History
You will write a paper, organized with an introduction, paragraphs that seamlessly answer the following questions, and a conclusion brining all of your thoughts together, and citations. You will investigate your local museums to see what collections they have. If, by chance, you are not able to gain access to a museum, look at the alternative instructions listed below. When you are investigating your museums, look at the types of collections that they contain. The ultimate goal is to find artwork that applies to civilizations covered in the scope of the class; this includes Mesopotamia, Persia, Greece, Rome, Egypt, China, Japan, Africa, the New World indigenous civilizations, or Europe before the Renaissance. Go to the museum and pick a piece of artwork that you feel informs you about that civilization. When you have done that, answer the following questions.
-What civilization does this art represent?
-What is the title of the piece?
-Who is the artist (if possible)?
-How was the piece created? What is the medium?
-Why did you choose this piece?
After returning home you will do further research on the piece, looking at the history behind it and the symbolism contained within it. Answer the following questions:
-Why was the piece created?
-What symbols are contained within the piece that give you an idea about the artist and the time and place the work was made?
-What is the background of the piece?
-How does this work inform you about the social norms and mores in this place and period?
-Why are the artistic representations of a place and time a good source for understanding the people, customs, and beliefs of a civilization?
Alternative Assignment Instructions:
If you do not have access to a well-stocked art museum, you do have the option to use an online collection. Several museums have created virtual tours of their collections. Follow the same instructions as above but using a virtual museum instead.
This short paper is at least three double-spaced pages of text (Times New Roman, font size 12) and you must consult a minimum of two academically credible sources. Bibliographies and citations will be in the Chicago Manual of Style format.
The short paper needs to be turned in through the assignment section for grading. If you use any of the information from your sources word-for-word, you must cite the source by using endnotes or footnotes. If you read the information and write it in your own words and it is not common knowledge, then you must cite the source because you are paraphrasing someone's information.