Problem
Theme: "Narrative"
I. Artwork: "Akbar and the Elephant Hawai"
Museum Labels: Artist: Basawan & Chetar Muni, Title: Akbar and the Elephant Hawai, Materials: Opaque watercolor on paper, Dimensions: 17.5 x 23.5 cm, Location: Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
II. Artwork: "Burning of Sanjo Palace"
Museum Labels: Artist: Unknown, Title: Night Attack on the Sanjô Palace, Materials: Combination of silk and gold, Dimensions: 18 feet in length and 6 feet in width, Location: Tokyo, Japan.
Compare and contrast how the artists successfully met the challenge of the theme of "narrative" to their artworks by addressing these questions:
A. Historical Context: Why did these works of art appear at this historical moment? What political forces, historical events, cultural ideas are the artists responding to? Compare & Contrast.
B. Meaning/Iconography: What is the meaning and message of the artwork? And who is the intended audience? Compare & Contrast.
C. How has stylistic analysis helped the viewer understand the structure of the work of art? Compare & Contrast. YouTube Video: "How to do visual (formal) analysis in art history".
D. What can be learned about this exercise in analysis? Compare & Contrast.
Explain each question in detail with comparing & contrasting the two artworks from the two artists.