art history gallery visit essay

Visiting the National Gallery of Art Descriptive Essay

Introduction, themes in works of art, works cited.

Since the very humble beginnings of human civilization man has had ways of expressing his feelings and emotions about others, his society, environments, and significant historical events like battles with other communities or immigration episodes as well as his normal and bizarre imaginations.

These ways range from music, literary works to creative works of art like paintings. For instance, during Stone Age period man did Rock Art whereby he painted on the walls of his cave dwellings the animals he hunted and tools that he was making among other thrilling experiences in his life and lives of his ancestors as he understood it from those who narrated it to him.

Art has been a major component of all human civilizations world over and has evolved alongside other aspects of our cultures to an extent that today the most talented creative artists like painters and musicians are celebrated individuals who hold esteemed social status envied by many. The purpose of this task is to discuss three works of art identified during my visit to the National Gallery of Art.

Every human action is underpinned by a certain motive. In other words, whatever man engages in is fundamentally a means of expressing his thoughts, interests and aspirations. Arguably then, man’s historical and present tangible achievements is a manifestation of his thoughts and aspirations. Works of art is a perfect means through which man expresses his feelings, ideas and perceptions about every aspect of his life.

This fact explains why documented and well preserved works of art are reliable sources of information for historians and other scholars like anthropologists and artists seeking to understand certain aspects of peoples’ culture in the past. In a nut shell, all works of art are thematic in the sense that they have meaning which a keen observer can decipher as illustrated in the following works of art discussed in this task.

The Battle of La Hogue (1778)

Benjamin West painting titled The Battle of La Hogue is a classic piece of creativity. It was painted in 1778. The Battle of La Hogue is a historical painting. This painting is a depiction of the feud that ensued when Louis XIV of France attempted d to restore his fellow Catholic James II to the throne of England.

After nine years Benjamin West used his artistic prowess to give a picture of the patriotic scene that has been dismissed by critics as a mere propaganda. Thematically, this painting represents turbulent political and power happenings in Western European countries as well as the role that religion was playing in politics.

Mortlake Terrace (1827)

Mortlake Terrace painting is an 1827 art work by Joseph Mallord William Turner. Mortlake Terrace painting is an environmental portrait. This painting portrays Mortlake Terrace which was situated next to the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew.

It is a perfect representation of British topography of the early 1880s.Thematically, this piece is a show of the artist feeling and perception of the changing British landscapes.

The Death of the Earl of Chatham (1779)

The Death of the Earl of Chatham was done by the Boston-based portraitist John Singleton Copley in 1779.This painting is a representation of the tragic death of William Pitt, the 1 st Earl of Chatham on April 1778.In the middle of his speech during a discussion about colonial radicals, Pitt suffered from stroke and met his death one month later.

His death meant a lot because he was one of the leading British ambassadorial moderates during the important American War of independence. Thematically, it is a representation of politics of those time and those who were driving the political agendas of the day.

Art is an important component of our culture which offers talented individuals a perfect means through which to manifest our feelings and emotions about all aspects of our life. It offers people an opportunity for people to portray their thoughts and aspirations as well as those of the early members of the society.

It captures perfectly our experiences and perceptions regarding everything that we encounter in our day to day activities Lazzari and Schlesier (2006).

Lazzari, Margaret and Schlesier, Dona. Exploring art: a global, thematic approach . Belmont, CA: Thomson, 2006. Print.

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Bibliography

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Writing Essays in Art History

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These OWL resources provide guidance on typical genres with the art history discipline that may appear in professional settings or academic assignments, including museum catalog entries, museum title cards, art history analysis, notetaking, and art history exams.

Art History Analysis – Formal Analysis and Stylistic Analysis

Typically in an art history class the main essay students will need to write for a final paper or for an exam is a formal or stylistic analysis.

A formal analysis is just what it sounds like – you need to analyze the form of the artwork. This includes the individual design elements – composition, color, line, texture, scale, contrast, etc. Questions to consider in a formal analysis is how do all these elements come together to create this work of art? Think of formal analysis in relation to literature – authors give descriptions of characters or places through the written word. How does an artist convey this same information?

Organize your information and focus on each feature before moving onto the text – it is not ideal to discuss color and jump from line to then in the conclusion discuss color again. First summarize the overall appearance of the work of art – is this a painting? Does the artist use only dark colors? Why heavy brushstrokes? etc and then discuss details of the object – this specific animal is gray, the sky is missing a moon, etc. Again, it is best to be organized and focused in your writing – if you discuss the animals and then the individuals and go back to the animals you run the risk of making your writing unorganized and hard to read. It is also ideal to discuss the focal of the piece – what is in the center? What stands out the most in the piece or takes up most of the composition?

A stylistic approach can be described as an indicator of unique characteristics that analyzes and uses the formal elements (2-D: Line, color, value, shape and 3-D all of those and mass).The point of style is to see all the commonalities in a person’s works, such as the use of paint and brush strokes in Van Gogh’s work. Style can distinguish an artist’s work from others and within their own timeline, geographical regions, etc.

Methods & Theories To Consider:

Expressionism

Instructuralism

Postmodernism

Social Art History

Biographical Approach

Poststructuralism

Museum Studies

Visual Cultural Studies

Stylistic Analysis Example:

The following is a brief stylistic analysis of two Greek statues, an example of how style has changed because of the “essence of the age.” Over the years, sculptures of women started off as being plain and fully clothed with no distinct features, to the beautiful Venus/Aphrodite figures most people recognize today. In the mid-seventh century to the early fifth, life-sized standing marble statues of young women, often elaborately dress in gaily painted garments were created known as korai. The earliest korai is a Naxian women to Artemis. The statue wears a tight-fitted, belted peplos, giving the body a very plain look. The earliest korai wore the simpler Dorian peplos, which was a heavy woolen garment. From about 530, most wear a thinner, more elaborate, and brightly painted Ionic linen and himation. A largely contrasting Greek statue to the korai is the Venus de Milo. The Venus from head to toe is six feet seven inches tall. Her hips suggest that she has had several children. Though her body shows to be heavy, she still seems to almost be weightless. Viewing the Venus de Milo, she changes from side to side. From her right side she seems almost like a pillar and her leg bears most of the weight. She seems be firmly planted into the earth, and since she is looking at the left, her big features such as her waist define her. The Venus de Milo had a band around her right bicep. She had earrings that were brutally stolen, ripping her ears away. Venus was noted for loving necklaces, so it is very possibly she would have had one. It is also possible she had a tiara and bracelets. Venus was normally defined as “golden,” so her hair would have been painted. Two statues in the same region, have throughout history, changed in their style.

Compare and Contrast Essay

Most introductory art history classes will ask students to write a compare and contrast essay about two pieces – examples include comparing and contrasting a medieval to a renaissance painting. It is always best to start with smaller comparisons between the two works of art such as the medium of the piece. Then the comparison can include attention to detail so use of color, subject matter, or iconography. Do the same for contrasting the two pieces – start small. After the foundation is set move on to the analysis and what these comparisons or contrasting material mean – ‘what is the bigger picture here?’ Consider why one artist would wish to show the same subject matter in a different way, how, when, etc are all questions to ask in the compare and contrast essay. If during an exam it would be best to quickly outline the points to make before tackling writing the essay.

Compare and Contrast Example:

Stele of Hammurabi from Susa (modern Shush, Iran), ca. 1792 – 1750 BCE, Basalt, height of stele approx. 7’ height of relief 28’

Stele, relief sculpture, Art as propaganda – Hammurabi shows that his law code is approved by the gods, depiction of land in background, Hammurabi on the same place of importance as the god, etc.

Top of this stele shows the relief image of Hammurabi receiving the law code from Shamash, god of justice, Code of Babylonian social law, only two figures shown, different area and time period, etc.

Stele of Naram-sin , Sippar Found at Susa c. 2220 - 2184 bce. Limestone, height 6'6"

Stele, relief sculpture, Example of propaganda because the ruler (like the Stele of Hammurabi) shows his power through divine authority, Naramsin is the main character due to his large size, depiction of land in background, etc.

Akkadian art, made of limestone, the stele commemorates a victory of Naramsin, multiple figures are shown specifically soldiers, different area and time period, etc.

Iconography

Regardless of what essay approach you take in class it is absolutely necessary to understand how to analyze the iconography of a work of art and to incorporate into your paper. Iconography is defined as subject matter, what the image means. For example, why do things such as a small dog in a painting in early Northern Renaissance paintings represent sexuality? Additionally, how can an individual perhaps identify these motifs that keep coming up?

The following is a list of symbols and their meaning in Marriage a la Mode by William Hogarth (1743) that is a series of six paintings that show the story of marriage in Hogarth’s eyes.

• Man has pockets turned out symbolizing he has lost money and was recently in a fight by the state of his clothes.
• Lap dog shows loyalty but sniffs at woman’s hat in the husband’s pocket showing sexual exploits.
• Black dot on husband’s neck believed to be symbol of syphilis.
• Mantel full of ugly Chinese porcelain statues symbolizing that the couple has no class.
• Butler had to go pay bills, you can tell this by the distasteful look on his face and that his pockets are stuffed with bills and papers.
• Card game just finished up, women has directions to game under foot, shows her easily cheating nature.
• Paintings of saints line a wall of the background room, isolated from the living, shows the couple’s complete disregard to faith and religion.
• The dangers of sexual excess are underscored in the Hograth by placing Cupid among ruins, foreshadowing the inevitable ruin of the marriage.
• Eventually the series (other five paintings) shows that the woman has an affair, the men duel and die, the woman hangs herself and the father takes her ring off her finger symbolizing the one thing he could salvage from the marriage.

What Was Your First Memorable Experience at a Museum?

Have you ever had a magical moment with art.

Emma Holter | September 9, 2015 | 5 min read

Whether it happens on a school field trip or wandering by chance into a local art museum, everyone has a story about their first memorable encounter with art.

My first experience was actually at the Getty. My mother is one of the Getty Museum’s conservators, and it was because of her that I grew up surrounded by the Getty’s collection. I was maybe three or four (that’s me in the picture above), and I remember being mesmerized by Lawrence Alma-Tadema’s Spring . I imagined myself as one of the little girls carrying a basket of flowers through the marbled streets, and wearing a crown of flowers in my hair.

At that age, for me art captured a fantasy world, one that was more marvelous and enchanting than I could have ever imagined. As my mom led me through the Getty’s galleries, I would pretend to get lost in the landscapes, and imagine what it was like to be one of the people painted in the portraits.

What was your first experience? To hear more perspectives, I recently asked members of the Getty to share their first memorable experience at a museum.

Their stories give a behind-the-scenes look at the individuals who work at the museum and the meaningful, transformative experiences they have had with art. The fact that so many of these stories are set in childhood or adolescence demonstrates to me how important, enriching, and valuable it is to be exposed to art at an early age. These experiences created a foundation to pursue a career in the arts, and to continue a lifelong love for art.

