Assignment
Let's tackle and deconstruct an Art Historical essay, in preparation for your own individual research project. A good Art Historical essay makes a specific claim about a work or works of art, which it then supports with formal analysis of the works in question, iconographical explanations, and iconological context.
Read this article on the portrait of Madeleine, which is a more in-depth take on the painting featured in our weekly reading on the same artwork.
Article: Slavery is a Woman: "Race," Gender, and Visuality in Marie Benoist's Portrait d'une négresse (1800)" by James Smalls.
Then, answer the following questions.
i. What is James Smalls' thesis in his article? (In order to answer this question, you must physically locate the sentence or sentences that you believe most succinctly contain his thesis. Then, please paraphrase his argument in your own words.)
ii. Describe a few details of formal analysis that he uses to support his thesis. How do these details support his thesis?
iii. Describe a few iconographic details he uses to support his thesis. How do these iconographical assertions support his thesis?
iv. Describe some iconology that he refers to in order to support his thesis. What outside context does he include in the article and why?
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
i) The answer should be typed, using Times New Roman font (size 12), double spaced, with one-inch margins on all sides.
ii) The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
iii) Also include a reference page. The Citations and references must follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.