FA 201: WORLD ART HISTORY FALL 2001

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PAPER TRACK INFORMATION

The PAPER TRACK requires a short research paper on a particular work of art. The paper is NOT extra credit; it is part of the required components of this track. Come talk with Dr. Ivory during office hours if you have any questions about the paper, at any stage of the process.

LENGTH: 3-4 pages, typed, double-spaced (no exceptions).
DUE DATE: TOPIC SHEET - Thursday, Oct. 3rd
COMPLETED PAPER - Thursday, Nov. 14th

PAPER FOCUS: The focus of this paper is ICONOGRAPHY, the study of meaning and symbols in art. You will choose ONE SPECIFIC ART WORK that shows a scene or story of some sort from the time period (before 1450) and from among the cultures covered by this course (that is, from almost any society or religion in the world). There are a few exceptions - some images in the textbook are excluded and "off limits" for a variety of reasons. These are listed below.

Basically you will try to answer this question: What is the story, message, and/or underlying meaning of this work? You will try as far as possible to find out who and/or what is being depicted and the meaning of any symbolism that is included in the scene.

EVALUATION: This is a formal research paper; its evaluation includes consideration of all of the following: content; organization and quality of thought; evidence of research; and yes, appearance, grammar, and spelling. Note: in a research paper, you must credit your sources in a proper and acceptable format.

**PAPERS WITHOUT CITATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.**
STEPS IN COMPLETING THIS OPTION:
1) CHOOSE A WORK OF ART. Refer to the list below and talk with Dr. Ivory if you have any questions. Once you have chosen a work of art, then:

2) Complete a TOPIC SHEET and turn it in to Dr. Ivory, no later than Thursday, Oct. 3rd. This is a signed contract that you are committing to write a paper and to be graded on the Paper Track Scale. It is a required part of the paper process and its return to you indicates acceptance of your topic choice by Dr. Ivory. No changes can be made to this agreement (e.g. the paper topic) unless you meet personally with Dr. Ivory to discuss them. Only TWO students will be permitted to write on any particular work (no exceptions; first-come, first-served), so as soon as your choice is made, turn in your topic sheet. BE SURE TO TURN IN TWO COPIES AND A PHOTOCOPY OF THE WORK CHOSEN. You will lose points if these directions are not followed!

3) Then, RESEARCH THE WORK as far as possible to find out the subject/story that is being depicted and the meaning of any symbolism that is included in the scene. You may need to research the mythology of a society or culture, the religion, or the history to find more information. The LIBRARY RESEARCH GUIDE has been designed by the Reference Librarians, specifically for this assignment. It has suggestions on how to find relevant books and journal articles. Please use it!!! The Reference Librarians at Holland Library are informed about your project and will be happy to assist you when you are having difficulties. Be sure to have this assignment with you and ask for help after you have tried first yourself.


Remember: When using library resources, please be considerate of others and careful with the books and journals. They are expensive, and often out of print and irreplaceable. Damage or loss of materials is a serious problem and is taken seriously!


4) IN YOUR PAPER, SUMMARIZE YOUR FINDINGS:
- In the first paragraph, clearly state what you believe to be the meaning or story, the ultimate message of your work (this is your thesis sentence/paragraph), including any hidden ones
- Then, support your assertion(s) through a well-organized paper that:
1) describes the scene, identifies the main characters being shown, relates any story or incident relevant to the scene, and
2) discusses any symbolism (and its meaning) used by the artist. Symbolism may be obvious (a Christian cross, for example) or more subtle, such as colors, plants, animals, etc.

Conclude your paper by discussing briefly, but specifically, how your research enhanced your understanding of and/or appreciation for the work of art in question.

Important information about citations, bibliography, and common writing errors is available from a number of sources. See Dr. Ivory.

CREDITING YOUR SOURCES

The ORIGINAL ideas of others must be acknowledged in a proper and acceptable format. So, you need to cite your sources of information and ideas (including those from the Internet - cite http/www address and search engine) and credit specific quotes or passages in the body of your paper, even if paraphrased, or with either footnotes or endnotes. Depending on citation format chosen, a bibliography (or Works Cited page) is often necessary. In addition to the manuals available in Holland Library, we also have sample papers which you may examine. MLA STYLE IS RECOMMENDED FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT.

**PAPERS WITHOUT CITATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.**

HOW TO BEGIN:
1. Look at the following works in your text - they are good examples of the kind of thing to consider. These specific pieces cannot be used, nor can the works on your exam id lists, but others from these periods or cultures are ok:

Fig. 3-43, Judgement Before Osiris (Egypt)
Fig. 7-32, Saint Apollinaris (Early Christian)
Fig. 9-28, Shiva Nataraja (India)
Fig. 12-10, Sarcophagus lid (Maya)

2. IF NOTHING IN YOUR TEXT "GRABS" YOU:
- Look at the "Possible topic Ideas" below.
- Follow the steps on the Library Research Guide (link above)
- Surf through the World Wide Web (don't forget to print out the image; also note address and search engine)
- Come talk with Dr. Ivory or T.A. Ann Porter about possible topics of interest to you

WHEN YOU ARE FINISHED:
1. Re-attach the photocopy of your work to the final paper.
2. NO plastic covers, please!

POSSIBLE TOPIC IDEAS:
African masquerade
Ajanta or Ellora Cave (India)
Ancient Iranian art (Sassanian, Luristan)
Assyrian relief
Aztec art
Bayeux tapestry
Benin bronze placque
Borobudur Temple
Buddhist gods in art
Bunraku puppet (Japan)
Byzantine mosaic
Byzantine or medieval ivory
Cave church of Ethiopia
Cave painting
Chinese embroidery
Chinese garden
Chinese scroll
Christian mosaic
Coptic art
Cylinder seal
Egyptian hieroglyphic painting
Egyptian mural painting (tombs, temples)
Etruscan bronze mirror
Etruscan tomb painting or relief
Greek sculpture
Greek temple pediment
Greek vase
Hindu gods in art
Hopi kiva painting
Ikat weaving
Indian or Chinese Buddhist painting
Indic sculpture
Islamic (Arabic or Persian) miniature
Japanese armor
Japanese garden
Japanese screen painting
Japanese scroll
Jewish wall painting from Dura Europas
Mayan stele or vase or book
Medieval manuscript
Mesopotamian stele (Sumerian, Akkad Babylon, etc.)
Minoan mural painting
Mochica or Inca art
Native American beadwork
Native American ledger drawing
Navaho dry painting
Northwest Coast crest pole
Oriental rug
Peruvian textile
Pomo basket
Pompeian wall painting
Rock painting (Africa, Native American, Australian)
Roman fresco
Roman frieze
Romanesque or Gothic tympanum
Shadow puppet (India, Indonesia, China)
Stained glass window
Tibetan painting
Viking art

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