Art History Paper Outline : Art History Research Paper Assignment

Art History Paper Outline

 An art history paper is used to explain the relationship between the technical form of a work of art and the impression it makes on a viewer. It is also used to express how the visual elements of a piece of artwork together to express an overall effect. When writing an art history paper, you are required to use a visual vocabulary and translate visual impressions into concrete verbal expression. Your art history paper can either be in an analytical or a narrative form.

Art History Paper Outline

The following is an art history paper outline:

1. Introduction

Your introduction should:

• State the name of the artist.
• State the title of the work of art.
• State the date that the work of art was created.
• Indicate the medium.
• Give the current location of the art work.
• Give details about the artist’s interests or that of the period that may have influenced his work.
• Indicate the period in which it was created.
• Conclude with a thesis statement. Your thesis statement should give a framework for your analysis and suggest your interpretation of the work. It should not necessarily involve a statement of argument but should inform the reader how the artist’s formal choices affect the viewer.

2. Body

Your body should include:

• Several body paragraphs each explaining a different main idea related to your thesis statement.
• Topic sentences. Each body paragraph should begin with a topic sentence stating the significance of the art work and end with a concluding statement.
• Organized analyses of the formal elements based on the major figures, a focal point or other significant effects in the art work.
• A description of the art work. You must introduce your descriptions of the formal elements of the art work to enable the reader to understand how each element influences the overall effect of the viewer on the art work.
• Your emotional responses to the art work. Explain your responses and support them with evidence.

3. Conclusion

Your conclusion:

• Should give a summary of your findings.
• Should restate your thesis statement.
• Should relate back to the theme that you have presented in your introduction, making sure that you do not simply repeat what you stated in your introduction.
• May include new ideas, insights or understandings that you have gained about the art work through the research process.