The purpose of this assignment is to
- apply what you’ve learned about interpretive analysis and the visual arts by writing a reasonable and convincing INTERPRETIVE ANALYSIS of a work of visual art,
- practice using form and content evidence to support your reasonable and convincing interpretation by integrating the descriptions you wrote for a painting from Assignment 3.7,
- practice using contextual evidence to support your reasonable and convincing interpretation of a work of visual art,
- use the visual arts vocabulary, especially the elements and principles of design, to strengthen your reasonable and convincing interpretation of a painting, AND
- continue to develop and apply your analytic thinking and writing skills.
For this assignment, the use of generative AI tools is not permitted. The purpose of this task is for you to think and develop your own interpretations using the skills and concepts you’ve learned in the course. Writing is how we making our thinking visible. Do not outsource your thinking.
Step 1 Choose a Painting
Choose a one of the paintings from Assignment 3.7. If you write about any other work of art, you will earn an automatic zero on the assignment.
Option One
Artist: Artemisia GentileschiTitle: Self-Portrait as the Allegory of PaintingYear: 1638–39Medium: Oil on canvasDimensions: 96.5 cm × 73.7 cm (38.0 in × 29.0 in)Style: Italian Baroque Genre: Self-Portrait Link to painting: Gentileschi’s Self Portrait as the Allegory of Painting https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/52/Self-Portrait_as_the_Allegory_of_Painting_%28La_Pittura%29_-_Artemisia_Gentileschi.jpg/1024px-Self-Portrait_as_the_Allegory_of_Painting_%28La_Pittura%29_-_Artemisia_Gentileschi.jpg
Option Two
Artist: Kehinde WileyTitle: The Two Sisters Year: 2012Medium: Oil on linenDimensions: 96 × 72 in | 243.8 × 182.9 cmStyle: Contemporary Genre: Group Portrait Link to painting: Wiley’s The Two Sisters https://www.artsy.net/artwork/kehinde-wiley-the-two-sisters
Link to inspiration painting: The Two Sisters https://uploads1.wikiart.org/images/theodore-chasseriau/the-two-sisters-1843.jpg
I’ve compiled a set of secondary resources for both paintings, which will provide you with the context needed to write your interpretation. These are the only secondary sources you may use and using any other secondary sources will result in an automatic zero on the assignment.
Gentileschi
- Article Baroque art, an introduction https://smarthistory.org/a-beginners-guide-to-baroque-art/
- Video “How to recognize Baroque Art,” https://smarthistory.org/how-to-recognize-baroque-art/
- Article Biography of Artemesia Gentileschi https://www.theartstory.org/artist/gentileschi-artemisia/#pnt_3
Reference Image Detail of “La Pittura” https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Detail_of_Pittura_by_Cesare_Ripa.jpg
Wiley
- Article Biography of Wileyhttps://www.theartstory.org/artist/wiley-kehinde/
- Article: “Kehinde Wiley, Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps” https://smarthistory.org/kehinde-wiley-napoleon-leading-the-army-over-the-alps/
- Video “Kehinde Wiley, Rumors of War” https://smarthistory.org/wiley-rumors-war/
Write Interpretive Analysis
Write a reasonable and convincing interpretation of the painting’s meaning based on your observations and research.
Grading Criteria
- Your interpretations will be evaluated on how well you apply what you’ve learned from the course material to write reasonable and convincing interpretive argument about a primary source in the visual arts.
- The content of your interpretation must accurately reflect the course material.
- Your interpretive analysis must have a clear and concise an interpretive thesis statement.
- Your interpretive analysis must be supported with specific form and content evidence from the painting and relevant contextual evidence that you learned from the approved secondary sources.
- You must use the visual arts vocabulary correctly.
- Your submission must include a short introduction paragraph, be organized into paragraphs that follow the “claim, evidence, explain” , and include a short conclusion that answers the reflection questions. See the outline below for what to include in each paragraph.
- Your submission must be presented in MLA format and demonstrate evidence of basic proofreading.
Outline
Your submission must be presented in MLA format and use MLA style for the Works Cited and any In-Text Citations.
Introduction paragraph that includes all the following:
- The painting’s title (properly formatted), date, dimensions, medium, genre, and style/time period.
- A short introduction to the artist (no more than 1-2 short sentences).
- End with the interpretive thesis statement. Do not pose a rhetorical question as your thesis statement. See Step 2 for assistance with thesis statements.
Supporting Paragraphs (3-4). All analysis paragraphs must follow the claim, evidence, the claim, evidence
- Each paragraph must begin with a topic sentence that supports the thesis statement.
- Introduce the example you’re going to use in support the topic sentence and overall thesis.
- Give example (e.g. a description of part of the painting).
- Analyze the example and explain how it supports the topic sentence and overall thesis.
- Repeat steps 2-4 if you have more examples that support the topic sentence for this paragraph. (New point=new paragraph)
- Summarize discussion and transition to the next paragraph.
- Repeat process until analysis is complete (i.e. it’s reasonable and convincing).
Conclusion paragraph that answers all the following reflection questions:
- Why did you choose this painting?
- What was the most helpful thing you learned from the secondary sources?
- What was the most interesting thing you learned about the artist?
- What have you learned about analyzing visual art?
MLA Formatted Works Cited Page which must include all the secondary sources for the artist from step 2. Your submission must be presented in MLA format. and use MLA style for the Works Cited and any In-Text Citations.
