Figure of the Royal Magnificence, Immortality and Progress in the Fine Arts, Rene Antoine

Description
Browse through the museum collection and find a work of art that you enjoy or find intriguing. Be sure to include information about which museum you chose!

In a short paper, write about how each of the principles and elements is utilized in the work of art you chose. Start with the big picture and then move into details. Pay attention to what the artwork is made of. Are we looking at a photograph? A sculpture? Different media (what an artwork is made out of) will inform how you write about the work.

Keep in mind that not all works of art use all the principles and elements. Even if your work of art does not utilize one of the elements or principles, you must still explain why (i.e. “I will not be discussing the formal element of color because this drawing is in black and white.”).

Remember! This assignment should not include value judgments (whether you like or dislike something). Focus your attention on factually stating and describing what the artwork looks like. Sometimes it is helpful to imagine how you would describe a work of art over the phone to a friend who was trying to locate the artwork. It would not be helpful to say it is your favorite work of art–this gives no description. Instead, you might say “The artwork is a painting of a boat, with lots of bold line work”.

You can format the body of this paper how ever you choose, whether that is to write about each element in a separate, short paragraph or use a more narrative approach. No matter how you choose to organize your paper, you should still meet all the Format requirements below.

Elements and Principles Handout

Formal Elements: Line, shape, form, value, space, texture, color

Principles of Design: Rhythm, balance, emphasis, proportion/scale, time/motion

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: Writing About Art and RCCC Writing Center (appointments must be in-person).

FORMAT

1 – 2 pages (approx. 250 – 500 words) not including your cover page.
Times New Roman
Double-spaced
Cohesive and coherent
Excellent spelling & grammar
Cover page featuring your name, a high resolution image of the work and correct image labelling.
Includes information about the museum.
All images should be correctly labeled and referred to in-text. The Title of a work of art should always be capitalized and italicized or in ‘quotes’. The Title of the work should be followed by the Artist Name and the medium of the work