Art & Architecture

Your Final Exam consists entirely of one compare and contrast essay.

You will choose two images on which to write (or, if you prefer, you may choose from the list of options provided below) ONE essay.

DUE DATE: The final essay assignment is due by 11:59 on the last day of the course, FRIDAY, May 20th.
No late papers will be accepted! The course will be closed on Saturday. Please don’t send them as emails unless the system is down. I won’t accept anything past midnight – really.

CHOOSING YOUR IMAGES

You need to choose TWO images from those used in the modules in the second half of this course. (A list is provided below), which you will compare and contrast in ONE essay.

The pair you choose must be drawn from DIFFERENT PERIOD STYLES. For example: You may compare a Byzantine artwork with an Early Renaissance artwork. However, you may NOT compare a Byzantine artwork with another artwork from the Byzantine period.

It is important to choose two images that have a number of things in common, as well as unique aspects to compare. (Please see attached worksheet to help you make your choices.)

If you would like feedback about your choice before your begin writing, please contact me as early as possible.

If you prefer not to choose your own pair, a list of possible comparisons is provided below.

YOUR ESSAY SHOULD CONSIST OF THE FOLLOWING:

Introduction including a thesis statement. This is the main point of your essay and tells your reader what you are going to cover in the essay.

1. Cultural context of both artworks/ period style (politics, society, religion, etc.)

2. Stylistic characteristics of both artworks/ period style. When discussing culture and style your essay should address how the cultural context informs the stylistic characteristics of that period. You should also incorporate art historical vocabulary from the modules when discussing stylistic characteristics.

3. Subject matter of both artworks. (story/narrative, what’s going on in the artwork?)

4. Function and possible meaning (symbolism/ iconography) of both artworks

5. Similarities and differences between the two. What makes this a good comparison?

6. Conclusion should recap thesis, include important conclusions or insights about the artwork and the artist or culture which produced it and discuss why you chose to write about the artwork.

7. Documentation of sources: in-text references and a bibliography. Using and referencing one source outside of the course is REQUIRED.

LIST OF ARTWORKS TO CHOOSE FROM FOR YOUR COMPARE AND CONTRAST ESSAY

This is the overall image list (from the second half of this course) to choose from:

The Art of Late Antiquity

The Portrait of the Four Tetrarchs

Arch of Constantine

Colossal Head of Constantine

The Good Shepherd, painted ceiling from the catacomb of Sts. Peter and Marcellinus

The Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus

Old St. Peter’s Basilica

Good Shepherd mosaic from the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia

Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes mosaic from Sant’ Apollinare Nuovo

