This document provides instructions for an art history research paper. Students are asked to pick an object from a NYC collection that dates between prehistoric times to the late 18th century. They should describe the object with love, discussing its visual characteristics, social/cultural context, intended purpose, and how it may relate to contemporary issues. The paper should be a minimum of 8 pages using Times New Roman font, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins and page numbers. An annotated bibliography is due two weeks before the semester ends.

1. an art history research paper
Pick an object that you really like, from a NYC collection, something that falls within the
dates of the things we are studying in our seminar (roughly speaking: prehistoric times to
late 18th century) and something from a country, region, culture that interests you. This
could be a room, a sculpture, a vase, a painting, armor, jewelry, chariot, porcelain cup,
weapon, tapestry, furniture, instrument, and the list goes on and on. You have a huge
selection.Be creative!!! Yes, describe your object but describe it with LOVE, (assuming you
love your object of choice.) This is not a formal analysis. I don’t need to know about
every single detail. Just the details that matter. Yes, you SHOULD think about your object’s
visual/aesthetic characteristics: size, color(s), materials, textures, etc etc. But MORE
IMPORTANT, consider the social & cultural CONTEXT: where/when was it made?, for whom
was it made?, how was it made?, are there others like it?, was it for a private or elite
audience?, or perhaps for a broader audience? Does it convey something about the intended
“user” or “patron” or maybe it is more generic and may have been used by many
different people or, perhaps, it appeared in a place for many people to see? How does/did
the object convey its particular message/purpose and does it do so “successfully”? How did
it “communicate”? What’s “special” about the piece? This idea of being “special” is, of course,
relative — “special” might indicate that it was made using new technologies of the time
period—technologies that may have been considered “modern―, or the workmanship
was particularly exquisite, or it conveys its purpose in especially unusual ways, or it is
somehow “poetic”, that it may function on different levels or convey different narratives—
narratives that relate to the object itself, but also to the larger culture, and relate, perhaps,
even to something contemporary — as I sometimes tried to do in class!!!That is, it may have
been made in a specific time and far-away place but, just maybe, it somehow speaks to
something more current/contemporary to you as well. How might we think about ancient
objects and then, perhaps, somehow make these things relevant to us in the present?
Imagine even, that one day in the distant future, students may study your designs or
artwork and question why/how those things may be significant to them? As I’ve said, one
goal is to breathe life into this material, to imagine these things in a fully
living/breathing/colorful, 3-dimensional world (not just some old stuff sitting statically and
silently in a museum display case.) I think these are some of the ways we may make
historical material resonate more for us. You might also contemplate such seemingly
“abstract” ideas like the concept of time and perception of space which has been discussed
in class. In the 21st century we all have radically different concepts of time and space — so

2. you might also take this into consideration. And, how might your object speak to you or
perhaps make you consider your own work differently? (This would be an excellent
opportunity to add something from class to your Learning Portfolio, which is something
that I ask you to do anyway.)Use your imagination and have some fun with this while also
trying to be accurate and “scholarly” with your research. Think a bit about the film “Cave of
Forgotten Dreams” which didn’t directly relate to much of our subject matter yet, it
beautifully addresses the very act of IMAGE & THING MAKING, of STORY TELLING &
COMMUNICATION, and THE HUMAN IMPULSE TO INVENT, to SOLVE, and to be CREATIVE
OR INNOVATIVE. Such an approach might open up different avenues for you to think about
historical objects, and ultimately make for much richer and more interesting papers.Please
don’t forget: it should be a minimum of 8 pages (NOT including title page, illustrations,
footnotes, and bibliography), 12pt type, double-space (remember your footnote function on
your laptops, as well as inserting page numbers. You want the paper to look and read like a
university-level assignment, not high school, so all these little things are actually very
important.) Please simply provide the basic, museum label information on the title page:
name/title, type of object, date, material, dimensions, country, etc, etc. This info. is
necessary but does not have to appear in the body of your papers.I would like you all to
consider which object you will write about for this final research paper since the semester
ends next month! If you have time and feel like going to a museum at your leisure then this
might be a good time to do this. Or, open up the Metropolitan Museum’s website and peruse
the collections. Try to find something that you not only really like but that will be relatively
easy to do research on. Feel free to ask me what I think about a particular object, if you
wish. I can also help you think about different ways to research and organize your paper.
And remember, an Annotated Bibliography will be due approximately 2 weeks before the
end of the semester.AND remember:All papers must be typed in Times New Roman font (12
points), be double-spaced, with a 1 inch margin on all sides, on white paper (size: 11― x
8.5―). Do NOT forget to put your name and a title page, and to number (paginate) your
pages, and staple.