Traditional research paper about art history from prehistoric era to 1400 (No later than 1400). This project is a traditional research paper on any topic of your choosing related to art from the prehistoric through late Gothic periods. Your paper must be at least 2000 words in length (cover page, notes, and bibliography entries do not count toward length), with at least 5 scholarly sources (books and journal articles) supporting your arguments. Your textbook counts as one source (you are not required to use the textbook as a source). You must have permission to use web-based sources.
Topic
As this is an art history class, your paper must be on a topic related to art history. This could be as specific as a detailed art historical analysis of a single work, or as broad as the impact of long distance trade on art in the ancient world. If you choose to go broader, you must still support your arguments with artistic evidence and analysis. Your paper can be about anything you like related to art from the periods covered by this class, but you must have a clear central argument (thesis statement).
For example, compare these three statements:
“My paper will discuss how Sumerian depictions of the priest-king influenced pharaonic iconography during Ancient Egypt’s Early Dynastic Period.”
“My paper will examine how the relationship between the gods and the king was depicted in Mesopotamian and Egyptian art”
“My paper will compare Mesopotamian and Egyptian art.”
The first statement is a thesis. It’s a clear argument that you will support with evidence in your paper. The second statement is better but still isn’t arguing a particular point. The third statement is far too broad.
Here are some pointers from the writing center on how to craft a thesis statement.
Formatting
Format your paper as follows
12 point Times New Roman font
double spaced text
1-inch margins
bibliography
images of relevant artworks with identifying captions
Chicago format citations (note-bibliography or author-date style)
Please don’t put images in the middle of the text. Put them at the end of your paper in a new section before the bibliography. The organization should be: cover page > text > images > bibliography.
Below is an example of an A+ paper.