Byzantine Art

St. Michael the Archangel, ivory diptych leaf

Sinai Christ

Hagia Sophia

San Vitale

Justinian, Bishop, and Attendants mosaic from San Vitale

Theodora and Attendants mosaic from San Vitale

Lamentation Over the Dead Christ fresco from St. Pantaleimon

Vladimir Madonna

Carolingian and Romanesque Art

St. Matthew folio from the Ebbo Gospels

Crucifixion cover of the Lindau Gospels

Palatine Chapel of Charlemagne, Odo of Metz

Saint-Sernin

Durham Cathedral

Pisa Cathedral

Temptation

Last Judgement, West Tympanum of St. Lazare

Ascension of Christ, Tympanum of La Madeleine

Gothic Art and Architecture

Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris

Chartres Cathedral, Chartres

Royal Portal, West Facade of Chartres Cathedral

Virgin and Child with Angels, Stained Glass Window in Chartres Cathedral

Sainte-Chapelle, Paris

Late Gothic Art in Italy

St. Francis Altarpiece by Bonaventura Berlinghieri

Madonna Enthroned with Angels and Prophets by Cimabue

Madonna Enthroned by Giotto

The Arena Chapel Frescoes (Scrovegni Chapel) by Giotto

Virgin and Child Enthroned with Saints, Maesta Altarpiece by Duccio

Betrayal of Judas, Maesta Altarpiece by Duccio

Annunciation by Simone Martini

The Birth of the Virgin by Pietro Lorenzetti

Allegory of Good Government by Ambrogio Lorenzetti

Early Northern Renaissance Art

Deposition by Rogier Van der Weyden

Portrait of a Lady by Rogier Van der Weyden

Last Supper, Holy Sacrament Altarpiece by Dirk Bouts

Portinari Altarpiece by Hugo Van der Goes

The Annunciation (Merode Altarpiece) by Robert Campin

Ghent Altarpiece by Jan Van Eyck

Giovanni Arnolfini and His Bride by Jan Van Eyck

Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch

Early Italian Renaissance Art

Sacrifice of Isaac by Lorenzo Ghiberti

Gates of Paradise by Lorenzo Ghiberti

St. Mark by Donatello

St. George by Donatello

David by Donatello

Tribute Money by Masaccio

Expulsion of Adam and Eve by Masaccio

Holy Trinity by Masaccio

Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli

Annunciation by Fra Angelico

Madonna and Child with Angels by Fra Filippo Lippi

SOME SUGGESTED COMPARISONS

You may choose from one of the following suggested comparisons IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO CREATE YOUR OWN:

1. Lamentation over the Dead Christ from St. Pantaleimon (Byzantine fresco)(module 9, session 11) compared and contrasted with Giotto’s Lamentation in the Arena Chapel (Proto-Renaissance [Late Gothic] fresco) (module 12, session 9)

2. Saint Sernin in Toulouse, France (Romanesque architecture) (module 10, session 9) compared and contrasted with Chartres Cathedral (Notre Dame Cathedral in Chartres–Gothic architecture) (module 11, sessions 6 & 7)

3. Miracles of the Loaves and Fish (Early Christian mosaic) (module 8, session 15) compared and contrasted with Virgin and Child with Angles (Gothic stained glass) (module 11; session 10)

4. Crucifixion (Carolingian manuscript cover) (module 10, session 5) compared and contrasted with Deposition by Rogier van der Weyden (Northern Renaissance painting) (module 13; session 5)

5. Vladimir Madonna (Byzantine icon painting) (module 9, session 12) compared and contrasted with Madonna and Child with Angels, Fra Filippo Lippi (early Renaissance painting) (module 14, session 14)

6. Annunciation by Simone Martini (Late Gothic painting) (module 12, session 13) compared and contrasted with Annunciation (Merode Altarpiece) by Robert Campin (Northern Early Renaissance painting) (module 13, session 9)

7. Good Shepherd, ceiling of catacombs (Early Christian painting) (module 8, session 9) compared and contrasted with Holy Trinity by Masaccio (Italian Early Renaissance painting) (module 14, session 11)

FORMAT

Your essay should: be approximately 1200 words — be sure to prove your thesis. Be spell-checked and grammar-checked; and proofread for errors not caught by computer. Include your name, class title with section, and date; Be double-spaced. There is no requirement for the file name.

You are required to use at least one source outside of the course.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS:

Submit the essay as a post in THIS Private discussion area. Please attach, but ONLY as a doc, docx, PDF, or rft file. ALSO please cut / paste and drop in the text as a post (don’t worry if the formating gets messed up this way–you won’t have to fix it). If you cannot provide your essay in one of these programs, JUST cut and paste it into the post. You will be able to access your grade and comments after the course is closed.

This is a private topic and your postings will be viewed only by me.

SOURCE MATERIAL

Outside research information should be drawn from the LA120 module text and at least ONE additional source.

Sources may include: Professional web sites (for example, a museum, research institute or university, LIMIT Wikipedia, try to use .org and .edu sites);

Nonfiction books; or

Professional art historical publications (magazine or journal, can be online)

CITING REFERENCES

When you refer to the course material, put the module number and session number in parenthesis after the citation.

For outside sources, please provide proper references. For citing references, you may use the MLA style. For information on this format, go to MLA format . (Most importantly, cite the reference, regardless of form.)

Make sure you know how to avoid plagiarism in your written work, as it is a serious offence, which receives an automatic "F."

We also have an online ESL instructor. You may make contact in the ESL thread.

RUBRIC

Also attached you will find a copy of the rubric I will use to evaluate (grade) your term paper. Reviewing it will help you understand how the paper will be graded, and thus, how to best structure your study.

Remember that YOU WILL LOSE ACCESS TO THIS ONLINE COURSE with its close on SATURDAY, May 21st.

Thank you for being such an awesome class!

Cheryl

PS: Remember that you can still access ‘archived’ topics for reference.