Writing an art comparison essay can be a difficult task for the novice art student. Students of art or art history often assume that any interpretation is as good as another, but in reality, to adequately interpret a work of art and then compare it to another, you will need to learn a little about the artist and the historical context of its composition. In order to adequately understand any work of art you must understand the circumstances under which it was produced. Artists are considered cultural innovators and often have an idea or truth they are trying to convey with any given composition or group of compositions. You have to first understand the artist as a person before you can adequately understand the meaning of his or her work.

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In order to understand the artist as a person you will also need to understand the time in which they lived. Picking up a good art history or humanities textbook will help you get started understanding the context. Once you have placed each work within the proper context and before you actually begin to write your essay, sit down with a sheet of paper and a pen or pencil and write down the similarities and differences in each work. Questions to consider are the historical, political, philosophical, and religious differences of the time in which each work was composed. What do each of these works say about these issues? do the works contain any symbolism? if so, how do the symbols differ and how are they similar? what do the symbols tell the observer about each composition? consider the medium through which the piece of art was created. Is it a painting or sculpture? is the art representational or abstract? is there a technique or style used that tells the observer something about the meaning of the composition? who or what are the subjects of the work? the questions you can ask regarding any particular work of art are actually unlimited, but should always include some of these basic questions. Once you have analyzed each key piece of art you should develop some type of thesis statement related to that analysis.

For instance, a comparison of any of jackson pollack's works with van gogh's starry night might yield a thesis statement indicating that both artists expressed themselves similarly by painting in a manner that revealed their inner emotions. Van gogh was known to cake the paint onto the canvas and create a visible texture that was reminiscent of his inner torment while pollack's abstract art was created by slopping paint onto large canvases, often in a drunken rage. You can then compare and contrast the elements of each composition to reveal how these artists methods were similar. The key to writing a good comparison and contrast essay is to be as clear and concise as possible, but also to be as detailed as possible regarding each element of the compositions. If you are submitting your work for a grade you should take the time to reread and revise your essay before turning it in. It is generally much easier for someone else to spot clarity issues and point them out than it is for you to do it yourself. Getting a little help from a friend, family member, or colleague is a great way to strengthen your writing and increase your chances of getting a positive response from the reader.

Examining creativity the thing that makes an art paper different than any other writing assignment you may encounter may also present you with your greatest writing challenges: when you are tested with how to write an art essay, you will be required to write an account of what you see and to justify your analysis of that art. From the beginning of learning how to write an art essay, you must be able to grapple with the language of the craft – you must be knowledgeable of the terms and precepts if are to learn how to write an art essay. More significantly, when you are have become skilled at the task of how to write an art essay, you will be able to properly describe the image before you but also to offer a complete description, offering a valid defence for your perspective of the art. Your paper cannot contain just a random description of the various aspects of the artwork, whether it is a sculpture, building or painting. You need to know exactly what you will say regarding your particular topic, using your ability to both analyse accurately and to properly describe the artwork which you have selected to describe.

Types of art writings if you following the writings of sylvan barnet, you will see that he has identified five primary types of art papers. When learning how to write an art essay, it is beneficial to use these different categories to best understand your instructor’s expectations with any of your possible assignments. Of course, if the assignment is at your discretion you may chose to utilise these writing types as a means of brainstorming or exploring the some ideas for the topic of your assignment. The sociological essay examines a specific era in history and suggests how that particular era may have influenced the topic of your discussion.

It is possible that your discussion will also raise some more generalised questions regarding social influences, including such topics as the impact of economics on the art, the challenges facing woman seeking recognition in the field, and so on. As an example, your essay may focus on the way the rural farm photography of walker evans may have influenced roosevelt’s desire to develop the farm security administration. Image writing better known as iconography is the type of writing that chooses to define images through the in depth exploration of the various symbols noted in an artwork selection. For instance, the author points to the subjects in rembrandt’s the assassin as likely citizens of holland. But through a more critical examination of the symbols in the painting may actually reveal that the characters in the painting may indeed be recognised as saints.

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Formal analysis will ask the student who has decided to learn how to write an art essay to examine the more formal aspects of a piece of art, and from that to develop a dialogue regarding these parts in a unique or creative fashion to help others see and understand the artwork being examined. Biographical essays will allow the writer who has learned how to write an art essay to examine the artist’s personal life and how it influences his or her work. Barnet gives the example of how ansel adams had influenced the photographic career of harry callahan. The iconological essay study of an image uses a variety of texts and literary examples to completely interpret a selected piece of art. As an example, the person who has learned how to write an art essay may chose to use ancient renditions of various greek mythological tales to enlighten readers on the images representations of that myth as depicted in archaic forms of greek art. Strategies prior to writing the essay examine the medium – determine the rationale of the artist for selecting a certain medium, including its advantages and even its limitations. Use of lines – did the artist use heavy or light lines? do the lines run vertically or horizontally? are the lines curved or straight? is there a specific goal or outcome achieved by the use of these lines? coloration – does the artist use realistic colours, or are the colours more expressive in nature? does the colour give the sense of being warm or cool? perhaps the colours are bright or subdued.