DESCRIBE and ANALYZE the work based on close observation

The Assignment:
In a Formal Analysis essay, you must both DESCRIBE and ANALYZE the work based on close observation as well as what you know about the object’s history and culture. THIS IS NOT A RESEARCH PAPER; this is an exercise in LOOKING and in discussing what you see. You should not consult any outside sources other than your art history textbooks and your lecture notes. However, if you do consult an outside source, you must give credit to that source; if you fail to cite any outside sources that you use, this constitutes plagiarism, which may result in you receiving a failing grade for the assignment or the course.

Information you read at the Museum (wall text and the labels for images) are acceptable sources, and you are expected to read and learn from them. You may use this information in your essay, but if you quote the information directly you should use quotation marks and cite the source.

Be sure to include the following information in your essay:

1. Formal description, including line, shapes, color, composition, materials used, etc., as explained in the document “Analyzing a Work of Art.” Be sure to include the medium and the object’s size or dimensions!

2. Subject matter (usually contained in the title, but you may need to explain it at greater length)

3. Function of the work: was it created for display in a museum? in a home? in a temple or other religious site?

4. Analysis: what effect it has, and how it produces that effect (as explained in the document “Analyzing a Wo