A Chivalrous Child

As a five-year old I went with my parents to see the Hermitage Museum in what was then Leningrad. Or rather, my parents went to see it and took me along. They seemed to get lost—and I was about to lose it!—in the Old Master paintings, and particularly the Impressionist galleries. I constantly had to remind them that there is much cooler stuff to look at, namely the vast armory with its rows of full-body metal suits for knights! In her diary my mother complained that because of me she didn’t get to see more Monets. To this day, having worked mostly with ancient sculpture, I still have a preference for three-dimensional art. —Jens Daehner, associate curator of antiquities, Getty Museum

Roaming Free

I grew up in a small town with an important glass museum. When there was a big flood, they rebuilt the museum in a modified wheel shape with the highlighted objects in the center and more and more objects (different time periods, parts of the world, etc.) as you went further down the various spokes. I remember loving that idea, that you could skim over some things and then see everything in other areas, with choice guiding your exploration. I was allowed to roam free and pick my fancy depending on my mood (we went there a lot!).

Later in life, I fully understood the importance of looking at art with children when I took my young daughter to LACMA to look at the Altmann Klimts after they were reclaimed and before they were dispersed.  I remember to this day getting down on one knee, head to head, seeing from her vantage point, picture by picture, while we talked about what she saw. Magic. — Quincy Houghton, associate director for exhibitions, Getty Museum

Wanting More Time

As a child, I enjoyed three things: itineraries, beauty, and elephants. One year, as part of a school trip to Washington, D.C., my class was given a few hours to freely wander any one of the Smithsonian museums. I remember being perplexed as to why more time (read days) was not allotted to be able to mindfully visit these great institutions. Seeing this as a challenge, my chaperoning grandmother and I raced Ferris Bueller-style through the National Museums of Natural History, American History, and parts of the National Gallery. I knew exactly what I wanted to see and how to navigate the museum galleries thanks to Encyclopedia Britannica’s fold-out maps. Hours later and completely out of breath, we managed to see the Hope Diamond, the First Ladies’ gowns, Leonardo’s Ginevra de’ Benci , and of course the Fénykövi Elephant. That same spirit of adventure and discovery — and a desire to maximize every moment in a museum (but no longer at a sprint pace) — continues to guide my engagement with art and with visitors at the Getty. —Bryan Keene, assistant curator of manuscripts, Getty Museum

From Long Beach to the Getty

When I was a child, each Sunday in the summers my parents used to take us to a park in Long Beach that is right on the ocean. There they would meet up with longtime friends for a weekly picnic.  While the parents played cards and bocce (lawn bowling), the kids would run off to the beach and enjoy the water. This was in the days when parents would let their kids wander off alone.

The summer when I was about 10, I wandered off alone one afternoon and into the Long Beach Museum of Art, which was practically across the street. That summer the Museum had an exhibition of videos from its collection, and I was mesmerized. I literally spent hours and multiple subsequent weekends at the museum. And, each summer thereafter, I would spend my Sunday afternoons at the Long Beach Museum of Art. Ironically, those videos I saw so many years ago are now in the collection of the Getty Research Institute, having been acquired from the Long Beach Museum of Art in 2006. —John Giurini, assistant director for Public Affairs, J. Paul Getty Museum

Walking into the Middle Ages

When I was eight years old, my family moved to Kansas City, Missouri, just blocks away from the wonderful Nelson-Atkins Museum. It was one of the first places we visited after the move, and I remember literally walking into the Middle Ages—a complete cloister from fourteenth-century France. It was an immersive art experience. I remember feeling the stone (probably not allowed, but I was eight!), the low lights, seeing the delicate tracery carving, and weaving in and out of the spaces, imagining monks doing the same. It was like being transported to another world, and I still carry that feeling of wonder with me today when I experience medieval art. —Elizabeth Morrison, senior curator of manuscripts, J. Paul Getty Museum

As Soon As I Got My License…

I didn’t grow up going to art museums, not that I remember. But as soon as I had my driver’s license, I started visiting the Art Institute of Chicago with friends. It’s the museum where I have spent the most time and whose collection I know best—so well that I can visualize works that I remember well but whose names I never really learned, such as Chagall’s America Windows. For me, art museums have always evoked independence, and being able to choose how and with whom I spend my time. —Michele Ciaccio, managing editor, Getty Research Institute Publications

One Mile to LACMA

Growing up in L.A., we went to museums a lot . My dad would circle highlights in the members’ magazines (we were members of everything) and march my sister and me through the masterpieces, reading the texts aloud for our edification. At age 9, I did not want to be edified. I wanted to wander free, finding offbeat, mysterious, weird, touching, and funny things and unlocking their stories. Today I get to do that for a living.

After my dad died, I unearthed his enormous cache of museum takeaways — cards, photos, brochures, hundreds of scratched-up admission pins. Taking us to museums meant a lot to him. He grew up as a Lutheran minister’s son in Indiana, always longing for another museum trip to Chicago. In L.A., he could share the culture of the entire world with us, and all we had to do was drive a mile to LACMA. —Annelisa Stephan, manager for digital engagement, Getty Trust

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About The Author

Emma holter.

I'm a junior at New York University majoring in art history with a minor in creative writing. I essentially grew up at the Getty, but this past summer I was lucky enough to be a volunteer in the Museum's Social Media Department and the Manuscripts Department.

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This blog post was fascinating, it’s always wonderful to see how childhood passions can shape a persons path in life.

