3. a. Virgin and Child, Late 12th century (10-31), p. 258. b. Virgin and Child, c. 1324-1339 (11-15), p. 276. | Get Quick Solution

I’m studying for my Art & Design class and need an explanation.

VISA 1Q99: Writing Assignment

Worth 15% of final mark, due Tuesday, May 21st, 11:30 pm via SAKAI>Assignment

Comparison Essay

Please read this entire document before you begin and before you email me with questions!

This writing assignment is designed to help you learn different ways to write and think about art.

For this assignment you will write a minimum 1000 word comparison (excluding footnotes,

bibliography) of two artworks.

You may choose both of the following pairs for this exercise:

3. a. Virgin and Child, Late 12th century (10-31), p. 258.

b. Virgin and Child, c. 1324-1339 (11-15), p. 276.

A comparison is an essay comprised of two aspects: comparing elements (noting the

similarities) and contrasting elements (noting the differences) of one work with another. The aim

of this exercise is to learn more about each work by looking at them alongside one another, as

such this is largely a visual exercise of looking. You will be using the types of observations

discussed in modules but applying this specifically to two works of art. Your paper must have a

thesis and through comparing and contrasting the two works you will argue (prove) your thesis

and reach a conclusion.

There are two main approaches to writing a comparison: split or lump. This refers to the

organization of your points on each artwork. If you want to compare and contrast a number of

elements about each work this is splitting and if you write first of one work and then the other in

separate paragraphs you are lumping. You may write either way but make certain that you have

about the same number of points or observations for each work. Pay close attention to the

organization of your paper, it should make sense and flow naturally back and forth between the

works compared. Try to make a logical progression from one point to the next.

You will want to examine each work of art closely. Ask yourself questions about the artwork:

Why was this work made, for whom, by whom, in what style, what context and when? What is

the work about? How does it convey a story, event, or particular meaning? How does the artist

use form, colour, space, perspective and line? How is the composition arranged? What is the

size and condition of the work, does this convey further meaning?

Once you think about these types of questions for each work separately you will

VISA 1Q99: Writing Assignment

Worth 15% of final mark, due Tuesday, May 21st, 11:30 pm via SAKAI>Assignment

period or not, why does this matter, are values and cultural elements similar or different? Do

these works convey the same message or something different, how is this done, how do you

observe this in the works?

Begin by making notes on each work and then the comparative/contrasting elements that you

can write about for both works. From here begin to compose your essay by creating a thesis.

Your thesis is a statement that gives direction to your analysis. Take care to organize, revise and

edit your paper. Poor organization and lack of editing will detract from your observations and

your grade.

Format

The paper must be 1000 words typed, double-spaced pages of your writing with the course

name, your name, and student number on the first page along with a title. You do not need a

separate title page for this assignment but if you use one this does not count towards the page

length of this assignment. The length requirement is 1000 words excluding title page and

bibliography/works cited. You might find it helpful to take a look on SAKAI>Resources>Written

Assignment>Further Reading on Writing a Comparison. Links to websites with helpful

information are posted there. If you have access to one of the optional resources for this course

read Sylvan Barnet, A Short Guide to Writing About Art: “Writing a Comparison.”

Research

You are not required to do a lot of research for this paper–it is meant as a practice of looking,

describing and evaluating. Begin by reading about the work in your textbook, if you find that you

want to use further secondary sources, your paper must follow the Chicago Manual of Style

citation format, MLA or APA. Basic information such as title, artist, date, origin of a work and

general factual historical information do NOT need to be cited. You do need to cite information

and ideas that you take from the textbook. Please see the links on SAKAI under Written

Assignment>How to Cite Sources/Bibliographies, if you need help with citations. You will find

citation style guidelines there. All secondary sources used in your writing (books, articles,

websites, textbook, videos, etc.) must be cited, failure to do so constitutes academic dishonesty

and will result in a grade of zero and possible failure in course. Please remember to CITE the

textbook if you take more than general information from it!

Due Date & Late Policy

Papers are due May 21st by 11:30 pm submitted online (via SAKAI>Assignment). You will find

under Assignments “Written Assignment #1,” from there you will be able to upload your paper as

an attachment in most file types (.doc, .pdf). Be aware that SAKAI does not recognize MAC

pages, please convert your file to .pdf before uploading. If we cannot open your file you will

receive a grade of zero for the assignment. Once you have uploaded it you will be able to see

the originality report for your paper. You will not be able to make changes once you have

submitted your paper. Please do not panic when you view the report, often the material that is

highlighted is simply your references, names of artist, or artworks.

The penalty for late assignments is 5% per day. Failure to submit your paper on time due to

internet difficulties is not a valid reason. Assignments handed in more than 5 days late will not

be accepted. Exceptions to the lateness penalty for valid reasons such as illness, etc. will be

judged by the instructor ONLY when supported by written documentation such as a medical

certificate that are presented within 3 days of your absence.

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VISA 1Q99: Writing Assignment

Worth 15% of final mark, due Tuesday, May 21st, 11:30 pm via SAKAI>Assignment

A Word about Turnitin.com in Assignment

As it is the responsibility of the instructor to track and report plagiarism, we will be utilizing

turnitin.com in Assignment on SAKAI. This is an anti-plagiarism tool that screens all

assignments against a database of the internet, e-journals, e-books, and a range of other

scanned material including other assignments and papers for courses at universities. This

ensures that all assignments are graded on a level playing field and means the papers can be

read for ideas and content rather than policed for plagiarism. If you should have concerns about

the use of this anti-plagiarism tool these must be expressed to me via email before May 10th.

Grading

Your assignment will be number graded out of 15 with comments online and your numerical

grade recorded under SAKAI>Gradebook. Please be aware because of the large number of

students in this course it may take up to 1-2 weeks for your assignment grade to appear.

Helpful Information:

• Titles of artworks are italicized, dates follow in brackets i.e. Masaccio’s Holy Trinity (1425) is a

fresco depicting the Madonna and child enthroned.

• artists are referred to by full name initially and then subsequently by surname only

• Avoid the use of colloquialisms and contractions in your essay (i.e. I’m, don’t, isn’t, it’s)

• ‘its’ is a possessive form, ‘it’s’ is a contraction for it is

• You may use the first person or chose to write from the third person perspective. For

example: Immediately I noticed the use of saturated colour in the lower portion of the painting

which gives a sense of ground and weight to the composition. OR: The use of saturated

colour in the lower portion of the painting gives a sense of ground and weight to the

composition.

• Footnote or use MLA citations for all secondary material. Include a bibliography or works cited

page.

• You do not need to include images unless you refer to additional artworks.

• If you use quotations (which should be used sparingly and ONLY when they support your

thesis directly) cite them correctly and introduce them with your own text. For example: The

bold use of Christian symbolism in combination with references to popular culture underscore

what art critic Barbara Rose has named as “the religious mundane or popular icon.”1

• Paragraphs need a minimum of three sentences.

• Edit your paper for errors, sometimes reading your paper out loud will help catch small errors