2- Art History

OBSERVE, INTERPRET & REFLECT – ESSAY ASSIGNMENT For this assignment, select one of the following options to write about. Option 1 is to
research Sofonisba Anguissola’s Self-Portrait of 1556 in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Option 2 is to research Rembrandt’s Self-Portrait of 1659 in the National Gallery,
Washington DC. A self-portrait is a representation an artist creates of his/her own features;
like a selfie. Both options are inspirational. Select one of the approved examples that
interests you and base the essay on the following three criteria.
1. OBSERVE The OBSERVE section is a description of the work of art from one’s visual observations and
first impression. Observing the details in a work of art encourages curiosity and learning. Let
your eye take in all the details. Do not include any research-based information in this
section. Make sure that this portion of the paper is detailed and thorough, approximately ¾
to one page.
• If you select Anguissola’s Self-Portrait of 1556 in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston,
take your time; look carefully at the work of art in a detailed manner. Look at every
part of the artwork’s surface, beginning with the upper left and right, working your
way to the middle and lower left and right side of the piece.
• Describe her facial features, hairstyle, hands, clothing, jewelry, medallion,
colors and estimate the dimensions of the painting.
• Include what are you curious about and what questions you have? This
example is available for close-up viewing on the Museum of Fine Arts
Boston website.
• If you select Rembrandt’s Self-Portrait of 1659 in the National Gallery, Washington
DC, take your time; look carefully at the work of art in a detailed manner. Look at
every part of the artwork’s surface, beginning with the upper left and right,
working your way to the middle and lower left and right side of the piece.
• Describe his facial features, pose of the body, clothing, brushstroke style,
colors and estimate the dimensions of the painting.
• Include what are you curious about and what questions you have? This
example is available for close-up viewing on the National Gallery,
Washington DC website.
2. INTERPRET The INTERPRET section is an analysis of the work of art from an academic perspective. This
portion of the assignment relies on the evidence and research gathered and it requires in-text
citations as well as a Works Cited page. Use either the MLA Style or the Chicago Style for
citing sources.
ART 003: ART HISTORY: GOTHIC-MODERN
OBSERVE, INTERPRET & REFLECT
ESSAY ASSIGNMENT
2. INTERPRET CONTINUED
• You are required to cite from a minimum of three different sources. Please note that
the requirement of three distinct sources is only a minimum. Use the sources from the
COS Library Research Guide as they are peer reviewed and vetted. Use the Art 003
Library Art Research Guide to access them. Access to the Research Guide is available
in Canvas on the essay assignment page or by going to www.cos.edu. Select the
Library/LRC tab, Research Guides, Art and Art 003.
• If you are researching Anguissola’s Self-Portrait of 1556, gather information about
the painting from Smarthistory.org, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and at least
one other source of your choosing.
• Research the life/career of Sofonisba Anguissola. Was her path as an artist
similar to other female artists at the time?
• Define why miniatures were important during the Renaissance.
• What is the significance of her clothing and the writing on the medallion?
• If possible, include answers to your initial questions from the OBSERVE
portion of the paper.
• Look at the Artist Profiles from the National Museum of Women in the Arts
and discuss one artist that inspires you.
• If you are researching Rembrandt’s Self-Portrait of 1659, gather information about
it from Smarthistory.org and at least two other sources of your choosing.
• Research the life/career of Rembrandt. What was Rembrandt going through
in 1659, when the Self-Portrait was made?
• What did you discover about Rembrandt’s pose and costume?
• If possible, include answers to your initial questions from the OBSERVE
portion of the paper.
• Compare the Self-Portrait of 1659 that we are studying to Rembrandt’s Artist
in His Studio of 1628 in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Does each SelfPortrait we are exploring have the same focus?
• Why do you think Rembrandt’s style changed as he got older?
3. REFLECT The REFLECT section is a comparison of the required elements in the OBSERVE and
INTERPRET sections. Answer all of the bulleted questions.