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stonepaste in syria and iran in the twelfth and early thirteenth centuries, ceramics in the french renaissance, cerro sechín, cerro sechín: stone sculpture, the cesnola collection at the metropolitan museum of art, charles eames (1907–1978) and ray eames (1913–1988), charles frederick worth (1825–1895) and the house of worth, charles james (1906–1978), charles sheeler (1883–1965), chauvet cave (ca. 30,000 b.c.), childe hassam (1859–1935), chinese buddhist sculpture, chinese calligraphy, chinese cloisonné, chinese gardens and collectors’ rocks, chinese handscrolls, chinese hardstone carvings, chinese painting, the chiton, peplos, and himation in modern dress, the chopine, christian dior (1905–1957), christopher dresser (1834–1904), classical antiquity in the middle ages, classical art and modern dress, classical cyprus (ca. 480–ca. 310 b.c.), classicism in modern dress, claude lorrain (1604/5–1682), claude monet (1840–1926), coffee, tea, and chocolate in early colonial america, collecting for the kunstkammer, colonial kero cups, colossal temples of the roman near east, commedia dell’arte, company painting in nineteenth-century india, conceptual art and photography, constantinople after 1261, contemporary deconstructions of classical dress, contexts for the display of statues in classical antiquity, cosmic buddhas in the himalayas, costume in the metropolitan museum of art, the countess da castiglione, courtly art of the ilkhanids, courtship and betrothal in the italian renaissance, cristobal balenciaga (1895–1972), the croome court tapestry room, worcestershire, the crucifixion and passion of christ in italian painting, the crusades (1095–1291), the cult of the virgin mary in the middle ages, cut and engraved glass from islamic lands, cyprus—island of copper, daguerre (1787–1851) and the invention of photography, the daguerreian age in france: 1839–55, the daguerreian era and early american photography on paper, 1839–60, the damascus room, daniel chester french (1850–1931), daoism and daoist art, david octavius hill (1802–1870) and robert adamson (1821–1848), death, burial, and the afterlife in ancient greece, the decoration of arms and armor, the decoration of european armor, the decoration of tibetan arms and armor, design reform, design, 1900–1925, design, 1925–50, design, 1950–75, design, 1975–2000, the development of the recorder, direct versus indirect casting of small bronzes in the italian renaissance, divination and senufo sculpture in west africa, domenichino (1581–1641), domestic art in renaissance italy, donatello (ca. 1386–1466), drawing in the middle ages, dress rehearsal: the origins of the costume institute, dressing for the cocktail hour, dualism in andean art, duncan phyfe (1770–1854) and charles-honoré lannuier (1779–1819), dutch and flemish artists in rome, 1500–1600, eagles after the american revolution, early cycladic art and culture, early documentary photography, early dynastic sculpture, 2900–2350 b.c., early excavations in assyria, early histories of photography in west africa (1860–1910), early maori wood carvings, early modernists and indian traditions, early netherlandish painting, early photographers of the american west: 1860s–70s, early qur’ans (8th–early 13th century), east and west: chinese export porcelain, east asian cultural exchange in tiger and dragon paintings, easter island, eastern religions in the roman world, ebla in the third millennium b.c., edgar degas (1834–1917): bronze sculpture, edgar degas (1834–1917): painting and drawing, edo-period japanese porcelain, édouard baldus (1813–1889), édouard manet (1832–1883), edward hopper (1882–1967), edward j. steichen (1879–1973): the photo-secession years, edward lycett (1833–1910), egypt in the late period (ca. 664–332 b.c.), egypt in the middle kingdom (ca. 2030–1650 b.c.), egypt in the new kingdom (ca. 1550–1070 b.c.), egypt in the old kingdom (ca. 2649–2130 b.c.), egypt in the ptolemaic period, egypt in the third intermediate period (ca. 1070–664 b.c.), egyptian faience: technology and production, egyptian modern art, egyptian red gold, egyptian revival, egyptian tombs: life along the nile, eighteenth-century european dress, the eighteenth-century pastel portrait, eighteenth-century silhouette and support, eighteenth-century women painters in france, el greco (1541–1614), élisabeth louise vigée le brun (1755–1842), elizabethan england, elsa schiaparelli (1890–1973), empire style, 1800–1815, the empires of the western sudan, the empires of the western sudan: ghana empire, the empires of the western sudan: mali empire, the empires of the western sudan: songhai empire, enameled and gilded glass from islamic lands, english embroidery of the late tudor and stuart eras, english ornament prints and furniture books in eighteenth-century america, english silver, 1600–1800, ernest hemingway (1899–1961) and art, ernst emil herzfeld (1879–1948) in persepolis, ernst emil herzfeld (1879–1948) in samarra, etching in eighteenth-century france: artists and amateurs, the etching revival in nineteenth-century france, ethiopia’s enduring cultural heritage, ethiopian healing scrolls, etruscan art, etruscan language and inscriptions, eugène atget (1857–1927), europe and the age of exploration, europe and the islamic world, 1600–1800, european clocks in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, european exploration of the pacific, 1600–1800, european revivalism, european tapestry production and patronage, 1400–1600, european tapestry production and patronage, 1600–1800, exchange of art and ideas: the benin, owo, and ijebu kingdoms, exoticism in the decorative arts, extravagant monstrosities: gold- and silversmith designs in the auricular style, eynan/ain mallaha (12,500–10,000 b.c.), fabricating sixteenth-century netherlandish boxwood miniatures, the face in medieval sculpture, famous makers of arms and armors and european centers of production, fashion in european armor, fashion in european armor, 1000–1300, fashion in european armor, 1300–1400, fashion in european armor, 1400–1500, fashion in european armor, 1500–1600, fashion in european armor, 1600–1700, fashion in safavid iran, fatimid jewelry, fell’s cave (9000–8000 b.c.), fernand léger (1881–1955), feudalism and knights in medieval europe, figural representation in islamic art, filippino lippi (ca. 1457–1504), fire gilding of arms and armor, the five wares of south italian vase painting, the flavian dynasty (69–96 a.d.), flemish harpsichords and virginals, flood stories, folios from the great mongol shahnama (book of kings), folios from the jami‘ al-tavarikh (compendium of chronicles), fontainebleau, food and drink in european painting, 1400–1800, foundations of aksumite civilization and its christian legacy (1st–8th century), fra angelico (ca. 1395–1455), francisco de goya (1746–1828) and the spanish enlightenment, françois boucher (1703–1770), frank lloyd wright (1867–1959), frans hals (1582/83–1666), frederic edwin church (1826–1900), frederic remington (1861–1909), frederick william macmonnies (1863–1937), the french academy in rome, french art deco, french art pottery, french decorative arts during the reign of louis xiv (1654–1715), french faience, french furniture in the eighteenth century: case furniture, french furniture in the eighteenth century: seat furniture, french porcelain in the eighteenth century, french silver in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, frescoes and wall painting in late byzantine art, from geometric to informal gardens in the eighteenth century, from italy to france: gardens in the court of louis xiv and after, from model to monument: american public sculpture, 1865–1915, the fulani/fulbe people, the function of armor in medieval and renaissance europe, funerary vases in southern italy and sicily, furnishings during the reign of louis xiv (1654–1715), gabrielle “coco” chanel (1883–1971) and the house of chanel, gardens in the french renaissance, gardens of western europe, 1600–1800, genre painting in northern europe, geometric abstraction, geometric and archaic cyprus, geometric art in ancient greece, geometric patterns in islamic art, george inness (1825–1894), george washington: man, myth, monument, georges seurat (1859–1891) and neo-impressionism, georgia o’keeffe (1887–1986), gerard david (born about 1455, died 1523), german and austrian porcelain in the eighteenth century, the ghent altarpiece, gian lorenzo bernini (1598–1680), gilbert stuart (1755–1828), giovanni battista piranesi (1720–1778), giovanni battista tiepolo (1696–1770), gladiators: types and training, glass from islamic lands, glass ornaments in late antiquity and early islam (ca. 500–1000), glass with mold-blown decoration from islamic lands, the gods and goddesses of canaan, gold in ancient egypt, gold in asante courtly arts, gold in the ancient americas, gold of the indies, the golden age of french furniture in the eighteenth century, the golden harpsichord of michele todini (1616–1690), golden treasures: the royal tombs of silla, goryeo celadon, the grand tour, the graphic art of max klinger, great plains indians musical instruments, great serpent mound, great zimbabwe (11th–15th century), the greater ottoman empire, 1600–1800, greek art in the archaic period, greek gods and religious practices, greek hydriai (water jars) and their artistic decoration, the greek key and divine attributes in modern dress, greek terracotta figurines with articulated limbs, gustave courbet (1819–1877), gustave le gray (1820–1884), hagia sophia, 532–37, the halaf period (6500–5500 b.c.), han dynasty (206 b.c.–220 a.d.), hanae mori (1926–2022), hans talhoffer’s fight book, a sixteenth-century manuscript about the art of fighting, harry burton (1879–1940): the pharaoh’s photographer, hasanlu in the iron age, haute couture, heian period (794–1185), hellenistic and roman cyprus, hellenistic jewelry, hendrick goltzius (1558–1617), henri cartier-bresson (1908–2004), henri de toulouse-lautrec (1864–1901), henri matisse (1869–1954), henry kirke brown (1814–1886), john quincy adams ward (1830–1910), and realism in american sculpture, heroes in italian mythological prints, hinduism and hindu art, hippopotami in ancient egypt, hiram powers (1805–1873), the hittites, the holy roman empire and the habsburgs, 1400–1600, hopewell (1–400 a.d.), horse armor in europe, hot-worked glass from islamic lands, the house of jeanne hallée (1870–1924), the housemistress in new kingdom egypt: hatnefer, how medieval and renaissance tapestries were made, the hudson river school, hungarian silver, icons and iconoclasm in byzantium, the idea and invention of the villa, ife (from ca. 6th century), ife pre-pavement and pavement era (800–1000 a.d.), ife terracottas (1000–1400 a.d.), igbo-ukwu (ca. 9th century), images of antiquity in limoges enamels in the french renaissance, impressionism: art and modernity, in pursuit of white: porcelain in the joseon dynasty, 1392–1910, indian knoll (3000–2000 b.c.), indian textiles: trade and production, indigenous arts of the caribbean, industrialization and conflict in america: 1840–1875, the industrialization of french photography after 1860, inland niger delta, intellectual pursuits of the hellenistic age, intentional alterations of early netherlandish painting, interior design in england, 1600–1800, interiors imagined: folding screens, garments, and clothing stands, international pictorialism, internationalism in the tang dynasty (618–907), introduction to prehistoric art, 20,000–8000 b.c., the isin-larsa and old babylonian periods (2004–1595 b.c.), islamic arms and armor, islamic art and culture: the venetian perspective, islamic art of the deccan, islamic carpets in european paintings, italian painting of the later middle ages, italian porcelain in the eighteenth century, italian renaissance frames, ivory and boxwood carvings, 1450–1800, ivory carving in the gothic era, thirteenth–fifteenth centuries, jacopo dal ponte, called bassano (ca. 1510–1592), jade in costa rica, jade in mesoamerica, jain manuscript painting, jain sculpture, james cox (ca. 1723–1800): goldsmith and entrepreneur, james mcneill whistler (1834–1903), james mcneill whistler (1834–1903) as etcher, jan gossart (ca. 1478–1532) and his circle, jan van eyck (ca. 1390–1441), the japanese blade: technology and manufacture, japanese illustrated handscrolls, japanese incense, the japanese tea ceremony, japanese weddings in the edo period (1615–1868), japanese writing boxes, jasper johns (born 1930), jean antoine houdon (1741–1828), jean honoré fragonard (1732–1806), jean-baptiste carpeaux (1827–1875), jean-baptiste greuze (1725–1805), jewish art in late antiquity and early byzantium, jews and the arts in medieval europe, jews and the decorative arts in early modern italy, jiahu (ca. 7000–5700 b.c.), joachim tielke (1641–1719), joan miró (1893–1983), johannes vermeer (1632–1675), johannes vermeer (1632–1675) and the milkmaid, john constable (1776–1837), john frederick kensett (1816–1872), john singer sargent (1856–1925), john singleton copley (1738–1815), john townsend (1733–1809), jōmon culture (ca. 10,500–ca. 300 b.c.), joseon buncheong ware: between celadon and porcelain, joseph mallord william turner (1775–1851), juan de flandes (active by 1496, died 1519), julia margaret cameron (1815–1879), the julio-claudian dynasty (27 b.c.–68 a.d.), kamakura and nanbokucho periods (1185–1392), the kano school of painting, kingdoms of madagascar: malagasy funerary arts, kingdoms of madagascar: malagasy textile arts, kingdoms of madagascar: maroserana and merina, kingdoms of the savanna: the kuba kingdom, kingdoms of the savanna: the luba and lunda empires, kings and queens of egypt, kings of brightness in japanese esoteric buddhist art, the kirtlington park room, oxfordshire, the kithara in ancient greece, kodak and the rise of amateur photography, kofun period (ca. 300–710), kongo ivories, korean buddhist sculpture (5th–9th century), korean munbangdo paintings, kushan empire (ca. second century b.c.