Skip to Main Content

Writing in the Humanities Art Analysis Assignment

Directions and guidance for ENC 1101 Art Analysis assignment

Researching the Essay

Researching the Essay:  

 

  • What does the image mean? 
     
  • What does the image say about the artist's ideas?
     
  • What does the image say about the time period?
     
  • What does the image say about the community or country?
     
  • What does the image say about social issues?
     
  • What do objects in the image symbolize?   ​

Image of highlighters and research articles

 Doing Research

Finding Context

The analyst's job is not complete until s/he delves deeper into the sometimes murky nature of the meaning behind an artistic work.  That's why in this essay you will need to research the context (i.e., the meaning and relevance) of your image by finding, using, and citing one article from Gale Virtual Reference Library.  Visit this video to find out how to search Gale Virtual Reference Library.  You can also use other library databases, such as Humanities Source Complete, Oxford Art Online, or JSTOR.  You can access the library databases directly with your student number and last four digits of your phone number, or you can go to MyCourses and click on the Additional Resources box at the bottom right of the home page and select "Library Resources and Services," and then select "Databases by Subject" at the top of the library search page. Here's a video to show you how to access library databases through MyCourses.

In addition to citing the article, you will also need to cite your selected image.  

Both the article and the image should be cited in MLA format.  Use this resource to find out how to cite your image in MLA 8th edition format.

The "Researching Context" discussion forum in Writing in the Humanities: Prewriting module will walk you through searching for your article, but you will want to ensure you understand how to incorporate both in-text and end citations into your essay.   To do so, please watch the videos below: 

Don't forget: for research assistance, you can consult with a campus librarian, or visit the state-wide research help service, AskALibrarian.org.