• After describing the work of art from your initial observations and researching the
piece, describe how your understanding of the piece has deepened or changed.
Substantiate your view with the reasons why your view has changed. If your view
has not changed, explain why the information you have gathered did not enhance
your understanding of the piece.
• What specifically did you discover about the painting that was unexpected?
• What specifically did you discover about the artist that was unexpected?
• What have you learned that can be applied to your life? This can be something
about the painting, artist, time period, technique, etc.
PRESENTATION DIRECTIONS
• The essay must be typed, double-spaced and have one-inch margins for the
top/bottom, left/right side of each page.
• Use a 12-point font.
PRESENTATION DIRECTIONS CONTINUED
• The minimum length of text is three pages, not including the Works Cited page. The
length requirement is only a minimum.
• List the title of a work of art either in italics (Self-Portrait) or in bold print (SelfPortrait). Select one method of listing a title and be consistent throughout the paper.
• Use the pronouns, I or one to describe the piece in the OBSERVE section.
• When using a quote that is longer than four lines, indent the quote. Include an in-text
citation at the end of the quote.
• Proofread your paragraphs carefully as this is an important writing requirement for
the course. One point will be deducted for each error I find. Spelling, grammar and
punctuation count. Use appropriate language for a written assignment and write the
essay using complete sentences.
• To avoid plagiarism, sources must be cited within the body of the paper (in-text
citations) and a Works Cited page must be included at the end of the paper. Use
either the MLA or Chicago Style of citing sources, whichever you prefer.
• This semester, I have included two Canvas assignments to promote a successful
outcome with the Observe/Interpret/Reflect Essay. The Essay Requirements assignment
will help you select one of the topics and understand the essay requirements. The
Library Tutorial Reflection About Citing Sources assignment provides valuable
information about the MLA and Chicago Style of citing sources. See the Research
Project Module in Canvas for the specifics.
• The essay must be submitted in Canvas as a file upload (pdf, doc and docx are
acceptable file types). MAC (.page) files are not accepted in Canvas. Papers will not
be graded outside of Canvas. Check the Canvas Guide or watch the COS video
about submitting a paper in Canvas.
• Verify that you are submitting the correct paper for this assignment, semester and
course. Incorrect submissions will receive a score of zero.
MLA IN-TEXT CITATION EXAMPLES I have included a few MLA examples as it is a common citation choice in the following
statements. Refer to the assignment page for a sample paper as well.
Print Source/Book: At the end of the sentence, list the last name of the author and the page
number in parentheses.
Example: “Northern Italy, more than any other part of the peninsula, produced a number of
gifted women artists” (Stokstad and Cothren 682).
Class Notes: At the end of the sentence, list the last name of the lecturer in parentheses.
Example: “Anguissola is the earliest female painter who was not the daughter of a painter
(Sullivan).
Webpage Article: List the last name of the author and page number in parentheses. If there
is no author or page number, list the Title of the Article in italics. Make sure that the same title
appears on the Works Cited page.
Example: “Sofonisba Anguissola was an artist who came from a noble family in Cremona
(northern Italy)” (Kilroy-Ewbank 1).
YouTube Video: List the last name of the author or if that is not available use the title of
the video and include a timestamp.
Example: “Rembrandt made the self-portrait a subject in a way that it had never been”
(Harris and Zucker (00:16-00:19).
MLA WORKS CITED PAGE DIRECTIONS
• At the end of the body of the paper, title a new page, Works Cited.
• Center the Works Cited title at the top of the page.
• Left justify the margin for the entries themselves. List the citations in alphabetical
order and double-space the entries.
MLA WORKS CITED EXAMPLES Print Source: Author’s name (Last, First). Title of Book. City of Publication: Publisher, Year of
Publication.
Example: Stokstad, Marilyn and Michael Cothren. Art History. New York: Pearson, 2018.