–third century a.d.), la venta: sacred architecture, la venta: stone sculpture, the labors of herakles, lacquerware of east asia, landscape painting in chinese art, landscape painting in the netherlands, the lansdowne dining room, london, lapita pottery (ca. 1500–500 b.c.), lascaux (ca. 15,000 b.c.), late eighteenth-century american drawings, late medieval german sculpture, late medieval german sculpture: images for the cult and for private devotion, late medieval german sculpture: materials and techniques, late medieval german sculpture: polychromy and monochromy, the later ottomans and the impact of europe, le colis de trianon-versailles and paris openings, the legacy of genghis khan, the legacy of jacques louis david (1748–1825), leonardo da vinci (1452–1519), letterforms and writing in contemporary art, life of jesus of nazareth, life of the buddha, list of rulers of ancient egypt and nubia, list of rulers of ancient sudan, list of rulers of byzantium, list of rulers of china, list of rulers of europe, list of rulers of japan, list of rulers of korea, list of rulers of mesopotamia, list of rulers of south asia, list of rulers of the ancient greek world, list of rulers of the islamic world, list of rulers of the parthian empire, list of rulers of the roman empire, list of rulers of the sasanian empire, lithography in the nineteenth century, longevity in chinese art, louis comfort tiffany (1848–1933), louis-rémy robert (1810–1882), lovers in italian mythological prints, the lure of montmartre, 1880–1900, luxury arts of rome, lydenburg heads (ca. 500 a.d.), lydia and phrygia, made in india, found in egypt: red sea textile trade in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, made in italy: italian fashion from 1950 to now, the magic of signs and patterns in north african art, maiolica in the renaissance, mal’ta (ca. 20,000 b.c.), mangarevan sculpture, the manila galleon trade (1565–1815), mannerism: bronzino (1503–1572) and his contemporaries, the mantiq al-tair (language of the birds) of 1487, manuscript illumination in italy, 1400–1600, manuscript illumination in northern europe, mapungubwe (ca. 1050–1270), marcel duchamp (1887–1968), mary stevenson cassatt (1844–1926), the master of monte oliveto (active about 1305–35), the materials and techniques of american quilts and coverlets, the materials and techniques of english embroidery of the late tudor and stuart eras, mauryan empire (ca. 323–185 b.c.), medicine in classical antiquity, medicine in the middle ages, medieval aquamanilia, medieval european sculpture for buildings, medusa in ancient greek art, mendicant orders in the medieval world, the mesoamerican ballgame, mesopotamian creation myths, mesopotamian deities, mesopotamian magic in the first millennium b.c., the metropolitan museum’s excavations at nishapur, the metropolitan museum’s excavations at ctesiphon, the metropolitan museum’s excavations at qasr-i abu nasr, michiel sweerts and biblical subjects in dutch art, the middle babylonian / kassite period (ca. 1595–1155 b.c.) in mesopotamia, military music in american and european traditions, ming dynasty (1368–1644), minoan crete, mission héliographique, 1851, miyake, kawakubo, and yamamoto: japanese fashion in the twentieth century, moche decorated ceramics, moche portrait vessels, modern and contemporary art in iran, modern art in india, modern art in west and east pakistan, modern art in west asia: colonial to post-colonial, modern materials: plastics, modern storytellers: romare bearden, jacob lawrence, faith ringgold, momoyama period (1573–1615), monasticism in western medieval europe, the mon-dvaravati tradition of early north-central thailand, the mongolian tent in the ilkhanid period, monte albán, monte albán: sacred architecture, monte albán: stone sculpture, monumental architecture of the aksumite empire, the monumental stelae of aksum (3rd–4th century), mosaic glass from islamic lands, mountain and water: korean landscape painting, 1400–1800, muromachi period (1392–1573), music and art of china, music in ancient greece, music in the ancient andes, music in the renaissance, musical instruments of oceania, musical instruments of the indian subcontinent, musical terms for the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, mycenaean civilization, mystery cults in the greek and roman world, nabataean kingdom and petra, the nabis and decorative painting, nadar (1820–1910), the nahal mishmar treasure, nature in chinese culture, the nature of islamic art, the neoclassical temple, neoclassicism, neolithic period in china, nepalese painting, nepalese sculpture, netsuke: from fashion fobs to coveted collectibles, new caledonia, the new documentary tradition in photography, new ireland, new vision photography, a new visual language transmitted across asia, the new york dutch room, nicolas poussin (1594–1665), nineteenth-century american drawings, nineteenth-century american folk art, nineteenth-century american jewelry, nineteenth-century american silver, nineteenth-century classical music, nineteenth-century court arts in india, nineteenth-century english silver, nineteenth-century european textile production, nineteenth-century french realism, nineteenth-century iran: art and the advent of modernity, nineteenth-century iran: continuity and revivalism, nineteenth-century silhouette and support, nok terracottas (500 b.c.–200 a.d.), northern italian renaissance painting, northern mannerism in the early sixteenth century, northern song dynasty (960–1127), northwest coast indians musical instruments, the nude in baroque and later art, the nude in the middle ages and the renaissance, the nude in western art and its beginnings in antiquity, nudity and classical themes in byzantine art, nuptial furnishings in the italian renaissance, the old assyrian period (ca. 2000–1600 b.c.), orientalism in nineteenth-century art, orientalism: visions of the east in western dress, the origins of writing, ottonian art, pablo picasso (1881–1973), pachmari hills (ca. 9000–3000 b.c.), painted funerary monuments from hellenistic alexandria, painting formats in east asian art, painting in italian choir books, 1300–1500, painting in oil in the low countries and its spread to southern europe, painting the life of christ in medieval and renaissance italy, paintings of love and marriage in the italian renaissance, paolo veronese (1528–1588), the papacy and the vatican palace, the papacy during the renaissance, papyrus in ancient egypt, papyrus-making in egypt, the parthian empire (247 b.c.–224 a.d.), pastoral charms in the french renaissance, patronage at the early valois courts (1328–1461), patronage at the later valois courts (1461–1589), patronage of jean de berry (1340–1416), paul cézanne (1839–1906), paul gauguin (1848–1903), paul klee (1879–1940), paul poiret (1879–1944), paul revere, jr. (1734–1818), paul strand (1890–1976), period of the northern and southern dynasties (386–581), peter paul rubens (1577–1640) and anthony van dyck (1599–1641): paintings, peter paul rubens (1577–1640) and anthony van dyck (1599–1641): works on paper, petrus christus (active by 1444, died 1475/76), the phoenicians (1500–300 b.c.), photographers in egypt, photography and surrealism, photography and the civil war, 1861–65, photography at the bauhaus, photography in düsseldorf, photography in europe, 1945–60, photography in postwar america, 1945-60, photography in the expanded field: painting, performance, and the neo-avant-garde, photojournalism and the picture press in germany, phrygia, gordion, and king midas in the late eighth century b.c., the piano: the pianofortes of bartolomeo cristofori (1655–1731), the piano: viennese instruments, pictorialism in america, the pictures generation, pierre bonnard (1867–1947): the late interiors, pierre didot the elder (1761–1853), pieter bruegel the elder (ca. 1525–1569), pilgrimage in medieval europe, poetic allusions in the rajput and pahari painting of india, poets in italian mythological prints, poets, lovers, and heroes in italian mythological prints, polychrome sculpture in spanish america, polychromy of roman marble sculpture, popular religion: magical uses of imagery in byzantine art, portrait painting in england, 1600–1800, portraits of african leadership, portraits of african leadership: living rulers, portraits of african leadership: memorials, portraits of african leadership: royal ancestors, portraiture in renaissance and baroque europe, the portuguese in africa, 1415–1600, post-impressionism, postmodernism: recent developments in art in india, postmodernism: recent developments in art in pakistan and bangladesh, post-revolutionary america: 1800–1840, the postwar print renaissance in america, poverty point (2000–1000 b.c.), the praenestine cistae, prague during the rule of rudolf ii (1583–1612), prague, 1347–1437, pre-angkor traditions: the mekong delta and peninsular thailand, precisionism, prehistoric cypriot art and culture, prehistoric stone sculpture from new guinea, the pre-raphaelites, presidents of the united states of america, the print in the nineteenth century, the printed image in the west: aquatint, the printed image in the west: drypoint, the printed image in the west: engraving, the printed image in the west: etching, the printed image in the west: history and techniques, the printed image in the west: mezzotint, the printed image in the west: woodcut, printmaking in mexico, 1900–1950, private devotion in medieval christianity, profane love and erotic art in the italian renaissance, the pyramid complex of senwosret iii, dahshur, the pyramid complex of senwosret iii, dahshur: private tombs to the north, the pyramid complex of senwosret iii, dahshur: queens and princesses, the pyramid complex of senwosret iii, dahshur: temples, qin dynasty (221–206 b.c.), the qing dynasty (1644–1911): courtiers, officials, and professional artists, the qing dynasty (1644–1911): loyalists and individualists, the qing dynasty (1644–1911): painting, the qing dynasty (1644–1911): the traditionalists, the rag-dung, rare coins from nishapur, recognizing the gods, the rediscovery of classical antiquity, the reformation, relics and reliquaries in medieval christianity, religion and culture in north america, 1600–1700, the religious arts under the ilkhanids, the religious relationship between byzantium and the west, rembrandt (1606–1669): paintings, rembrandt van rijn (1606–1669): prints, renaissance drawings: material and function, renaissance keyboards, renaissance organs, renaissance velvet textiles, renaissance violins, retrospective styles in greek and roman sculpture, rinpa painting style, the rise of macedon and the conquests of alexander the great, the rise of modernity in south asia, the rise of paper photography in 1850s france, the rise of paper photography in italy, 1839–55, the rock-hewn churches of lalibela, roger fenton (1819–1869), the roman banquet, roman cameo glass, roman copies of greek statues, roman egypt, the roman empire (27 b.c.–393 a.d.), roman games: playing with animals, roman glass, roman gold-band glass, roman housing, roman inscriptions, roman luxury glass, roman mold-blown glass, roman mosaic and network glass, roman painting, roman portrait sculpture: republican through constantinian, roman portrait sculpture: the stylistic cycle, the roman republic, roman sarcophagi, roman stuccowork, romanesque art, romanticism, saint petersburg, saints and other sacred byzantine figures, saints in medieval christian art, the salon and the royal academy in the nineteenth century, san ethnography, sanford robinson gifford (1823–1880), the sasanian empire (224–651 a.d.), scenes of everyday life in ancient greece, scholar-officials of china, school of paris, seasonal imagery in japanese art, the seleucid empire (323–64 b.c.), senufo arts and poro initiation in northern côte d’ivoire, senufo sculpture from west africa: an influential exhibition at the museum of primitive art, new york, 1963, seventeenth-century european watches, the severan dynasty (193–235 a.d.), sèvres porcelain in the nineteenth century, shah ‘abbas and the arts of isfahan, the shah jahan album, the shahnama of shah tahmasp, shaker furniture, shakespeare and art, 1709–1922, shakespeare portrayed, shang and zhou dynasties: the bronze age of china, shoes in the costume institute, shōguns and art, shunga dynasty (ca. second–first century b.c.), sienese painting, silk textiles from safavid iran, 1501–1722, silks from ottoman turkey, silver in ancient egypt, sixteenth-century painting in emilia-romagna, sixteenth-century painting in lombardy, sixteenth-century painting in venice and the veneto, the solomon islands, south asian art and culture, southern italian vase painting, southern song dynasty (1127–1279), the spanish guitar, spiritual power in the arts of the toba batak, stained (luster-painted) glass from islamic lands, stained glass in medieval europe, still-life painting in northern europe, 1600–1800, still-life painting in southern europe, 1600–1800, the structure of photographic metaphors, students of benjamin west (1738–1820), the symposium in ancient greece, takht-i sulaiman and tilework in the ilkhanid period, talavera de puebla, tanagra figurines, tang dynasty (618–907), the technique of bronze statuary in ancient greece, techniques of decoration on arms and armor, telling time in ancient egypt, tenochtitlan, tenochtitlan: templo mayor, teotihuacan: mural painting, teotihuacan: pyramids of the sun and the moon, textile production in europe: embroidery, 1600–1800, textile production in europe: lace, 1600–1800, textile production in europe: printed, 1600–1800, textile production in europe: silk, 1600–1800, theater and amphitheater in the roman world, theater in ancient greece, theseus, hero of athens, thomas chippendale’s gentleman and cabinet-maker’s director, thomas cole (1801–1848), thomas eakins (1844–1916): painting, thomas eakins (1844–1916): photography, 1880s–90s, thomas hart benton’s america today mural, thomas sully (1783–1872) and queen victoria, tibetan arms and armor, tibetan buddhist art, tikal: sacred architecture, tikal: stone sculpture, time of day on painted athenian vases, tiraz: inscribed textiles from the early islamic period, titian (ca. 1485/90–1576), the tomb of wah, trade and commercial activity in the byzantine and early islamic middle east, trade and the spread of islam in africa, trade between arabia and the empires of rome and asia, trade between the romans and the empires of asia, trade relations among european and african nations, trade routes between europe and asia during antiquity, traditional chinese painting in the twentieth century, the transatlantic slave trade, the transformation of landscape painting in france, the trans-saharan gold trade (7th–14th century), turkmen jewelry, turquoise in ancient egypt, tutankhamun’s funeral, tutsi basketry, twentieth-century silhouette and support, the ubaid period (5500–4000 b.c.), ubirr (ca. 40,000–present), umberto boccioni (1882–1916), unfinished works in european art, ca. 1500–1900, ur: the royal graves, ur: the ziggurat, uruk: the first city, valdivia figurines, vegetal patterns in islamic art, velázquez (1599–1660), venetian color and florentine design, venice and the islamic world, 828–1797, venice and the islamic world: commercial exchange, diplomacy, and religious difference, venice in the eighteenth century, venice’s principal muslim trading partners: the mamluks, the ottomans, and the safavids, the vibrant role of mingqi in early chinese burials, the vikings (780–1100), vincent van gogh (1853–1890), vincent van gogh (1853–1890): the drawings, violin makers: nicolò amati (1596–1684) and antonio stradivari (1644–1737), visual culture of the atlantic world, vivienne westwood (born 1941) and the postmodern legacy of punk style, wadi kubbaniya (ca. 17,000–15,000 b.c.), walker evans (1903–1975), wang hui (1632–1717), warfare in ancient greece, watercolor painting in britain, 1750–1850, ways of recording african history, weddings in the italian renaissance, west asia: ancient legends, modern idioms, west asia: between tradition and modernity, west asia: postmodernism, the diaspora, and women artists, william blake (1757–1827), william henry fox talbot (1800–1877) and the invention of photography, william merritt chase (1849–1916), winslow homer (1836–1910), wisteria dining room, paris, women artists in nineteenth-century france, women china decorators, women in classical greece, women leaders in african history, 17th–19th century, women leaders in african history: ana nzinga, queen of ndongo, women leaders in african history: dona beatriz, kongo prophet, women leaders in african history: idia, first queen mother of benin, woodblock prints in the ukiyo-e style, woodcut book illustration in renaissance italy: florence in the 1490s, woodcut book illustration in renaissance italy: the first illustrated books, woodcut book illustration in renaissance italy: venice in the 1490s, woodcut book illustration in renaissance italy: venice in the sixteenth century, wordplay in twentieth-century prints, work and leisure: eighteenth-century genre painting in korea, x-ray style in arnhem land rock art, yamato-e painting, yangban: the cultural life of the joseon literati, yayoi culture (ca. 300 b.c.–300 a.d.), the year one, years leading to the iranian revolution, 1960–79, yuan dynasty (1271–1368), zen buddhism, 0 && essaysctrl.themev == 'departments / collections' && essaysctrl.deptv == null">, departments / collections '">.

