The Gulf Stream by Winslow Homer
Order Description
Please send me the these statement and outline of my paper. and cite page does not count as one page!
ARTH1104 Art of the U.S.
MUSEUM OBJECT PAPER
VISUAL ANALYSIS GUIDELINES
Bring this sheet on your museum visit
DUE MONDAY MAY 9, 2016
TASK:
This paper is a visual analysis (ie. description) of a single work of art chosen from the collection
of EITHER the Metropolitan Museum of Art OR the Brooklyn Museum.
• You do not need to include outside reading or research (other than content from the
textbook or class lectures).
• Instead, the paper will require you to look closely at a single work of art to describe it and
form a conclusion about its historical context.
FORMAT:
• Four (4) pages (approx. 1200 words)
• Typed in 12-point Times New Roman font double-spaced
• 1-inch margins on all sides.
I. Introduction and Thesis statement (one paragraph)
• The Introduction paragraph should identify the work of art you have selected by artist
name, title, date, and time period or art movement
• You should end your intro paragraph with a thesis statement. What is a thesis statement
o Usually it is one or two sentences long.
o It alerts your reader to your argument or conclusions about your chosen artwork.
o It will organize your paper from beginning to end (it is the bones/structure of
your paper).
o Your thesis will probably summarize the main visual elements you will describe
in your paper and explain/argue how the work of art fits into its art movement or
time period.
II. Describe the gallery (room) where your work of art is located (one paragraph)
• Where is your chosen artwork located within the gallery (focus on the single room)
• How is the gallery organized What other works of art surround the one you have
chosen
• Do the other works of art in the same gallery relate to your work of art In what way
Perhaps draw a comparison between your work and a second work from the same gallery
to explain the organization of this room.
• Are you able to identify WHY the museum curators chose to organize the gallery in this
way Does the organization help you understand the time period or art movement that
your work of art falls into
III. Visual Analysis (approx. 2 pages)
Someone reading your essay should have a clear mental picture of your object after reading your
formal analysis
ARTH1104 Art of the U.S.
2
• Identify the medium: Painting, Sculpture, Photograph, etc…
• What is the subject matter: Portrait, history painting, landscape, genre painting, etc. Is
a single person depicted Is it telling a story Is it focusing on a particular landscape or
cityscape
• Style: Is the style realistic/naturalistic and very precisely painted Does it seem rapidly
painted with looser brush strokes Is it more abstract
• Overall composition: Allow your description to begin broadly, and narrow your focus to
details as you progress.
o How is the overall composition structured
o Is the painting oriented vertically or horizontally
o What seems to be the main focus of the composition (ex: someone’s face, a
mountain peak in the background, a group of figures in action Or perhaps there
is no single focal point!)
o Does the artist create any sense of depth in the painting (ie. how does the artist
structure the space they are depicting)
• Increasingly describe the details: Begin including a description of more details.
o People’s facial expressions and posture
o Clothing
o Any interactions between people you may notice
o Details in the landscape
• Color: Throughout your description, you might think about the colors the artist uses. Are
they bold/saturated, or hazy and dull Are they bright or dark
o How does the use of color convey meaning about the subject (Bold colors in
clothing to depict the beautiful clothing of a wealthy sitter Rich colors in a
dramatic or sublime landscape Dark and hazy colors to convey a nitty gritty
street scene Etc…)
• Light: How is the artist using light Is there a dramatic spotlight, or a more peaceful
overall lighting effect
o How does the light convey meaning about the subject, or help draw your attention
to certain parts of the composition
• Movement: Does the subject seem static (unmoving), or is the scene more dynamic (is
there action) How does the artist capture the static or dynamic quality of the scene
IV. Historical Context (one paragraph)
• How does the subject matter fit in with the time period
• Does the style fit in with the time period
• What was going on in the U.S. when your work of art was created How does the subject
and style of your work fit in with this context
• You might consider briefly comparing/contrasting your chosen work of art with
something we discussed in class from the same time period or art movement.
V. Conclusion (one paragraph)
• You might pose a potential interpretation of this work of art: What do you think the
artist of the work was trying to say about his or her subject
• Conclude as if you are ending a story. Summarize your thesis and how it has been
supported through your main descriptive points.