Class Notes: Include the last name, a comma, first name of lecturer. Title of the lecture. Title of
the class. Name of the school, Location. Date of the presentation.
Example: Sullivan, Allyson. Mannerism. Art 003. College of the Sequoias, Visalia. 22 July
2022.
Webpage Article: Author (if available). “Title of Webpage,” Name of Site, Date of resource
creation/publication (if available), URL. Date Accessed.
Example: Kilroy-Ewbank, Lauren. “Sofonisba Anguissola,” May 3, 2016,
https://smarthistory.org/sofonisba-anguissola/. Accessed July 22, 2022.
YouTube Video: Include the Video ‘s creator, the title, the website or platform in italics
(e.g., YouTube), the channel or user that uploaded the video, the upload date, and the URL.
Example: Harris and Zucker, “Rembrandt, Self-Portrait (1659).” YouTube, Smarthistory,
December 14, 2015, https://smarthistory.org/rembrandt-van-rijn-self-portrait-1659/.
OBSERVE/INTERPRET/REFLECT ESSAY CHECKLIST
The following checklist outlines common problem areas of this assignment. Check this list
before submitting the assignment in Canvas to avoid point deductions. Submit all of the
assignments in the Research Project Module in preparation for this essay.
 Did you adequately answer all the questions in the three required sections of this
assignment? Make sure your response is your own work and not shared with others.
 Did you cite sources correctly in the body of the text (in-text citations) and include a
Works Cited page? You must include a minimum of three distinct sources for this
assignment.
 Are your paragraphs grammatically correct or full of errors? Proofread your
paragraphs carefully as this is an important writing requirement for the course.
Spelling, grammar and punctuation count. Use appropriate language for a written
assignment and write the essay using complete sentences.
 Did you follow the guidelines in the Presentation Directions?
 Verify that you are submitting the correct paper for this assignment, semester and
course. Incorrect submissions will receive a score of zero.
WRITING CENTER SUPPORT
This semester I am offering five extra-credit points for students who visit the Writing
Center for this assignment. Let the tutor know that extra-credit for (Art 003) is available
for visiting the Writing Center. Bring your essay draft and questions. As verification of
your visit, request that they email me a Client Report Form. No extra-credit will be
granted without my receipt of the Client Report Form.
LATE ASSIGNMENTS
• Consult the Research Project Module in Canvas for the due date of this assignment.
• Contact me via the Canvas Inbox or COS email at allysons@cos.edu regarding the
submission of late assignments. Each circumstance is reviewed on a case-by-case
basis and a point deduction may occur.
• The essay must be submitted in Canvas as a file upload (pdf, doc and docx are
acceptable file types). MAC (.page) filles are not accepted in Canvas. Papers will not
be graded outside of Canvas. Check the Canvas Guide or watch the COS Video
about submitting a paper in Canvas.
Consider how each section of this assignment integrates in the following graphic. We
actually engage in this process with each work of art we study! Consult page one for a
complete list of the required questions.
Describe the required
areas of part one based
upon your visual
observations.
Observe
Describe the required
areas of part two based
upon researching the
work of art.
Interpret
Describe the required
areas of part three based
upon a reflection of the
required elements.
Reflect
Observations for Option 1: Anguissola’s Self-Portrait of 1556
• Describe her facial features, hairstyle, clothing, hands, jewelry, medallion, colors
and estimate the dimensions of the painting.
• Include what are you curious about and what questions you have?
• Write down your observations in the box provided here and if you select this
option, use the notes to help you get started with the OBSERVE portion of the
essay.
Observations for Option 2: Rembrandts Self-Portrait, 1659
• Describe his facial features, pose of the body, clothing, brushstroke style, colors
and estimate the dimensions of the painting.
• Include what are you curious about and what questions you have?
• Write down your observations in the box provided here and if you select this
option, use the notes to help you get started with the OBSERVE portion of the
essay.