Contemporary Comparison Paper

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.