Art History

What this handout is about.

This handout discusses a few common assignments found in art history courses. To help you better understand those assignments, this handout highlights key strategies for approaching and analyzing visual materials.

Writing in art history

Evaluating and writing about visual material uses many of the same analytical skills that you have learned from other fields, such as history or literature. In art history, however, you will be asked to gather your evidence from close observations of objects or images. Beyond painting, photography, and sculpture, you may be asked to write about posters, illustrations, coins, and other materials.

Even though art historians study a wide range of materials, there are a few prevalent assignments that show up throughout the field. Some of these assignments (and the writing strategies used to tackle them) are also used in other disciplines. In fact, you may use some of the approaches below to write about visual sources in classics, anthropology, and religious studies, to name a few examples.

This handout describes three basic assignment types and explains how you might approach writing for your art history class.Your assignment prompt can often be an important step in understanding your course’s approach to visual materials and meeting its specific expectations. Start by reading the prompt carefully, and see our handout on understanding assignments for some tips and tricks.

Three types of assignments are discussed below:

• Visual analysis essays
• Comparison essays
• Research papers

1. Visual analysis essays

Visual analysis essays often consist of two components. First, they include a thorough description of the selected object or image based on your observations. This description will serve as your “evidence” moving forward. Second, they include an interpretation or argument that is built on and defended by this visual evidence.

Formal analysis is one of the primary ways to develop your observations. Performing a formal analysis requires describing the “formal” qualities of the object or image that you are describing (“formal” here means “related to the form of the image,” not “fancy” or “please, wear a tuxedo”). Formal elements include everything from the overall composition to the use of line, color, and shape. This process often involves careful observations and critical questions about what you see.

Pre-writing: observations and note-taking

To assist you in this process, the chart below categorizes some of the most common formal elements. It also provides a few questions to get you thinking.

Let’s try this out with an example. You’ve been asked to write a formal analysis of the painting, George Morland’s Pigs and Piglets in a Sty , ca. 1800 (created in Britain and now in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond).

What do you notice when you see this image? First, you might observe that this is a painting. Next, you might ask yourself some of the following questions: what kind of paint was used, and what was it painted on? How has the artist applied the paint? What does the scene depict, and what kinds of figures (an art-historical term that generally refers to humans) or animals are present? What makes these animals similar or different? How are they arranged? What colors are used in this painting? Are there any colors that pop out or contrast with the others? What might the artist have been trying to accomplish by adding certain details?

What other questions come to mind while examining this work? What kinds of topics come up in class when you discuss paintings like this one? Consider using your class experiences as a model for your own description! This process can be lengthy, so expect to spend some time observing the artwork and brainstorming.

Here is an example of some of the notes one might take while viewing Morland’s Pigs and Piglets in a Sty :

Composition

• The animals, four pigs total, form a gently sloping mound in the center of the painting.
• The upward mound of animals contrasts with the downward curve of the wooden fence.
• The gentle light, coming from the upper-left corner, emphasizes the animals in the center. The rest of the scene is more dimly lit.
• The composition is asymmetrical but balanced. The fence is balanced by the bush on the right side of the painting, and the sow with piglets is balanced by the pig whose head rests in the trough.
• Throughout the composition, the colors are generally muted and rather limited. Yellows, greens, and pinks dominate the foreground, with dull browns and blues in the background.
• Cool colors appear in the background, and warm colors appear in the foreground, which makes the foreground more prominent.
• Large areas of white with occasional touches of soft pink focus attention on the pigs.
• The paint is applied very loosely, meaning the brushstrokes don’t describe objects with exact details but instead suggest them with broad gestures.
• The ground has few details and appears almost abstract.
• The piglets emerge from a series of broad, almost indistinct, circular strokes.
• The painting contrasts angular lines and rectangles (some vertical, some diagonal) with the circular forms of the pig.
• The negative space created from the intersection of the fence and the bush forms a wide, inverted triangle that points downward. The point directs viewers’ attention back to the pigs.

Because these observations can be difficult to notice by simply looking at a painting, art history instructors sometimes encourage students to sketch the work that they’re describing. The image below shows how a sketch can reveal important details about the composition and shapes.

Writing: developing an interpretation

Once you have your descriptive information ready, you can begin to think critically about what the information in your notes might imply. What are the effects of the formal elements? How do these elements influence your interpretation of the object?

Your interpretation does not need to be earth-shatteringly innovative, but it should put forward an argument with which someone else could reasonably disagree. In other words, you should work on developing a strong analytical thesis about the meaning, significance, or effect of the visual material that you’ve described. For more help in crafting a strong argument, see our Thesis Statements handout .

For example, based on the notes above, you might draft the following thesis statement:

In Morland’s Pigs and Piglets in a Sty, the close proximity of the pigs to each other–evident in the way Morland has overlapped the pigs’ bodies and grouped them together into a gently sloping mound–and the soft atmosphere that surrounds them hints at the tranquility of their humble farm lives.

Or, you could make an argument about one specific formal element:

In Morland’s Pigs and Piglets in a Sty, the sharp contrast between rectilinear, often vertical, shapes and circular masses focuses viewers’ attention on the pigs, who seem undisturbed by their enclosure.

Support your claims

Your thesis statement should be defended by directly referencing the formal elements of the artwork. Try writing with enough specificity that someone who has not seen the work could imagine what it looks like. If you are struggling to find a certain term, try using this online art dictionary: Tate’s Glossary of Art Terms .

Your body paragraphs should explain how the elements work together to create an overall effect. Avoid listing the elements. Instead, explain how they support your analysis.

As an example, the following body paragraph illustrates this process using Morland’s painting:

Morland achieves tranquility not only by grouping animals closely but also by using light and shadow carefully. Light streams into the foreground through an overcast sky, in effect dappling the pigs and the greenery that encircles them while cloaking much of the surrounding scene. Diffuse and soft, the light creates gentle gradations of tone across pigs’ bodies rather than sharp contrasts of highlights and shadows. By modulating the light in such subtle ways, Morland evokes a quiet, even contemplative mood that matches the restful faces of the napping pigs.

This example paragraph follows the 5-step process outlined in our handout on paragraphs . The paragraph begins by stating the main idea, in this case that the artist creates a tranquil scene through the use of light and shadow. The following two sentences provide evidence for that idea. Because art historians value sophisticated descriptions, these sentences include evocative verbs (e.g., “streams,” “dappling,” “encircles”) and adjectives (e.g., “overcast,” “diffuse,” “sharp”) to create a mental picture of the artwork in readers’ minds. The last sentence ties these observations together to make a larger point about the relationship between formal elements and subject matter.

There are usually different arguments that you could make by looking at the same image. You might even find a way to combine these statements!

Remember, however you interpret the visual material (for example, that the shapes draw viewers’ attention to the pigs), the interpretation needs to be logically supported by an observation (the contrast between rectangular and circular shapes). Once you have an argument, consider the significance of these statements. Why does it matter if this painting hints at the tranquility of farm life? Why might the artist have tried to achieve this effect? Briefly discussing why these arguments matter in your thesis can help readers understand the overall significance of your claims. This step may even lead you to delve deeper into recurring themes or topics from class.

Tread lightly

Avoid generalizing about art as a whole, and be cautious about making claims that sound like universal truths. If you find yourself about to say something like “across cultures, blue symbolizes despair,” pause to consider the statement. Would all people, everywhere, from the beginning of human history to the present agree? How do you know? If you find yourself stating that “art has meaning,” consider how you could explain what you see as the specific meaning of the artwork.

Double-check your prompt. Do you need secondary sources to write your paper? Most visual analysis essays in art history will not require secondary sources to write the paper. Rely instead on your close observation of the image or object to inform your analysis and use your knowledge from class to support your argument. Are you being asked to use the same methods to analyze objects as you would for paintings? Be sure to follow the approaches discussed in class.

Some classes may use “description,” “formal analysis” and “visual analysis” as synonyms, but others will not. Typically, a visual analysis essay may ask you to consider how form relates to the social, economic, or political context in which these visual materials were made or exhibited, whereas a formal analysis essay may ask you to make an argument solely about form itself. If your prompt does ask you to consider contextual aspects, and you don’t feel like you can address them based on knowledge from the course, consider reading the section on research papers for further guidance.

2. Comparison essays

Comparison essays often require you to follow the same general process outlined in the preceding sections. The primary difference, of course, is that they ask you to deal with more than one visual source. These assignments usually focus on how the formal elements of two artworks compare and contrast with each other. Resist the urge to turn the essay into a list of similarities and differences.

Comparison essays differ in another important way. Because they typically ask you to connect the visual materials in some way or to explain the significance of the comparison itself, they may require that you comment on the context in which the art was created or displayed.

For example, you might have been asked to write a comparative analysis of the painting discussed in the previous section, George Morland’s Pigs and Piglets in a Sty (ca. 1800), and an unknown Vicús artist’s Bottle in the Form of a Pig (ca. 200 BCE–600 CE). Both works are illustrated below.

You can begin this kind of essay with the same process of observations and note-taking outlined above for formal analysis essays. Consider using the same questions and categories to get yourself started.

Here are some questions you might ask:

• What techniques were used to create these objects?
• How does the use of color in these two works compare? Is it similar or different?
• What can you say about the composition of the sculpture? How does the artist treat certain formal elements, for example geometry? How do these elements compare to and contrast with those found in the painting?
• How do these works represent their subjects? Are they naturalistic or abstract? How do these artists create these effects? Why do these similarities and differences matter?

As our handout on comparing and contrasting suggests, you can organize these thoughts into a Venn diagram or a chart to help keep the answers to these questions distinct.

For example, some notes on these two artworks have been organized into a chart:

As you determine points of comparison, think about the themes that you have discussed in class. You might consider whether the artworks display similar topics or themes. If both artworks include the same subject matter, for example, how does that similarity contribute to the significance of the comparison? How do these artworks relate to the periods or cultures in which they were produced, and what do those relationships suggest about the comparison? The answers to these questions can typically be informed by your knowledge from class lectures. How have your instructors framed the introduction of individual works in class? What aspects of society or culture have they emphasized to explain why specific formal elements were included or excluded? Once you answer your questions, you might notice that some observations are more important than others.

