Art history as an academic discipline is a scholarly, interdisciplinary, research-based activity. The purpose of this assignment is to introduce you to recent art historical research and writing, prompting you to engage in a close, critical reading of an academic article or book chapter in order to decipher what the author is arguing and to critique how the evidence and methodologies is used. In each article or essay, familiar and unfamiliar paintings, sculptures, and other subjects are interpreted and re-interpreted within the context of an ongoing and ever-changing academic discourse.
Write an approximately five-page, double-spaced paper that critically examines the argument of one of the art historical writings listed below. Your essay should address the following qualities of the article:
- In your own words-and avoiding extensive quotations-summarize the main thesis or argument of your selected reading.
- What are the main points made by the author, and what kinds of evidence (other artworks, literature, poetry, documents, etc.) are used? How does the author go about supporting or proving their points? Be specific in outlining the specific visual and literary comparisons that are made to support the author's argument?
- In the process of your close, critical evaluation, assess the quality of the argument. How successfully does the author make his or her point? Do the premises logically lead to the article's conclusion? Overall, do you think the author's approach is effective? Explain.
- Finally, provide a brief summary of how reading the selected text affected your understanding of the practice of art history, and how the methods used by the author relate to your own preconceptions and changing ideas about art history.