Compare Contrast Essay Evaluation ARTH 102 Ivy Tech Community College Criteria Points Possible Points Earned Comments I. Introduction/ Purpose/Focus/Clarity 40 Identifies two works of art and the artists from the textbook. These are to be the focus of the writing assignment. Maintains focus of topic II. Organization/Coherence 40 Logical and clear progression of topic Use of language and word choice appropriate to a paper of this nature Successful transition from one work of art to the other and between paragraphs Introduction and conclusion effectively related to the topic as a whole III. Style/Content 40 Clear presentation/description of subject matter in each work of art Clear understanding/explanation of artistic media used for each work of art Effective explanation of "Elements of Art" and "Principles of Design" for each work of art Minimal errors in grammar, spelling and mechanics IV. References 40 Sources presented in such a way as to represent others' intellectual property accurately, fairly, appropriately and consistently. This includes the use of internal citations and a corresponding entry in the Works Cited age. Sources follow MLA style of documentation consistently V. Meets Criteria of Assignment 40 Works Cited page present, in proper format Hyperlinks will not be accepted in Works Cited page or in the body of your paper. Meets paper guideline criteria: minimum 2 full pages, double-spaced,12 point font , title of works of art in italics No more than one direct quote VII. Total 200 Student Name Professor Kelly Jordan ARTH 102 17 November 2013 Compare/Contrast Essay; Starry Night and The Scream During the phase from the late 19th to early 20th century, the Post-Impressionism emerged, a unique avant-garde art with artists’ independent personal aesthetics that sought to progress beyond the narrow imitative style of empirical Realism and Impressionism. This style was derived from a group of young painters such as Paul Gauguin and Georges Seurat in order to create more monumental and universal art (Davies et al. 528). Furthermore, right after the rise of the Post-Impressionism, a strange dreamlike imagery called Symbolism appeared. This Symbolist otherworldly aesthetic of fantasy, escapism and psychology that rejected Naturalism and Realism flourished throughout Europe (Collins). In fact, Vincent Van Gogh, Dutch painter, was one of the pioneers of Post-Impressionism while Edvard Munch, Norwegian painter, was also associated with the international development of Symbolism and recognized as a precursor of Expressionism (Hood). In this essay, I will compare and contrast two of their legendary masterpieces, both of which reflect the artists’ nervousness, but depict different atmospheres of scenery: The first is Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh drawn in 1889, and the second is Th ...

1. Compare Contrast Essay Evaluation
ARTH 102 Ivy Tech Community College
Criteria
Points Possible
Points Earned
Comments
I.
Introduction/ Purpose/Focus/Clarity
40
Identifies two works of art and the artists from the textbook.
These are to be the focus of the writing assignment.
Maintains focus of topic
II.
Organization/Coherence
40
Logical and clear progression of topic

2. Use of language and word choice appropriate to a paper of this
nature
Successful transition from one work of art to the other and
between paragraphs
Introduction and conclusion effectively related to the topic as a
whole
III.
Style/Content
40
Clear presentation/description of subject matter in each work of
art
Clear understanding/explanation of artistic media used for each
work of art

3. Effective explanation of "Elements of Art" and "Principles of
Design" for each work of art
Minimal errors in grammar, spelling and mechanics
IV.
References
40
Sources presented in such a way as to represent others'
intellectual property accurately, fairly, appropriately and
consistently. This includes the use of internal citations and a
corresponding entry in the Works Cited age.
Sources follow MLA style of documentation consistently
V.
Meets Criteria of Assignment
40
Works Cited page present, in proper format Hyperlinks will not
be accepted in Works Cited page or in the body of your paper.

4. Meets paper guideline criteria:
minimum 2 full pages, double-spaced,12 point font , title of
works of art in italics
No more than one direct quote
VII.
Total
200

5. Student Name
Professor Kelly Jordan
ARTH 102
17 November 2013
Compare/Contrast Essay;
Starry Night and The Scream
During the phase from the late 19th to early 20th century, the
Post-Impressionism emerged, a unique avant-garde art with
artists’ independent personal aesthetics that sought to progress
beyond the narrow imitative style of empirical Realism and
Impressionism. This style was derived from a group of young
painters such as Paul Gauguin and Georges Seurat in order to
create more monumental and universal art (Davies et al. 528).
Furthermore, right after the rise of the Post-Impressionism, a
strange dreamlike imagery called Symbolism appeared. This
Symbolist otherworldly aesthetic of fantasy, escapism and
psychology that rejected Naturalism and Realism flourished
throughout Europe (Collins). In fact, Vincent Van Gogh, Dutch
painter, was one of the pioneers of Post-Impressionism while
Edvard Munch, Norwegian painter, was also associated with the
international development of Symbolism and recognized as a
precursor of Expressionism (Hood). In this essay, I will
compare and contrast two of their legendary masterpieces, both
of which reflect the artists’ nervousness, but depict different
atmospheres of scenery: The first is Starry Night by Vincent
Van Gogh drawn in 1889, and the second is The Scream by
Edvard Munch drawn in 1893.

