Compare and Contrast Raphael's High Renaissance fresco Galatea [9'8" x 7'5"] with Botticelli's Early
Renaissance painting Birth of Venus [5'8" x 9'1"]. Be sure and discuss the stylistic differences such as the
artists' use of light, line, color, and composition. *(Don't worry if you aren't familiar with the Botticelli, just rely on
your visual observation.)
If you want to write a little about how the cultural context of the Renaissance influences these artworks (their
subject matter?) please do!
The Compare and Contrast essay is a popular method for discussing works of art. You will be asked to write an
essay using this format on each exam. But your answer here doesn't need to be a full essay, just a paragraph
or so :) These are merely guidelines for you to consider when shaping your response.
Compare and Contrast essay questions are intended to stimulate you to explore the differences between the
period styles of the two works of art compared, and /or the individual styles of the two artists who created them.
You may also explore not only the stylistic differences between the two works but discuss the effect that these
stylistic differences had on the subject matter, theme, or symbolism of the works. Compare should tell you to
look for similarities while Contrast should suggest looking for differences. In any compare and contrast analysis
you ought, to begin with, the basics such as identifying the work of art (artist, title, period/style) and giving a
description of the work and its special features. The following is a list of issues to consider in your analysis:
culture/artist (who produced it?)
period/style (when and where was it produced?)
function (what was its purpose?)
physical context (how was it used?) how does it relate to its environment? where was it located?)
medium/material (what is it made of?)
scale (what size is it?)
the subject matter (who or what is the subject? Doesn't apply to architecture)
sacred or secular (is it religious or non-religious in function and/or subject?)
artistic conventions (what reoccurring techniques, devices, or motifs are used?)
abstraction/realism (how are the figures and forms rendered?
Sample Solution