Contemporary Comparison Paper

Essay Instructions:

STEP 1

● Choose two images to compare: one, a work of art from any bracket period covered in this class, and the other, any contemporary image: an album cover, a selfie, a movie poster, a photo from the news, etc. The contemporary image should not be a contemporary artwork, but rather something from pop culture. For your historical work, you do not need to limit yourself to a work we will cover in class, but you must remain within the bracket dates we will cover. Good places to find works of art:

○ Janson textbook, Met’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, Kahn Academy, museum websites, googling “ancient greek art” “medieval art”, etc.

● Email each image to me for approval by the due date listed above. Include images of the objects themselves, as well as basic information (artist, title, date), and where you found the images.

STEP 2

● Write an essay by answering the following in complete sentences and paragraphs:

○ Basic information: in one sentence for each work, list the artist, title, date, and medium.

○ Subject: in one or two sentences, describe the subject of each work.

○ Function: discuss why each image was made. You might consider the following questions: what is each image’s purpose (worship, marketing, self-promotion, etc.)? Who is the intended audience of each image?

○ Context: this is not a repeat of function or a description of the style or subject. Instead, discuss what does each object tell us about the culture that made it (one of those cultures will be today’s society).

○ Final reflections: why did you choose to compare these two images? How does the contemporary image inform your understanding of art history as a discipline?

(I have chosen the pictures, the contemporary picture is a Korean group combination called Blackpink, I found that image on Instagram, and it was posted by one of the group members called Lisa. )

FORMATTING

● Follow the example paper on the website and use standard formatting: Times New Roman 12-point font, double spacing, 1 inch margins.

● Please divide the essay with the subject headings, as listed in Step 2, and as seen in the example paper on the website.

● This paper is not to exceed 3 pages.

● If you use any outside sources, they must be properly cited, using the Chicago Manual of Style.

● Please include your images at the end of the paper. Black and white printing is fine.

GRADING

● You will be graded first and foremost on the quality of your thinking and analysis. However, the quality of your writing is also crucial. Keep in mind that this essay is a formal academic paper and should thus be written accordingly with correct grammar and spelling. Do not use contractions, slang, or second voice. Failure to follow these directions will result in points taken off.

● Take advantage of Drexel’s writing center, as listed on the syllabus.

● Any sources used must be properly cited, or the essay will be failed for plagiarism.

● See the How To Write About Art powerpoint for specifics on citing sources and proper art historical grammar.

Essay Sample Content Preview:

Contemporary Comparison Name Course Date Basic information The portraits of the tetrarchs, from Constantinople, has four figures who represent sharing power, two of them have beards, two are beardless. Power sharing during the reign of Roman emperor Diocletian was necessary to restore order, reduce strife and bring peace in the increasingly fractured empire .[Fred Kleiner, Gardners Art Through The Ages - The Western Perspective, Volume I, 15th ed. (Boston, MA: Cengage Learning, 2017), 223.] Lisa under the Instagram handle @ lalalalisa_m is the page for Korean K-pop star Lisa a member of Blackpink and Lisa has 19.6 million followers and she writes her messages in both Korean and English. The image was posted on the singer’s personal page on April 21st 2019 together with her group members and the four seem to be enjoying themselves in a party. Subject In four tetrarchs the rules appear together in group and since they are in are represented in military attire and have swords while one placing a hand over the other it signifies they were united and ready to defend the Roman Empire. The image projects unity and strength, since there was a political union that allowed the people to live in peace and the emperors were willing to defend the empire against her enemies and invaders including those trying to cause internal strife. In the instagram post Lisa shows the four singers in a concert as music fans rather than as singers and behind them are other fans, and shows that they can also enjoy themselves like other fans. The message helps to connect with the target audience as it highlights that they appreciate their craft and their music fans tend to be teenagers and young adults mostly in East Asia and the west. Function Diocletian established the four tetrarchs in 293 and the four co-emperors up to retiring in 305, when Diocletian returned. Prior to this there had been much strife with numerous fights to gain control and power in the Roman Empire, and Diocletian had adopted the title of Augustus of the East and in the portrait the Augustus of the West also depicted as are the Eastern and Western Caesars. The tetrarchs shows the emperors as equal when ruling over the Roman Empire and since succession was a problem in the vast empire shared power approved to be an effective political strategy to maintain peace with colleagues in the imperial throne. The portrait’s sculptors show political unity and it is the emperor who stills wields authority.[Ibid, 223.] [Ibid, 223.]...

Updated on January 26, 2024

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