Writing: developing an interpretation that considers both sources

When drafting your thesis, go beyond simply stating your topic. A statement that says “these representations of pig-like animals have some similarities and differences” doesn’t tell your reader what you will argue in your essay.

To say more, based on the notes in the chart above, you might write the following thesis statement:

Although both artworks depict pig-like animals, they rely on different methods of representing the natural world.

Now you have a place to start. Next, you can say more about your analysis. Ask yourself: “so what?” Why does it matter that these two artworks depict pig-like animals? You might want to return to your class notes at this point. Why did your instructor have you analyze these two works in particular? How does the comparison relate to what you have already discussed in class? Remember, comparison essays will typically ask you to think beyond formal analysis.

While the comparison of a similar subject matter (pig-like animals) may influence your initial argument, you may find that other points of comparison (e.g., the context in which the objects were displayed) allow you to more fully address the matter of significance. Thinking about the comparison in this way, you can write a more complex thesis that answers the “so what?” question. If your class has discussed how artists use animals to comment on their social context, for example, you might explore the symbolic importance of these pig-like animals in nineteenth-century British culture and in first-millenium Vicús culture. What political, social, or religious meanings could these objects have generated? If you find yourself needing to do outside research, look over the final section on research papers below!

Supporting paragraphs

The rest of your comparison essay should address the points raised in your thesis in an organized manner. While you could try several approaches, the two most common organizational tactics are discussing the material “subject-by-subject” and “point-by-point.”

• Subject-by-subject: Organizing the body of the paper in this way involves writing everything that you want to say about Moreland’s painting first (in a series of paragraphs) before moving on to everything about the ceramic bottle (in a series of paragraphs). Using our example, after the introduction, you could include a paragraph that discusses the positioning of the animals in Moreland’s painting, another paragraph that describes the depiction of the pigs’ surroundings, and a third explaining the role of geometry in forming the animals. You would then follow this discussion with paragraphs focused on the same topics, in the same order, for the ancient South American vessel. You could then follow this discussion with a paragraph that synthesizes all of the information and explores the significance of the comparison.
• Point-by-point: This strategy, in contrast, involves discussing a single point of comparison or contrast for both objects at the same time. For example, in a single paragraph, you could examine the use of color in both of our examples. Your next paragraph could move on to the differences in the figures’ setting or background (or lack thereof).

As our use of “pig-like” in this section indicates, titles can be misleading. Many titles are assigned by curators and collectors, in some cases years after the object was produced. While the ceramic vessel is titled Bottle in the Form of a Pig , the date and location suggest it may depict a peccary, a pig-like species indigenous to Peru. As you gather information about your objects, think critically about things like titles and dates. Who assigned the title of the work? If it was someone other than the artist, why might they have given it that title? Don’t always take information like titles and dates at face value.

Be cautious about considering contextual elements not immediately apparent from viewing the objects themselves unless you are explicitly asked to do so (try referring back to the prompt or assignment description; it will often describe the expectation of outside research). You may be able to note that the artworks were created during different periods, in different places, with different functions. Even so, avoid making broad assumptions based on those observations. While commenting on these topics may only require some inference or notes from class, if your argument demands a large amount of outside research, you may be writing a different kind of paper. If so, check out the next section!

3. Research papers

Some assignments in art history ask you to do outside research (i.e., beyond both formal analysis and lecture materials). These writing assignments may ask you to contextualize the visual materials that you are discussing, or they may ask you to explore your material through certain theoretical approaches. More specifically, you may be asked to look at the object’s relationship to ideas about identity, politics, culture, and artistic production during the period in which the work was made or displayed. All of these factors require you to synthesize scholars’ arguments about the materials that you are analyzing. In many cases, you may find little to no research on your specific object. When facing this situation, consider how you can apply scholars’ insights about related materials and the period broadly to your object to form an argument. While we cannot cover all the possibilities here, we’ll highlight a few factors that your instructor may task you with investigating.

Iconography

Papers that ask you to consider iconography may require research on the symbolic role or significance of particular symbols (gestures, objects, etc.). For example, you may need to do some research to understand how pig-like animals are typically represented by the cultural group that made this bottle, the Vicús culture. For the same paper, you would likely research other symbols, notably the bird that forms part of the bottle’s handle, to understand how they relate to one another. This process may involve figuring out how these elements are presented in other artworks and what they mean more broadly.

Artistic style and stylistic period

You may also be asked to compare your object or painting to a particular stylistic category. To determine the typical traits of a style, you may need to hit the library. For example, which period style or stylistic trend does Moreland’s Pigs and Piglets in a Sty belong to? How well does the piece “fit” that particular style? Especially for works that depict the same or similar topics, how might their different styles affect your interpretation? Assignments that ask you to consider style as a factor may require that you do some research on larger historical or cultural trends that influenced the development of a particular style.

Provenance research asks you to find out about the “life” of the object itself. This research can include the circumstances surrounding the work’s production and its later ownership. For the two works discussed in this handout, you might research where these objects were originally displayed and how they ended up in the museum collections in which they now reside. What kind of argument could you develop with this information? For example, you might begin by considering that many bottles and jars resembling the Bottle in the Form of a Pig can be found in various collections of Pre-Columbian art around the world. Where do these objects originate? Do they come from the same community or region?

Patronage study

Prompts that ask you to discuss patronage might ask you to think about how, when, where, and why the patron (the person who commissions or buys the artwork or who supports the artist) acquired the object from the artist. The assignment may ask you to comment on the artist-patron relationship, how the work fit into a broader series of commissions, and why patrons chose particular artists or even particular subjects.

Additional resources

To look up recent articles, ask your librarian about the Art Index, RILA, BHA, and Avery Index. Check out www.lib.unc.edu/art/index.html for further information!

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Adams, Laurie Schneider. 2003. Looking at Art . Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Barnet, Sylvan. 2015. A Short Guide to Writing about Art , 11th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Tate Galleries. n.d. “Art Terms.” Accessed November 1, 2020. https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms .

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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General Advice For Composing An Essay About An Art Gallery

Teachers often ask students to write descriptive essays to improve their writing skills. Sometimes, they give students the opportunity to select any topics, but most frequently they provide students with exact subjects to write about. If you’re instructed to compose a descriptive paper about an art gallery, you may follow the tips below to complete your assignment successfully.

Steps to Take to Write an Impressive Paper

• Choose a specific gallery.

It’s advisable to write about a real gallery rather than about an imaginary place. This will allow you to create better descriptions and make your text more interesting for a person to read. You may pick a gallery from your hometown.

• Visit the gallery.

If you’ve never been to the gallery that you’re going to write about, you should visit it before you start writing. If you’ve seen the subject of your description essay for real, it’ll be much easier for you to succeed with your assignment.

• Write a thesis statement.

A thesis is a sentence that determines the purpose of a paper. It’s advisable to compose it before you start writing the actual paper because all your body paragraphs should be directly connected to your thesis statement.

• Outline your paper.

To structure your text properly, it’s advisable to plan its contents in advance. Divide your work into three main parts: an introduction, body, and conclusion. Then, you should indicate what you want to include in each part.

• Write your introduction.

In the first paragraph, you should present the subject of your description and explain why you decided to write about this particular gallery. The introduction should end with a clear thesis statement.

• Write your body paragraphs.

This is the part where you provide actual descriptions. Make sure to describe not only what you saw but also what you heard, sensed, and touched during your visit to the gallery. Try to describe everything gradually so that the reader understands your text clearly.

• Write your conclusion.

Here, you should summarize your points and write about the general impression that you’ve got from visiting the gallery. Indicate the importance of keeping art galleries and attending them once in a while.

Final Steps to Take

After the main work has been done, you should proofread your essay to make sure that there are no mistakes and format it in accordance with the requirements stated in your assignment guidelines. Make sure to complete your task and submit your paper in time to earn the highest score. Services that provide cheap term papers can help you a lot with that.

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Miriam and ira d. wallach art gallery.

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Moscow City, Spectacle, Capital of Photography

Nadia Michoustina Wallach Art Gallery, 2003 8 x 10", 88 pp., 46 b&w illus. ISBN 1-884919-13-8, Paper, $25

The history of photography, more than of the city, is traced through 34 monochrome works by photographers who lived and worked in Moscow from the 1920s to the present. These photographs are from the collection of the Cultural Center Dom, Moscow, and were exhibited at Columbia University April through June 2003. An essay, interview, and biographies are included.

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Tess Korobkin is the recipient of the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Patricia and Phillip Frost Essay Award for her article “Monumental Absence: Augusta Savage’s Unbuilt Monuments, 1931–1943 ,” which appeared in the fall 2023 issue (vol. 37, no. 3) of American Art , the museum’s peer-reviewed journal for new scholarship. Korobkin’s article focuses on sculptor Augusta Savage’s proposed monuments to Black American lives and histories, including memorials to transatlantic entertainer Florence Mills, author and civil rights leader James Weldon Johnson and the World War I service of the Harlem Hellfighters. While none of these works were ever constructed, Korobkin argues Savage’s unrealized public projects raise surprising new questions about how to approach absences in the U.S.-American memorial landscape through a history of what might have been. 

The jurors who awarded the $1,000 prize were Cherise Smith, the Joseph D. Jamail Chair in African American studies and professor in the African and African Diaspora studies and art and art history departments at the University of Texas at Austin; Shawn Michelle Smith, professor of visual and critical studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago; and Chon A. Noriega, distinguished professor in the department of film, television and digital media at the University of California, Los Angeles. All three are members of the journal’s editorial board.  The jurors praised Korobkin for her “masterful demonstration on how to conduct research and produce effective critical writing on absent subjects” noting that the text “significantly expands our understanding of Savage’s creative practice.” The panel believes Korobkin’s article “fills critical gaps in our understanding of both Augusta Savage’s work and the historiography of monuments in the United States, and effectively ties this historical work to contemporary conversations about public memory and the role public visual culture plays in shaping our imaginations both forward and backwards in time.”  The Frost Essay Award recognizes excellent scholarship in the field of American art history by honoring an essay published the previous year in American Art . Each year, the winning essay must advance the understanding of American art history and demonstrate original research and fresh ideas. The award, established in 2004, is made possible through the Patricia and Phillip Frost Endowment.

Korobkin is an alumna of the Smithsonian American Art Museum fellowship program and an assistant professor in the department of art history and archaeology at the University of Maryland, College Park.  This year, for the third time in the history of the award, the jury has given an honorable mention; it goes to Chad Elias for his article “ Islam and the Middle East in the United States: Claire Beckett’s ‘Simulating Iraq’ and ‘The Converts ,’” which also appeared in the fall 2023 issue of American Art . Elias’ essay discusses Beckett’s portraits and landscapes taken in U.S. military training centers, where fabricated Afghan and Iraqi villages help soldiers prepare for deployment. These images interrogate long held and widespread misconceptions of the region.  Elias is an associate professor in the department of art history at Dartmouth College. His research looks expansively across geographies and media to engage with debates about state-sponsored violence, archival knowledge and the epistemological claims of lens-based media.  

