You are free to choose whatever theme you like, but it should be something meaningful and strong enough to craft a compelling paper. For this paper, you must choose a work of art from two distinct cultures (Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, Western Europe, United States, Asia, Africa, South America) and time periods (separated by at least a century). Begin by identifying the two works and your chosen theme. Then continue to describe each work in the way you described the work in your first paper, but be sure to attend to the ways each subject/theme is portrayed differently. You may find two works that are done especially similar to one another and that will also be acceptable. The idea here is to craft a strong, well-written comparative essay with a subject/theme as its conceptual anchor and the object as its evidence.
