solved One of the more traditional assignments that students encounter in

One of the more traditional assignments that students encounter in an introductory Art
History class is to analyze the stylistic qualities of an art object held in a museum
collection and compare it to a variety of pieces that share a similar subject matter.
Students will be required to select one (1) painting that can be viewed digitally (a
selection of which are provided in Blackboard) from the Lowe Art Museum on the
University of Miami campus that has a very fine collection of Renaissance to Rococo
period paintings donated by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation on permanent display in
the Kress Wing.
Once having selected the painting from the Lowe’s digital collection, pay close attention
to stylistic features (i.e., composition, color, use of light/shadow, perspective, figures,
pose, gestures, et al). Describe the object and compare/contrast it to pieces we have
studied in class, whether in the PowerPoint lectures or in the textbook. Be discerning
when selecting objects to compare. That is, try to find pieces that share more
characteristics than not. As a guide, a separate PDF that introduces students to the
fundamentals of how to think about a Visual Analysis had been uploaded into
Blackboard.
The aim of this assignment is for students to develop an eye for style and locate the
subtle differences that distinguish one art movement or period from another. As such,
organize the PowerPoint lecture in a logical, analytic fashion (i.e., chronologically).
Conclude the paper with a slide that includes remarks about the significance of the
object that became the centerpiece of the analysis — that is, how it fits into a larger art
historical framework.
An approximate guideline for how many slides to include in the body of the presentation
is twelve to fifteen (12-15). This includes slides that establish context and/or discuss
technique; slides with pictures of the objects and analysis that is organized by bullets;
comparison slides; and a slide that contains concluding remarks. At the end of the
PowerPoint project, include an “Image Index” (essentially, equivalent to “Works Cited”
or bibliography) that contains information (e.g., artist, title, date, materials, size, and
collection) about each object and/or comparison. Examples of an Image Index are
included at the end of each PowerPoint uploaded into the Blackboard units.