Analysis of a Work of Art
The essay is a maximum of 3 pages (750 words) in length (not including endnotes). It must be typed, double spaced, in 12-point Times type, with standard one-inch margins, in WORD format. Include endnotes in the Chicago Manual Style. Include a bibliography at the end of the paper in the Chicago Manual Style. Include images, copied into WORD, with captions, after the bibliography.
It has three sections. Begin each section on a separate page. Follow the instructions carefully.
Section 1)
You will select a work of art for this assignment at the Claire and Marc Bourgie Pavilion of Quebec and Canadian Art at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. To access the Claire and Marc Bourgie Pavilion, enter through the Main Entrance of the Museum at 1380 Sherbrooke Street West. Admission to this Pavilion is free for those aged 30 and under.
For your assignment, describe and analyse ONE work of art by a Canadian artist on view at the Claire and Marc Bourgie Pavilion of Quebec and Canadian Art. A Canadian artist is an artist who was born or died in Canada or spent some of his / her life in Canada.
The work must be from one of these permanent exhibitions: Founding Identities (1700s – 1870s); The Era of Annual Exhibitions (1880s – 1920s). Your chosen work of art must be dated within the time-frame of the 1700s to the 1920s. To analyze your chosen work of art, you must follow the information in the PDF article, “How to Analyze a Work of Art”, available on the Assessments page of this website. Select a painting from one of the categories listed in “How to Analyze a Work of Art”; Figure painting, Portrait, or Landscape. Answer the questions in the category selected. As you analyze the painting, follow the instructions in the document concerning the Subject matter and Form. The Formal elements in a painting include, Medium, Colour, Light, Space (Composition), Depth and Shape/Size. Take careful notes on all of these aspects as you stand in front of your painting. Part of the challenge is to carefully study the work of art close up to understand the Formal elements and how they create the meaning of the work. That is why it is necessary to visit the work in person. Note, however, that it is important not to assume too much in your analysis concerning the subject matter and the meaning of the work. Some information must be found beyond the picture frame, such as the socio-historic content and the artist’s intentions. You must support your assumptions about a work of art with factual information about the socio-historic content and the artist’s intentions.
You may find such factual information on the following Montreal Museum of Fine Arts Websites:
The Quebec and Canadian Art Collection: https://www.mbam.qc.ca/en/collections/quebec-and-canadian-art/
EDUCART at: https://www.mbam.qc.ca/en/education-and-art-therapy/educart/
You may also find factual information on the socio-historic content and the artist’s intentions in scholarly Art History books, Art History journals and e-journals, and Art exhibition catalogues. A good way to find such Art History/Art sources is through the Concordia Library research engine, Discovery Search at: http://library.concordia.ca/
Finally, there are a number of Art History sources placed on the Concordia Library Course Reserves that can be accessed under the FIND link at http://library.concordia.ca/
These books and articles have been placed on three-hour reserve and you can have access to these sources by visiting the Reserves Room on the main floor of the Webster Library.
For this analysis you may refer to factual information from other scholarly Internet sources such as art museums, art galleries, and artist’s websites. Do not use websites such as Wikipedia, although it is acceptable to use scholarly art historical references mentioned in Wikipedia articles.
Also, because this is an Art History course, you are expected to use only Art History sources. Sources from other disciplines will not be accepted.
Cite all sources as endnotes and in the bibliography at the end of the paper using the Chicago Manual Style (see the Chicago Manual Style PDF on the Assessments page).
Note: Any time you take information from another source, whether you have paraphrased or quoted, you must cite the information with an endnote. It is a serious academic offence not to do so.
Note: If you are taking the course from out‐of‐town you can select a work of art from a museum in your area that falls within the time-frame of the 1700s to the 1929s. The work of art must be by a Canadian artist and you must view the work in person. Please contact your Group Teaching Assistant for more information on this option.
(Length – one page maximum – 250 words)
