“museum essay”
“describing and comparing differences” of sculpture of egypt gods
more information you will find on the dashboard
here is the book:
revel art history, 6e volume 1
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Pasted from ART – Module 3
MUSEUM ESSAY ASSIGNMENT: ART HISTORY 103 SUMMER 2021
At this unique time, since we are unable to visit the Museum together, we will work from a pre-selected list of Egyptian sculptures and write an 800-word essay on that object. This is not a research paper, but a formal analysis.
You cannot walk around the object and view it for yourself and must therefore, work from the online image provided (I realize it is second-nature to think you need more information but do not seek out other views or photos online. It is fine to be curious but google it AFTER you hand in your assignment next Sunday). This assignment is not about scouring the internet for information, or parroting the information provided by the museum’s website, it is about looking. This assignment is designed to challenge your ability to write about what you see, to employ the newly acquired vocabulary of art history in the text and in the discussion forums. You will be relying on your careful reading of the topic of Egyptian Art as covered in the textbook.
STEPS TO COMPLETE THIS ESSAY:
Review the list of images and select one
Before you read anything on the webpage beyond the title spend time looking. Silence your phone, close the door, set a timer, spend ten minutes looking in an undistracted manner at the photo of the sculpture and then take notes to capture what you think you see.
Set the timer again and do this again for another ten minutes, then takes more notes
Shape your notes up into a 400-600 words physical description of the sculpture, as if describing it to someone who knows as much about Egyptian art as you do, but does not have the photo that you have.
For example, what is it? Is it a human figure? Is it someone important? What details lead us to think that? Comparatively how large is it? Does this give us an idea of how it would be displayed? And who might have been the intended audience for it in Ancient Egypt? Why do we think that? How is the physical condition? Is it broken? worn? Is there residual paint?
Finally, choose a work from the chapter on Egyptian art that compares to your work formally, i.e. how the forms look. How does it compare stylistically? How can we account for these differences?
CAVEATS:
This is not a research paper. It is designed to help you to think about art independently, without the use of outside research materials. Like other coursework, the text will act as the authoritative voice, but it should not be paraphrased or quoted in your essay.
This is a formal analysis. Focus on how it looks, not what it symbolizes. Think about the impact of the physical presence of the object in space. Focus on form not meaning. Don’t become distracted by the iconography. The reader is not at all interested in the Goddess Sekhmet backstory, e.g. they don’t need to know that she is the daughter of the sun god, Ra. They want to know your experience of the physical object. What can be learned from looking? Anyone can google Sekhmet, right?
Don’t paraphrase or quote anyone. Be wary of quoting the text or museum. This is your analysis, not theirs, you can rely on these other voices as a starting point, but do not parrot them back. Do not copy or quote passages of text from the museum into your essay.
Do your own work. Plagiarism of any form will not be tolerated. Plagiarized papers will merit an “F” for the course and students will be written-up on academic charges. This includes paraphrasing sources found on the web, in a magazine, journal or book. Refer to CCP policy on plagiarism on the website and in the Student Handbook under the code of conduct.
Handing it in: Cut and paste this essay right into the text box on Canvas, do not attach a file by Sunday night at the end of week three. Essays should be roughly 800 words. Late papers will average in as 50%.
