A well-chosen side by side comparison, helps the viewer to “see” the decisions an artist made (consciously or not), or the characteristics of a specific style or time period. Sometimes, the similarities will be most striking and other times, the differences will provide the most interesting points of comparison. Often, it’s a combination of both.
In this written assignment, it’s up to you to decide what you want to focus on. As always, your first step should be extended and careful looking. Take notes on everything you notice first and shape it into an analysis after.
Note that the first thing I’m asking you to do in your analysis is to note the grounds for comparison.
There is a grounds for comparison in each case, although it differs from pair to pair. Starting this way will give you your thesis right away.
Example: Although these works each depict scenes or war, artist A presents a glorified vision of sacrifice to a higher goal, while artist B uses a similar composition to convey the dehumanization inherent to wartime violence.
Objectives of the Analysis:
Formulate an argument that posits why the two images are being compared and the grounds for comparison.
Focus your descriptions on details that support your argument.
Consider formal aspects of both works in a balanced manner.
Conclude the analysis by assessing how these works may now be viewed differently.
Guidelines:
Your analysis should be 4-5 pages double-spaced, written in 12-point Times New Roman font with 1” margins and a (single-spaced) heading in the upper left corner
Research and Citations: This is not a research paper. Rather, it is an exercise to see how you compare two works on formal and/or thematic grounds. You should limit the scope of your analysis to the evidence in the works themselves. That said, you will probably want to read some information about the artists/time period/subject matter.
The information on the museum pages or Wikipedia are fine for this type of information, but you should indicate that you’ve used them. For any more interpretative claims (i.e. about the artist’s intention if there is no artist’s statement, about “hidden”meanings in the work) should be raised as speculations or questions for further research–which would be the next step in a research paper. If you do look at other interpretations of the works, be sure to cite your sources.
