Look at the artworks carefully in person. Discuss how line, shape, form, light / shadow, color, texture, and depth and space have been used in them. Also discuss their design / composition (how have the parts of the images / objects been arranged). Discuss what materials and techniques were used to make them (oil paints, tempera paints, marble, bronze, etc.). Relate the artworks to their art historical styles, including their time and place of creation (are they Italian Renaissance, Baroque, Impressionist, Cubist, etc.) and to the artists who made them (how are they typical or not of the artists’ works, how do they fit into their careers). It is usually advisable to discuss each work separately first for approximately half of the paper and then compare them in the second half.
Some advice on how to write successfully about art and avoid plagiarism:
If you do research, include a list of sources. However, remember that the primary purpose of this assignment is your own analysis, so research is secondary.
Avoid quoting from any sources; this paper is primarily your own analysis and you should explain things in your own words.
If you incorporate specialized information into your paper that is not commonly known, you should explain it in your own words (paraphrase it) and cite the sources. However, since this is an assignment for introductory-level students, you probably do not need such specialized, uncommon information.
Sample Solution