ART 101 Holy Beings Depicted in Art Essay Prompt: Discuss four artworks, created by four different civilizations/during different time periods (that we stu

ART 101 Holy Beings Depicted in Art Essay Prompt: Discuss four artworks, created by four different civilizations/during different time periods (that we studied following the Midterm Exam) that depict holy beings. You must describe and analyze the entire artwork with special attention to how the holy beings are rendered and further address how representations of holy beings changed over time. Also explain how each artwork reflects the values/beliefs/customs of the civilization responsible for its production.

I have chosen to write about:

– The Roman Empire. Artwork being: The Dionysiac mystery frieze, Second Style wall paintings in Room 5 of the Villa of the Mysteries, Pompeii, Italy, ca. 60–50 BCE. Fresco, frieze 5’ 4” high. (picture attached to the bottom.)

– Early Byzantine. Artwork being: The Virgin (Theotokos) and Child between Saints Theodore and George, icon, sixth or early seventh century. Encaustic on wood, 2’ 3”X 1’ 7 3/8”. Monastery of Saint Catherine, Mount Sinai, Egypt. (picture attached to the bottom.)

– Carolingian Empire. Artwork being: Saint Matthew, folio 15 recto of the Coronation Gospels (Gospel Book of Charlemagne), from Aachen, Germany, ca. 800–810. Ink and tempera on vellum, 1’ 3/4” X 10”. Schatzkammer, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. (picture attached to the bottom.)

– Romanesque Europe. Artwork being: Reliquary statue of Sainte-Foy, late 10th to early 11th century with later additions. Gold, silver gilt, jewels, and cameos over a wooden core, 2’ 9 1/2″ high. Treasury, Sainte-Foy, Conques. (picture attached to the bottom.)

Artwork selection: Read the prompt carefully and select the artworks you write on thoughtfully. All of the artworks may depict the same holy being(s) or they can depict different holy beings. Each of the four artworks you select for discussion must be taken from a different Chapter PowerPoint posted to a course module following the Midterm Exam (be sure to double check the PowerPoints as each one contains only a selection of artworks from a textbook chapter). Following the Midterm Exam we covered Chapters 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, and 13. Properly identify each artwork discussed (include the title and date from the PowerPoint). Your discussion of the artworks must include descriptions and analyses of the formal properties and content, in addition to what is known about the context in which it was created.

References: Your paper must be phrased in your own words and it should build on information found in the textbook and course assignments (successful papers will not include text copied and pasted from course assignments, but instead consist of new text generated for this assignment). You may conduct additional research, but only reference the following credible sources: books, scholarly articles, museum websites, and Khan Academy.

Formatting guidelines: Your paper must be at least 3 full pages of text (and no more than 4 full pages of text) and contain an introduction with a thesis statement, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. It is to be typed in Times New Roman 12-point font and double-spaced, with one-inch margins. If you quote or closely paraphrase, please keep it to a minimum, and include proper citations in MLA or The Chicago Manual of Style format. Attach a bibliography to the end of your paper. Plagiarized assignments will not receive credit. Proofread your work for typos and grammatical errors. Upload your paper as a Word Document or PDF. You do not need to upload reproductions of the artworks.

Please follow the instructions carefully; failure to do so will negatively affect your grade on the assignment. Late assignments will not be accepted.

Previous