Describe a work of art in one to two pages (no less, no more);
Start your description with materials (marble, bronze, fresco, etc), size (ignore the frame or pedestal), and palette (colors).
Be sure to pay close attention to the sculptor’s touch or the painter’s brushstroke: that is, address the physical reality of the object before you join any narrative that is represented.
Next, consider the overall composition. Step back and realize that it is a composition with figures in a certain setting (such as landscape or interior).
Note whether the figures are full-length or cut-off, clothed or nude; then make note of where the figures are placed in the composition (center or off-center).
If the work is a sculpture, be sure to look at it from all sides; if an out-of-doors sculpture, be sure to take its site into consideration. Are some figures larger than others.
Determine what is of primary, secondary, and tertiary importance in the work as a whole, and organize your description accordingly. In other words, do not describe the work simply from left to right, nor from top to bottom.
Attention! Ignore the following at the peril of a markdown! The paper should be between one to two pages in length. Papers that are too short will have to be rewritten to receive a grade.
