Analysis paper. Analysis Paper: Vincent van Gogh – The Olive Trees
work of art: https://www(dot)moma(dot)org/collection/works/80013
Write a close description of the art work. Begin the paper with an introduction to the work (artist, title, date) and a strong thesis statement.
Methodology: use methodology if necessary
Iconography
Methodology refers to a strategic selection and use of sources in establishing a point of an essay and determining arguments when analyzing works of art. Sources can be primary (works of art, diary entries, letters or other sources of information that were created at the time under study). Secondary sources are usually scholarly books or articles that were created by authors who did not have an immediate experience of events or other information under study. Tertiary sources refer to indexes of secondary and/or primary sources.
Iconography - focuses on content (the meaning of the subject matter) rather than on form. It interprets the function and purpose of the selected pieces (such as the meanings of motifs, signs, and symbols used in the work). This method includes three stages:
describing the work of art using formal elements
identifying the described elements using sources (usually texts)
interpreting the symbolism of identified elements using more sources
Analyze the work in-depth making use of the visual analysis strategies:
1)Description-lines, shape, color, value-light/dark, intensity-bright/dull, texture, medium
2)Analysis-provenance
3)Interpretation
Attempt to visually describe the work in such a way to support your thesis.
End by asking two or three questions about the work of art. These can either be "open" questions, i.e. questions that do not have a single correct answer or factual questions that you believe could be answered with further analysis or research into the work of art. IMPORTANT: do not answer the questions you raise, but do pay special attention to formulating them in a manner that is as interesting as possible.
Style
Always italicize titles of works of art. Use Simple Past tense to describe artist’s actions.
*Bibliography formatted according to Barnet
You must use proper footnotes or endnotes, following the Chicago Manual of Style. On a separate sheet of paper, you must also write a bibliography, listing all your sources including those named above and any others you have read or consulted on your own.
Below is a sample for you to follow:
Note:1. Museum label for Vincent van Gogh, Olive Trees, 1889, New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 28 January 2011.
Bibliography: Metropolitan Museum of Art. Museum label for Vincent van Gogh, Olive Trees, 1889, New York, 28 January 2011.
Analysis Paper: Vincent van Gogh – The Olive Trees
Name
Institution
Analysis Paper: Vincent van Gogh – The Olive Trees
Van Gogh is today considered one of the essential pieces in the world of art. However, as history will confirm, he was not that revered and known during his time on earth. Born in the Netherlands, Van Gogh found himself living in France in the 1880s, and it is while living here that he made his greatest contribution to the art world. Before his tragic death, Van Gogh had managed to redefine his artwork while in France, and it is there where he painted The Olive Trees. This painting is one that not only tells a story about Van Gogh himself but also shows how much growth he had made while in France. The painting not only contains hints of expressionism but also includes instances of passion, aggression mainly because of Van Gogh’s state of mind, and also a not so obvious form of religiosity or connection to nature.
Description
Looking at this painting without a keen eye on the specifics will yield nothing because one will just see trees against a mountainous background. However, while engaging a keen eye, one will, for example, feel or even notice the painter’s passion, notice the rowdy heaving motion of the painting which somehow reveals an underlying passion. The strokes are also curly which reveals Van Gogh’s preferred style of painting.
One of the things that is noticeable while looking at the painting is the visionary cloud. The cloud is painted with blue and yellow streaks and has a curly outline. Taking a keen look at the cloud, an image of a mother holding and possibly nursing a child appears. The image is quite visible and can easily lead one to make such a conclusion. The dark blue mountainous background might also seem obvious but looking at the right side of the background, there is an unapparent image of a castle which appears to be ruined. The ruined castle could have represented the old and conventional ways of painting which Van Gogh was trying to leave behind as he explored expressionism.
The light green olive trees are also visible against the background provided. The trees are quite visible and seem to have a lot of green leaves. Additionally, olive trees are known to have short and curly branches a characteristic of the trees which Van Gogh included in the painting. Aside from the trees, the earth is also evident with its blue, yellow, and green hues which seem to be intertwined. One other thing which is noticeable throughout the painting is the furious storm of Van Gogh’s brush strokes. One can almost immediately tell that the artist responsible is passionate about his work.
Analysis
In the painting, Van Gogh seems to have expressed his emotionally charged image of nature. As seen from the painting, everything included is attached to reality and represents what Van Gogh experienced and saw while in France. Van Gogh’s sought to capture nature and its ...