PART ONE
Tell me what museum you went to and where it is located. Describe the architecture of the building. What is the style called? When was it constructed? Was it built to commemorate an important event? Is the style a good one for an art museum? How is this so?
How is the museum laid out? Get a map of the museumâs galleries where you pay your admission. Are the galleries arranged by time periods, by content, by geography or some other way?
Plan your visit using the map. Going to that museumâs web site before your visit will help.
Relate anything else about the building that you found interesting.
PART TWO
Take a notebook with you. You will have to choose 5 artworks to analyze. You should choose a variety
of work. For example, one might be a painting realistically rendered, another painting could be
impressionistic and a third piece might be a sculpture.
Use the following visual analysis guide to write about the work you have chosen. It is to be written in
narrative form with proper sentence structure and paragraphing, not as an outline. You can include
the appropriate headings for each section.
Identifying the Basics
1. Copy down the information from the label accompanying the work. I am looking for the title, artistâs
name, medium and date.
2. What is the subject matter?
3. Where was it made?
Looking at the Elements
1. Describe the use of line and texture.
2. Discuss color and value.
3. Describe the use of shapes and space.
4. Describe the use of motion and rhythm.
5. Describe the use of balance and proportion. Thinking About the Cultural Context
1. Identify the content and central theme.
2. What is the style period?
3. Identify symbols, objects, people, places which reflect cultural context. 4. What cultural concepts are expressed?
Considering the Expressive Qualities
1. Describe the objectâs ability to convey emotions.
2. Does the object express ideas of present or past societies? If so, how? 3. What is your overall assessment of the work?
Not all questions will be appropriate for the art you choose. Set up your paper so that youâve written down the heading (i.e.Identifying the Basics) and then in narrative form address the items in that category. Consequently, the discussion part of your essay will have four parts for each piece of art you write about.
Your paper will look like this:
PART ONE: THE MUSEUM
PART TWO: IDENTIFYING THE BASICS
PART THREE: LOOKING AT THE ELEMENTS
PART FOUR: THINKING ABOUT THE CULTURAL CONTEXT
PART FIVE: CONSIDERING THE EXPRESSIVE QUALITIES
Parts 2 through 5 will be used for each of the 5 artworks you have chosen.
The visual analysis guide and the history of the museum are from a book called âVisiting an Art Museumâ, author unknown.
I hope that you enjoy your museum visit.
Please note: late papers will not be accepted. They are due before midnight of the due date. Do not wait until the last minute to actually send it to me. It is Murpheyâs law: anything that can go wrong will go wrong and your paper will be late and you will get a zero. Read the collegeâs policy on
plagiarism. You must include a photograph of yourself at the museum and a scan of your admittance ticket or receipt. Without these I WILL NOT ACCEPT YOUR PAPER. Do not wait until the weekend before the paper is due to visit your museum.