The journal American Art is part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s robust publication program of books and catalogs that complements the museum’s exhibitions and educational programs. Information about subscribing, purchasing single issues or submitting articles to the journal, which is published for the museum by the University of Chicago Press, is available online . A complete list of past Frost Essay Award winners and additional information about the award are available on the museum’s website .

About the Smithsonian American Art Museum and its Renwick Gallery

The Smithsonian American Art Museum is the flagship museum in the United States for American art and craft. It is home to one of the most significant and inclusive collections of American art in the world. The museum’s main building, located at Eighth and G streets N.W., is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. The museum’s Renwick Gallery, a branch museum dedicated to contemporary craft, is located on Pennsylvania Avenue at 17th Street N.W. and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Check online for current hours and admission information . Admission is free. Follow the museum on Facebook , Instagram , Twitter and YouTube . Smithsonian information: (202) 633-1000. Museum information (recorded): (202) 633-7970. Website: americanart.si.edu .

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Photo courtesy of Tess Korobkin

Photo courtesy of Chad Elias

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Essay on “a visit to an art gallery” for students and children, best essay, paragraph, speech for class 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12., a visit to an art gallery.

When I visited my brother who lives in Australia, he took me to a must-visit place — the National Art Gallery. Selva knew I was an amateur painter and hence, loved all types of paintings such as still-life abstracts and others.

It was the beginning of spring when I arrived in Canberra. The temperature was about 17 degrees Celsius and though my brother did not require warm clothing, I was all wrapped up — it was just too cold for me coming from a hot country like Indonesia. The National Art Gallery was located at the heart of the city surrounded by fountains and beautiful rose gardens.

There was no entrance charge and the architecture was both impressive and unique. There were many types of paintings on display based on the painters’ country of origin, ethnicity and even the theme of the painting. The paintings on display were categorized into Asian, Aboriginal (native Australian painters) and Caucasian (white painters from Australia, America, United Kingdom and other western countries). I estimated at least a thousand paintings on display, a far cry from our own Art Gallery in Indonesia. the painters ranged from the most experienced to the amateur ones. There was even a section where paintings by Art students were on display and I must say, the quality and the sheer imagination of the painters despite being mere students, were breathtaking.

I was most impressed by the aboriginal paintings. There is a sad history that surrounds the natives of Australia. When the white settlers mostly from the United Kingdom came to Australia in the 19th century, it was inhabited by natives. A violent confrontation ensued between these two ethnic groups. Most of the children of the aboriginals were forcibly taken away from their parents and brought up by white parents. the adults were taken to settlements where there was hardly any cultural inter-mingling. The children of the natives were known as the stolen generation named such because they were deprived of the opportunity to grow up with their family. Some of the paintings depicted this theme. They were heart-wrenching which moved me to tears.

The paintings covered many themes such as landscapes during the colonial period, scenes of mountains, oceans, and festivals among others. Since it was a public holiday, the gallery was crowded with students, parents, and their children. It was amazing to see even small children appreciating such abstract paintings. The price of paintings almost made me faint. They ranged from AUS$1500 to a few million Australian dollars! It was such a huge display of paintings that I was sure the government must have paid big sums of money to purchase these works of art. After three hours I was tired yet refreshed by the visit.

We later adjourned for tea and pies at a cafe located on the third floor of the building. I told my brother of my intention to contact some of the Australian artists for comments and display my own paintings which I had brought along. He told me that the Australian painters were very humble and helpful. I made up my mind to contact them the following day.

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Celebrate Black History Month 2024

African American artists — poets, writers, visual artists, and dancers — have historically served as change agents through their crafts.

Drawn from their ancestors' ancient rites of passage and the shared hopes of liberty, Black artists continue to fuse the rhythmic cadence of creative expressions with the pulsating beats of progress. Our museum celebrates Black History Month 2024 by highlighting the "art of resistance" and the artists who used their crafts to uplift the race, speak truth to power and inspire a nation.

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Artists are the gatekeepers of truth. We are civilization’s radical voice. Paul Robeson (1898-1976) Concert artist, actor, athlete and activist

Whether digital, literary, visual or performing arts, Black trailblazers and innovators revolutionized their fields, often transforming them by pioneering new techniques and styles. Through art, important issues and figures in African American history are exalted, and underrepresented stories are preserved. For the entire month of February, we invite everyone to join us in celebrating art and its relationship with justice. Art plays a role in communicating emotions, building community and inspiring action.

Cultural Expressions (Literature and Poetry)

Culture shapes lives. It’s in the food people eat, the languages they speak, the art they create, and many other ways they express themselves.

I recognize that my power as well as my primary oppressions come as a result of my blackness as well as my womanness, and therefore my struggles on both of these fronts are inseparable. Audre Lorde (1934-1992) in 1980 Writer, professor, philosopher, poet and civil rights activist

Cultural Expressions Exhibition

Cultural Expressions  is a circular, experiential, introductory space to African American and African diaspora culture.

(Re)Creating the Narrative: The Black Women’s Literary Renaissance of the 1970s

Black women writers have consistently been a part of the cultural renaissances that have reshaped Black culture, nationally and globally. 

Icons and Luminaries

Phillis Wheatley

Booklet containing a biography of Phillis Wheatley and reprinted correspondence between her and George Washington, including a poem she sent him, "His Excellency General Washington."

In 2023, the museum acquired the largest private collection of items to bring new context and perspective to the life and literary impact of poet Phillis Wheatley Peters (c.1753–1784).

Gwendolyn Brooks

In 1946, Gwendolyn Brooks (1917-2000) became a Guggenheim Fellow in poetry, and in 1950, she was the first African American to win a Pulitzer Prize, for her collection of poetry Annie Allen. The volume chronicled the life of a young Black girl growing up in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago. Brooks was appointed the Illinois Poet Laureate in 1968, inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1976, and by 1985, she had become Poet Laureate of the United States. In this photograph from 1963, the poet holds a copy of Maud Martha, the only book of adult fiction she authored.

Amanda Gorman

Amanda Gorman was named the first Youth Poet Laureate of the United States in 2017. Gorman has served as the Youth Poet Laureate of Los Angeles. She has performed at the Library of Congress and spoken at the United Nations. She is the founder and executive director of One Pen One Page, an organization providing free creative writing programs for underserved youth. 

Before Amanda Gorman made history as the youngest poet to speak at a presidential inauguration, the National Museum of African American History and Culture featured her in our third annual Women’s E3 Summit in September 2020.

Langston Hughes

Langston Hughes (1901-1967) was a poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, columnist, and a significant figure of the Harlem Renaissance. He was a graduate of Lincoln University, a historically black college in Pennsylvania.

Born in Joplin, Missouri, in 1902, it was the writer's many years in Harlem that would come to characterize his work. There he focused squarely on the lives of working-class black Americans, delicately dismantling clichés and, in doing so, arriving at a genuine portrayal of the people he knew best.

Ta-Nehisi Coates

Author, journalist and activist Ta-Nehisi Coates attends a panel at The Apollo Theater on February 27, 2018 in New York City. His writings include Between the World and Me, winner of the 2015 National Book Award for Nonfiction, and We Were Eight Years In Power: An American Tragedy, a n annotated collection of new and previously published essays on the Obama era.

Benjamin Banneker

Mathematician, astronomer and almanac author Benjamin Banneker (1731-1806) as portrayed on a stamp released in 1980 as part of a Black Heritage series. Collection of National Postal Museum.

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Lorraine hansberry: playwright, writer, and activist, the power of poetry: pre-civil war to reconstruction, the new negro renaissance to the black arts movement, “a writer is by definition a disturber of the peace”, 75 years of ebony magazine, boots on the ground.

We wish to plead our own cause. Too long have others spoken for us. Too long has the publick been deceived by misrepresentations, in things which concern us dearly. Samuel Cornish and John Russwurm Editors in the first edition of Freedom’s Journal founded in 1827

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The Power of The Press

Black newspapers served local as well as regional and national audiences, helping to foster a sense of community and shared interests among African Americans living in different areas of the country.

Historic Members of the Harlem Writers Guild

Immersed in progressive politics, they were all bound by a revolutionary spirit and a strong sense of compassion for the individual struggles of one another.

Educational Resources

Learning Journeys for the Classroom, Home and Museum Visits

Join us in exploring stories of African Americans in the Arts throughout February with a special focus on art as a platform for social justice.

Taking the Stage (Performing Arts)

Through their achievements on the stage and screen, African Americans have used the power of performance to fuel social change.

The cultural heritage of the American Negro is one of America’s richest treasures. Alvin Ailey (1931-1989) Dancer, director, choreographer and activist who founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Taking the Stage Exhibition

Throughout Taking the Stage, visitors can contemplate how the roles black artists played on the stage and screen reflected changing aspirations, struggles, and realities for black people in American society. 

You Should Know: Harry Belafonte, Actor and Activist

From being the first Black American to win an Emmy to using his voice and his wallet to finance social justice, Harry Belafonte was dedicated himself to the improvement of his people and humanity across the globe. 

Transforming Dance around the World

Actresses who refused typecasting, making african america: the arts, a new african american identity: the harlem renaissance.

A black and white promotional photograph for The Emperor Jones starring Paul Robeson (1898-1976), a concert artist, actor, athlete and activist.

Promotional poster for the Italian release of "Lilies of the Field" starring Sidney Poitier (1927-2022), acclaimed actor, activist, director and ambassador. Poitier earned an Oscar for his performance in the film, becoming the first Black actor to win an Academy Award.

An autographed "Marshall" movie poster featuring actor Chadwick Boseman (1976-2020) that was being auctioned off during CinemaCon in 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Boseman was an actor, director, writer and producer who portrayed groundbreaking figures such as James Brown, Thurgood Marshall and Jackie Robinson.

Katherine Dunham (1909-2006) and her dance company work out of New York, and issued this cover for a 1950 program. Dunham was a dancer and choreographer known as a pioneer in dance anthropology, or the study of dance in a social and cultural context. 

Dancer Judith Jamison, born in 1943, photographed as she appeared in 'Prodigal Prince' in 1967. Jamison is artistic director emerita of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and an esteemed choreographer whose awards and honors include an Emmy Award, the Kennedy Center Honor, and induction into the Hall of Fame at the National Museum of Dance.

Choreographer Fatima Robinson, born in 1971, poses at the premiere of "The Color Purple" held at The Academy Museum on December 6, 2023, in Los Angeles, California. Robinson is a dancer, choreographer, and music video director whose credits include choreographing the Academy Awards and musical numbers in the 2023 “The Color Purple” movie.

Gil Scott-Heron (1949-2011) performs on the main stage on day one of Bestival on September 10, 2010 on the Isle of Wight, United Kingdom.  Scott-Heron was an author, poet, author, composer and recording artist whose songs included "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised."

Saul Williams performs on stage during day 4 of BAM Festival at Antiga fabrica Damm on September 25, 2016 in Barcelona, Spain. Williams is a poet, rapper, singer and actor known for blending poetry and hip hop. He co-wrote and starred in the 1998 independent film Slam. He also starred in Holler If Ya Hear Me, a musical inspired by late rapper Tupac Shakur.

