Critical Review and Museum Worksheet
Assignment Synopsis:
The purpose of this review is to critically interpret and evaluate works of art. There are two parts to this assignment: the Museum Critical Review (Part I) and the Worksheet (Part II).
How to proceed with the assignment:
Plan your visit to the Dallas Museum of Art by finding out the exact days and times they are open. Note that the DMA is closed on Mondays. Be sure to take your camera and a pencil. When you arrive, get a map from the greeters at the desk so you can understand the museum’s layout by culture and period. Complete both Part I and II at the DMA.
PART I – Critical Review assignment outline:
Part I, the Critical Review Paper, is worth 100 points of this assignment.
I. Description Paragraph: Introduce your chosen artwork. Be sure to include all the following: the title of the work of art in italics, the name of the artist or indicate anonymous if the artist is unknown, the date the piece was made, the medium, the size of the art object, and the name of the museum where you viewed your piece. Be sure to provide a comprehensive description of your chosen art object by creating a visual image with words. You also want to go into detail about Visual Elements and Principles of Design that the artist has utilized in the work.
Visual Elements:
Look for these visual elements: visual tools an artist has available to make a work of art.
1. Line: Lines can show outline, imply a third dimension, show direction or movement
2. Shape and Mass: Shape refers to 2 dimensions, for instance, a square. Mass refers to 3 dimensions, for instance, a cube.
3. Light: Light reveals form. Where is the light source? What is the range of values, from light to dark, in the art you are reviewing?
4. Color: How does the artist use color in the art object you are reviewing? Is it the primary colors only? Is it emotionally soothing or jarring?
5. Texture and pattern: Does the art object you are viewing have actual texture, could you feel it? Or does it have implied texture, suggesting that it is smooth or rough? Does it have an overall pattern on the surface?
6. Space: If your object is architectural or sculptural, it will have 3-dimensional space. Try to describe the space. If your object is two dimensional, how does the artist imply space, for example, through linear perspective, overlapping of objects, smaller or larger objects, or atmospheric perspective?
7. Time and motion: Does the art object imply time, for instance, a sunset, or motion, for instance, a sculpture that moves?
Principles of Design:
Look for these principles of design: the organization of the composition or design of the art work.
1. Unity and Variety: Unity is a sense of oneness in the art. Variety maintains interest in art
2. Balance: Symmetrical balance occurs when both sides of the art object are similar in size or shape. Asymmetrical balance occurs when the two sides are quite different in the appearance of the objects in the art.
3. Emphasis and Subordination: How does the artist draw your eye to the center of attention of the art object? How does the artist make the rest of the painting subordinate to the center of interest?
4. Scale and Proportion: Scale means size in relation to a standard or “normal” size. Proportion refers to size relationships between parts of a whole, or between two or more items perceived as a unit. Sometimes these are deliberately incorrect, as in Hierarchal Scale in the art of antiquity.
5. Rhythm or repetition: The repeated use of a color, shape or line to create expression
II. Analysis Paragraph: This is the time to analyze your chosen work of art based on the culture and time period it is from. Although you might not know your specific artist’s reason for creating this piece, you have already learned a lot about this culture or the art movement it came from, as long as you select a work of art from movements we have discussed in class. You have been introduced to the culture’s history, values, religion, social structure, politics, etc. Also in this paragraph, discuss the innovation and expression of ideas of the time period. Your research might be to investigate the innovation of a new medium the artist/the culture created, invented, or was using during his or her day. Or, you might discuss how the artist expresses themselves in a unique way. You need to provide notated research to further interpret the background of the artist and/or the era/culture in which it was created. Please do NOT use Wikipedia as an academic source.
III. Interpretation Paragraph: In this paragraph, you will discuss your interpretation of your chosen work of art by summarizing your reaction and thoughts about the piece. Explain the meaning and the interpretation that you come up with, not what the museum, the curator, or any other source has to say about the piece. Discuss any narrative, historical or social issues your work might deal with and what that means to you. Also, discuss any emotional feelings present in the work and/or any you have towards the piece.
IV. Proof of Attendance Photo: Be sure to include your proof of attendance photo as the last page of your paper. The photo requires for you to be standing in front of the work of art you discussed in your paper and taking a selfie, without the flash. If you are not in the photo, you will not receive full credit. This photo does not count towards your paper’s length requirement.