6. Both Gogh and Munch, who are pioneers of Post-Impressionism
and Symbolism, struggled with insanity during their lifetimes,
and consequently painted ominous imageries with swirling
energy, which reflect their unstable mental states. Gogh was
such a deeply troubled and depressed man who inconsistently
yearned for universal harmony and humanitarian craving.
Consequently, majority of his paintings mirrors his intense,
uncontrollable emotions which accentuate personal symbolic
vocabulary in expressionistic ways (Davies et al. 534). This is
well represented in his painting, Starry Night. Compared to
other beautifully depicted objects in the background, there is
the most eye-catching and ambiguous large cypress tree
dominating the foreground. Because this was painted during a
sad period of Gogh’s life, the sinister presence of the massive
dark isolated tree would surely reflect the depressed artist.
Moreover, Munch also explored the expressive representation of
emotions and personal relationships as he extended the
obsessive personal nature of his subjects into universal symbols
of emotional states (Hood). In The Scream, he showed an honest
and ugly glimpse of his inner troubles and feeling of his
anxiety. The main figure, unappealing androgynous creature
clasping hands to a skull-like head, is gasping with expressions
of fear and anxiety. Since he struggled with insanity not only on
a personal level, but also through his family, it is clear that he
put more importance on personal meaning in his painting then
on technical skill or traditional view of beauty (Shabi).
However, Starry Night portrays peaceful and beautiful scenery
with shining stars in a nocturnal sky whereas The Scream
captures a horrifying anxiety of a grotesquely compressed
writhing figure. Also, the colors used in each painting create
totally antithetical atmospheres. Closely examining Vincent Van
Gogh’s Starry Night, this painting has strong religious
overtones since Gogh attempted to draw the utopia with the
peaceful tranquility of unpretentious people living in nature and
harmony, all of which he dreamed (Davies et al. 534). The night
sky is filled with spectacular cosmic events – joyous swirling

7. clouds, luminescent stars with yellow haloes. Below the sky and
rolling hills of the horizon lies a small town, snugly ensconced
in a valley. Gogh uses exaggerated and thick sweeping
brushstrokes to visualize what he wanted the world to be. In
fact, he conveys the strong feelings of hope through the bright
lights of the stars shining down the dark nocturnal landscape,
other than just insanity and isolation (Shabi). However, in The
Scream, everything is twirling and swirling with dark vivid
colors which create a threatening dismal atmosphere. This scene
is also believed to be prompted by the violent eruption of the
Indonesian volcano Krakatoa in 1883. Witnessing such an
apocalyptic display of colors in Oslo, Munch might have
intended to depict the ugly sounds of living beings undergoing
both physical and emotional sufferings in the modern age
through bright exaggerated colors and simplistic shapes (Shabi).
To conclude, both Gogh and Munch are representative artists of
the late 19th and early 20th century who each developed Post-
Impressionism and Symbolism. Both of the artists suffered from
craziness, but their hysteria eventually made them to create two
of the most reproduced and famous pieces of art in the world
today: Starry Night embodies an inner, subjective expression of
Gogh’s response to nature, and The Scream deals with awe-
inspiring nature and emotional life, presumably applicable to all
modern humans.
Works Cited
Collins, Neil. “Symbolism.” Art Encyclopedia. Visual-arts-
cork.com, 2008. Web. 16 Nov. 2013.
Davies, Penelope J.E., et al. Janson’s Basic History of Western
Art. 9th ed. New Jersey: Pearson, 2009. Print.
Hood, William. “Munch, Edvard.” Grove Art Online. Oxford
Art Online. Oxford University Press. Web. 16 Nov. 2013.
Shabi, K. “Meaning of The Scream (1893) painting by Edvard
Munch: Art Analysis.” Online Literary Journal and Magazine.
Legomenon, 2012. Web. 16 Nov. 2013
Shabi, K. “Starry Night: Meaning of the Vincent Van Gogh

8. landscape painting.” Online Literary Journal and Magazine.
Legomenon, 2012. Web. 16 Nov. 2013