SEE BELOW FOR INTERNET AND OTHER DOCUMENTATION INFORMATION

CHAPTER REPORTS/HOMEWORK

There are specific requirements for reporting on each chapter as we move through the textbook.  In a report 250-300 words in length (approximately 1 page), respond to questions or issues related to the chapter.  For the on-line course, see the chapter pages by clicking on http://www.alamo.edu/sac/vat/arthistory/arts1304/sched.htm.  You are asked to respond to issues raised in #3 or #4 on each chapter page.  Your first paragraph may consist of some of the major issues related to your selected topic such  as religion, philosophy, politics, economics, etc.  Some of the key artistic discoveries or developments,  such items as "twisted perspective"  "discovery of oil paint" or other art elements and media, may also be included.

Your second paragraph should address  the specific issue -- works of art, an individual work of art, and/or about the artists, depending on what is required.  If you are required to  describe the art be sure to be thorough -- what is it about?  what is happening?  how does the artist's use of color, space, perspective, symbolism, light, etc. (whatever it is that makes this piece effective) contribute to our understanding of the piece?  What exactly does it do?  Does it contribute to a feeling of peace?  power?  mystery?  a sense of depth? an illusion of action?  what?

Starting a third paragraph, you may conclude your comments with a comparison of works of art from the chapter with  additional works of art from other chapters and/or museums/galleries, etc. If you do not use a comparison in your conclusion,  provide some general observations and/or personal opinions.  If you state personal opinions, be sure to mention why you came  to such conclusions.

Finally, l) indent each paragraph five spaces;  2)  double space your lines;  3)  write in complete sentences, that is, with a subject (noun) and a predicate (verb), and end each sentence with a period;  4)  check your spelling.    Lastly, no plagiarism...this means you do not copy statements, whole sentences, paragraphs, web site,  or other reference without the use of quotation marks and footnotes (or endnotes).   Any reference you use in these homework pages must include "author, title, source, and date."  That goes for websites as well as books, journals, etc.

FINAL PAPER

Your final research paper will consist of a formal analysis of one work of art.   First, select a work of art from the San Antonio Museum of Art, the McNay, Pace, or other approved gallery or museum, within the time frame of this course (that is, from approximately 1350 to the present).  The work of art selected may be a painting, sculpture, architecture, a useful/craft art item, installation, etc.    It is extremely important that your writing about the art be from the actual art, not from a book or the internet.

Describe the FORM of the art.  Form refers to everything visible and physical about the work of art.  That means a description and analysis is called for on such things as color, line, value, shape, balance, texture, symmetry, assymetry, contrast, dominance, repetition, rhythm, unity and variation (that is, the elements and principles of design).  Comment as well on other physical properties such as medium, methods, and date.  Please use appropriate vocabulary to describe the work of art.

Describe the CONTENT of the art.  Content refers to subject matter plus meaning and may refer to historical, cultural, religious and other broad social concerns and issues.

Write briefly about the artist.  A story about the artist's life is not wanted here;  provide what might be important to the artist's work, such as where the artist studied, who or what events  influenced the artist, and so on.

Finally, provide some personal opinion.  Why did you select this work of art?  What is is about the art that speaks to you?  What is it specifically that you like (or don't like)?  (the style? the color? the subject matter? what?)

Your paper should be approximately 1200 words in length (about 4 pages), double spaced. List any reference materials you consult, including books, web sites, conversations etc., at the end, as endnotes. Footnotes are optional.

A BIBLIOGRAPHY/WORKS CITED PAGE IS REQUIRED AND MUST BE LISTED ON A SEPARATE PAGE.  SEE BELOW FOR GUIDELINES ON HOW TO LIST REFERENCES, INCLUDING WEB SITES.  Your references  should include a minimum of four (4) sources, of which only half may be web sites.  You may not use the course textbook as a source.  No encyclopedia of any type (except specialized art encyclopedia) may be used.  Generally, no ".com" sites may be used because the accuracy of the information cannot be verified.  If in doubt, if you find a really great ".com" site, contact me in advance for my approval to use the source.  11 points will be deducted from your grade if the bibliography/works cited page is not done correctly.

Students in the internet classes will write a brief synopsis of their papers to be shared with other classmates via the LISTSERV.  Students in the on-campus classes  will be asked to share the results of their research with a brief oral presentation and are asked to be prepared with images that may be scanned in advance to show the class.  Be sure to speak with your instructor about the images, as she has many already.

Finally, in lieu of a final research paper, you may elect to undertake a project in art history.  The nature of the project and its design must be determined by you (anything your imagination will allow!) and proposed to your Instructor by mid-term for approval.  Some students have elected to create web pages as a final project.  NOTE:  SUMMER STUDENTS MAY NOT UNDERTAKE A PROJECT BECAUSE THERE IS NOT ENOUGH TIME.

CITING WEB SOURCE DOCUMENTS

FOLLOWING ARE EXAMPLES FOR CITING WEB SOURCE DOCUMENTS IN PAPERS:

Book example:
Shaw, Bernard. Pygmalion. 1912. Bartleby Archive. 6 Mar. 1998
    <http://www.colombia.edu/acis/bartleby/shaw/>

Journal article example:
Rehberger, Dean. "The Censoring of Project #17: Hypertext Bodies and
    Censorship." Kairos 2.2 (Fall 1997): 14 secs.6 Mar. 1998
    <http://english.ttu.edu/kairos/2.2/index_f.html>

Scholarly project example:
Voice of the Shuttle: Web Page for Humanities Project. Ed. Alan Liu.
    Mar. 1998. U. of California Santa Barbara. 8 Mar. 1998
    <http://humanities.ucab.edu/>

Professional site example:
The Nobel Foundation Official Website. The Nobel Foundation. 28 Feb.
    1998. <http://www.nobel.se/>

    Note: Use the example above to cite a museum or gallery.

Personal site/homepage example:
Thiroux, Emily. Home page. 7 Mar. 1998
          <http://academic.scubak.edu/home/acadpro/departments/english/engthrx.htmlx>

    Note: "Home page" is used as the title where no other title is given.

For additional information on documentation, bibliographies and writing style, see the following:
http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/DocChicago.html