V. Works Cited: Be sure to cite your sources on a works cited page using the MLA citation style.
PART II: Museum Worksheet
Part II, the museum worksheet, is worth 100 points of the assignment. Print a copy of these questions to take with you on your museum visit. Copy and paste these questions at the end of your Critical Review (Part I) paper. Then, type your responses to the questions as complete sentences.
You will be selecting 3 works of art found within the museum for this part of the assignment:
1) an art object from the prehistoric period to the 14th century (the end of the Medieval period) 2) an art object from the 15th century (Renaissance) to the present, and
3) a work of art from any time period that depicts or expresses intercultural values and/or social ideas.
For your third piece that depicts intercultural values and/or social ideas, you will consider and explain the impact that your piece had on its community. You will provide a critical analysis with a personal reflection that demonstrates comprehension of the subject matter that is depicted and its impact on the community. It helps to understand what the terms “intercultural” and “social values” mean. Intercultural is defined as something “that pertains to or taking place between two cultures.” Said in another way, you could choose a work of art that represents two groups (cultures, religions, social groups, etc.) Social values form an important part of the culture of the society. Values account for the stability of social order. Social values are the criteria people use in assessing their daily lives; arrange their priorities and choosing between alternative course of action.
There is a student example of this portion (Worksheet Part II) of this assignment available to you on eCampus. Please reference it if you have any questions as to what I am looking for exactly or if you need help with how to format. Do not use any of the examples of art mentioned in the student example.
* Note: There is no need to take pictures of the pieces for Part II. Do NOT upload any pictures for these works of art.
Please use the following template for your responses. I suggest copying and pasting the following and typing in your responses.
1. Title of piece you chose from the Prehistoric to the 14th century (remember to put the title in italics)
– Date of the piece, the medium, the size of the piece
– Provide a detailed description of the piece
– Discuss the innovation and the expression of ideas
– Identify major artistic developments
– Discuss the Visual Elements and Principles of Design
2. Title of the piece you chose from the 15th century to the present (remember to put the title in italics)
– Date of the piece, the medium, the size of the piece
– Provide a detailed description of the piece
– Discuss the innovation and the expression of ideas
– Identify major artistic developments
– Discuss the Visual Elements and Principles of Design
3. Analyze the relationship of art to history by comparing the piece you selected from Prehistoric art to the 14th century to the piece you selected from the 15th century to the present. Consider each piece’s cultural, historical, and chronological contexts in your analysis.
4. Title of the piece you chose that reflects intercultural values and/or social ideas (remember to put the title in italics)
– Date of the piece, the medium, the size of the piece
– Provide a detailed description of the piece
– Discuss the innovation and the expression of ideas
– Identify major artistic developments
– Discuss some Visual Elements and Principles of Design
– Provide a critical analysis with personal reflection that demonstrates comprehension of this event and
its impact on the community
How to submit Part I and Part II:
You will submit Part I (the paper), your proof of attendance photo, and Part II (the answers to the museum questions) as one Word document as an attachment with only .doc or.docx extensions (eCampus will not accept anything else) to the dropbox no later than the due date and time. Again, your photo must be part of the paper you submit; do not send me your photo as an attachment by itself or I will take off for not following instructions. All submissions MUST be electronically submitted through eCampus. I will not accept any work through email.
How you will be graded:
Part I. Critical Review Paper – 100 possible points total
Description: 30 points possible
– Provided the title of the work of art in italics, the artist’s name if available, the date the piece
was made, the medium, the size, the location of the art object
– Provided a description of the piece or composition and created a visual image with words
– Discussed the Visual Elements and the Principles of Design
Analysis of the art object: 30 points possible
– Discussed and explained how and why the selected work of art was or was not an example of
the chosen culture
– Explained how chosen work embodied the ideals or values of the culture that produced it
– Explained how chosen work was a reflection of the culture
– Explored the innovation and expression of ideas of the time period of the artist
– If needed, provide notated research to further interpret the background of the artist and the
era in which it was created by means of a Works Cited page
Interpretation of the art object: 30 points possible
– Discussed the content of the piece – the meaning and the interpretation
– Offered a reason as to why was it created
– Summarized your reaction to this art object
Proof of attendance photo of art object
– Provided evidence of your attendance at the Dallas Museum of Art
– Your submission MUST include your proof of attendance photo for me to grade.
Grammar and Formatting: 10 points possible
– Followed instructions for page length and formatting – header, typed, spacing, pagination
– Capitalization, spelling, punctuation, grammar, writing mechanics, etc.
Part II. Museum Worksheet: 100 points possible
– Addressed all the questions and provided comprehensive responses for each of the criteria