Pioneering comedian, writer, and activist Dick Gregory (1932-2017) performs at the 2008 Bermuda Music Festival at Bermuda National Stadium on October 4, 2008 in Hamilton, Bermuda. On stage, in comedy clubs, and on college campuses, on radio, television, and recordings, Gregory struck a blow to the heart of racism with messages full of wit and wisdom. He was active in the civil rights movement. He was a presidential hopeful as well as a prolific author who published several books and appeared in many films and television shows.

The Daily Show Correspondent Roy Wood, Jr. attends Comedy Central's The Daily Show With Trevor Noah Premiere Party Event on October 22, 2015 in New York City. Wood is a comedian and actor best know for his appearances on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah where he's shed light on issues. He's also starred in Netflix’s comedy series Space Force , AMC’s Better Call Saul , and The Last O.G. on TBS.

North Star: A Digital Journey of African American History

Explore African American history through digital activities on the Smithsonian Learning Lab platform. The activities, or collections, have gathered objects, stories, videos and thinking questions all in one place.

Reckoning (Visual Art)

Visual art has long provided its own protest, commentary, escape and perspective for African Americans.

The power to inspire, the power to incite, the power to challenge... Tommy Oliver Photographer, producer and cinematographer in television and film

Reckoning Exhibition

Reckoning: Protest. Defiance. Resilience. looks at the ways in which visual art has long provided its own protest, commentary, escape and perspective for African Americans. 

Take a Gallery Tour

Represent: Hip-Hop Photography

Represent paired images from the museum’s Eyejammie Hip-Hop Photography Collection with historical photographs to highlight connections between hip-hop culture and its relationship to other important historical figures, social movements, and creative moments.

Everyday Beauty: Images and Films in NMAAHC's Collection

Gail anderson: a leader in black graphic design, an artist forged in a steel mill town.

Jamel Shabazz

Photographer Jamel Shabazz poses for a photo at Rockefeller Center’s public art initiative celebrating photography with a lightbox exhibition featuring works by NYC street and subway photographer Jamel Shabazz at Rockefeller Plaza on March 27, 2021 in New York City.  Shabazz is known for his photographs of New York City during the 1980s. He has authored monographs, and contributed to many photography-related books. His photographs have been exhibited around the world. Selections are housed within permanent collections at museums including the Smithsonian's National Museum of History and Culture, the Studio Museum in Harkem and the Whitney Museum.

Chester Higgins Jr.

Chester Higgins, Jr. during the Clodagh Design Hosts The Thorn Tree Project's Evening of Art on November 2, 2017 in New York City. Higgins is photojournalist whose career has spanned five decades. He was a staff photographer at The New York Times for more than 40 years until 2014. His work has been featured in exhibitions worldwide and in books, including Feeling the Spirit: Searching the World for the People of Africa and Echo of the Spirit, his biography. He's written several books including Black Woman, Ancient Nubia: African Kingdoms on the Nile, and It’s Been Beautiful: Soul! And Black Power Television. Some of his photography is part of permanent collections of New York's Museum of Modern Art. 

Gordon Parks

Gordon Parks (1912-2006) smokes a pipe at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Boston. Parks was a celebrated photographer whose career spanned six decades. He used his camera to chronicle culture and life in America as well as to shine a light on inequalities he witnessed. He was the first African American staff photographer for Life magazine. His work is in the permanent collections of major museums including the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Modern Art in New York, and Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Parks was also an activist, author, composer, poet, and a filmmaker. He was the first African American to write and direct a major Hollywood studio feature film,  The Learning Tree. He directed Shaft starring Richard Roundtree (1942-2023), whose portrayal as private detective John  Shaft helped redefine and reshape the roles of Black men in film and television.

Amy Sherald

Amy Sherald attends New York Academy of Art Tribeca Ball Honors Amy Sherald at New York Academy of Art on April 4, 2023 in New York City. Sherald is a painter who documents the contemporary African American experience through portraits. She is best known for her portrait of former First Lady Michelle Obama featured in the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. Another portrait by Sherald, Grand Dame Queenie, is on display in the museum’s art gallery. Her painting of Breonna Taylor was also on display in the museum.

Betye Saar attends the 10th Annual LACMA ART+FILM GALA honoring Amy Sherald, Kehinde Wiley, and Steven Spielberg presented by Gucci at Los Angeles County Museum of Art on November 6, 2021 in Los Angeles. The visuak storyteller is known for creating assemblage art. Saar was a part of the Black Arts Movement, which began in 1965 and ended in 1975. The movement featured politically motivated artists, poets, playwrights, musicians, and writers. Saar's work confronts racist stereotypes and explores Black identity. Her works include Black Girl's Window (1969), Mojotech (1987), and We Was Mostly 'Bout Survival (2017)

Elizabeth Catlett

Portrait of sculptor Elizabeth Catlett (1915 - 2012) attending a gallery opening for an exhibition of her work in New York in 2009. Catlett's legacy is one of cultural belonging and activism that provokes conversations about the role of art among continental American neighbors: the U.S. and Mexico. Several of her works iconize well-known African American heroines including Harriet Tubman, Phillis Wheatley, and Sojourner Truth to memorialize their activist legacies. Honors she's received include a Lifetime Achievement Award in contemporary sculpture from the International Sculpture Center, the Art Institute of Chicago Legends and Legacy Award, and honorary doctorates from Carnegie Mellon (the same school that denied her undergraduate admittance) and Pace University.

Art as Platform for Social Justice

Designed for grades three and up, this guide focuses on three not-to-miss objects and stories throughout the museum that highlight the connection between art and social justice.

Musical Crossroads (Music)

From the arrival of the first Africans to the present day, African American music has provided a voice for liberty, justice and social change. 

Music is our witness and our ally. The beat is the confession which recognizes, changes, and conquers time. James Baldwin, author “Of the Sorrow Songs: The Cross of Redemption" in 1979

Musical Crossroads exhibition

Musical Crossroads expands the definition of African American music to include African American music-makers in all genres and styles.

Religion in Black Music, Activism and Popular Culture

Spirit in the Dark examines Black religious life through a selection of photographs from the Johnson Publishing Company, publisher of Ebony, Jet and Negro Digest. 

Comrades in the Struggle

A look at the music of the poor people’s campaign, billie holiday: an icon in american culture, the stage belonged to her, mahalia jackson: gospel takes flight, sweet honey in the rock's carol maillard on being an 'artivist'.

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Stories Behind the Objects

Black voices in the arts lunch series   .

During Black History Month, we celebrated the contributions of Black artists who have used their platforms for social change. For three weeks, we featured performances of local artists including poets and spoken word artists, dancers, musicians, and a live painter inside Heritage Hall.

Pre-teen rapper Fly (“First Love Yourself") Zyah began her musical journey at age two and released her debut "Ride My Bike" at age six. She covers a range of topics including social justice.

The award-winning kt eXtreme dance project, established in 1988 by Kevin T. Malone, embraces diverse artistic disciplines.

February 16

The Bowie State University Concert Choir, under the direction of Professor Brandon J. Felder, serves as the resident choir of Maryland’s oldest historically black college and university (HBCU). The choir serves as cultural ambassadors for Bowie State University, the City of Bowie, and the State of Maryland.

Bowie State University theatre students recited monologues and sang along with the Bowie State University Choir.

kt eXtreme dance project focuses on bridging African American dance traditions with modern times. At the museum, the dancers performed parts of The North Star Project , a multi-generational and multi-disciplinary choreographic work that celebrates the pursuit of freedom and resilience.

Artist Summer Clinkscale says her interactions with others serve as her greatest inspiration and she brings those feelings to light through her work. The artist brought her passion of art to life during live painting activations in the museum.

Young dancers from Dynasty Elite Dance Company, a pre-professional competing and performance company, perform in Heritage Hall. The dance company is based out of Neema Dance Collective in District Heights, Maryland.

Dynasty Elite takes pride in building a community of highly skilled dancers ages 5-18 within the walls of Neema Dance Collective, led by CEO and Artistic Director Grace Johnson-Wright.

Dynasty Elite takes pride in building a community of highly skilled dancers ages 5-18 within the walls of Neema Dance Collective, led by CEO and Artistic Director Grace Johnson-Wright, an accomplished dancer, studio owner, published choreographer, and dance educator.

Poets and spoken word artists Miko Reed, Miss Kiane and Simply Sherri stand in Heritage Hall after their performances during Black History Month.

Miko Reed is a native Washingtonian, retired Army Master Sergeant, and has been writing poetry for over 20 years. She is an author, poet, public speaker, curator and host. Her first book, “Eggshells In Soft Black Hands,” came out in August 2021, and her latest book, "100 Poems and Possibilities for Healing," in January 2024.

California born and Maryland raised, Simply Sherri has been writing since 2001 and performing since 2008. Knowing how important it is to connect and share with young people, she has conducted workshops for DC Scores.  She has also volunteered with DewMore Baltimore, becoming a “poetry auntie” to many. 

A native of Queens, New York, Miss Kiane is an author, performer, and entrepreneur. Her work has appeared in a plethora of anthologies including "100 Poems and Possibilities for Healing." She operates nonprofit InkWELL and owns Kiane Ink Healing in the Pen, LLC, a creative arts company. She has appeared on a host of podcasts and television shows.

Artist Summer Clinkscale says her interactions with others serve as her greatest inspiration and she brings those feelings to light through her work. Clinkscale is a Visitor Services Lead at the museum. During Black History Month, the artist brought her passion of art to life during live painting activations in the museum

Artist Summer Clinkscale, who serves as a Visitor Services Lead at the museum, works on a painting in Heritage Hall for Black History Month.

Afrofuturism (Digital Arts)

Afrofuturism expresses notions of Black identity, agency and freedom through art, creative works and activism that envision liberated futures for Black life. 

You got to make your own worlds. You got to write yourself in. Octavia Butler (1947–2006) Writer, Afrofuturist

Afrofuturism: A History of Black Futures

The exhibition immerses visitors in a conversation that reimagines, reinterprets and reclaims the past and present for a more empowering future for African Americans. 

Go behind the scenes of NMAAHC's newest exhibition

Multimedia Afrofuturism

Afrofuturism has influenced how Black people are depicted in film, television, art, and architecture. Explore the artists reimagining Black possibilities.

Black Women Icons of Afrofuturism

Ease on down the road: a 'super soul musical', african american achievement at nasa, harriet tubman: life, liberty and legacy, remembering afrofuturist octavia butler.

Narratives of African American STEM professionals

Through the Window and into the Mirror is a video conversation series about the experiences of African American STEM professionals today.  Interviews with Ron Gamble, Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, Sharon Caples McDougle, K. Renee Horton, and Jessica Watkins are among the ones focused on space, space travel, and physics.

A Celebration of African Americans at NASA

This Learning Lab celebrates Black pioneers at NASA, their bravery, their exploratory spirit, and their desires to express themselves fully through their commitment to space exploration.

The Science of Sound: Activities Inspired by Dr. James West

Using hands-on activities and easy to find materials, students will use the story of Dr. James West to discover how an object produces sound and how sound waves travel. 

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