Writing Your Essays in AP Art History
| writing_about_art.pdf |
Long Essay Tips & Practice
"Because the format of the AP Art History Exam is 40% objective and 60% essay, students taking the exam will need to express their observations and arguments clearly and effectively in their writing. Teachers should stress the importance of carefully reading the question before formulating answers as well as helping students to understand the importance of outlining arguments and planning responses BEFORE actually beginning to write." - AP Art History teacher's guide
From the AP Art History Teacher's Guide:
To prevent students from writing essays that simply describe a work of art, teachers should encourage students to focus on five areas for class discussion: subject matter, function, artistic decision making, contextual analysis, and cultural impact. Contemplating these five factors will help students to see art as a meaningful part of their lives. The following questions apply not only to masterpieces but also to images and objects found in our everyday world that we consider to be art.
Subject Matter
Function
To entertain or to please the eye?
For propagandistic purposes?
To address a social issue?
To commemorate an event?
To commemorate the life of a famous person?
As an expression of wealth and status?
To savor a memory?
To document a place and time?
To promote an artistic theory or philosophical idea?
To tell a story?
To express some human emotion (such as love, grief, or anger)?
To establish a personal or cultural identity?
To impress others with technical skill?
As a gift to a god or another person?
As a form of scientific study?
For private enjoyment?
For practical reasons only (that is, to provide shelter, to hunt with, or to document something for legal
purposes)?
In a private home or a public place?
In a dramatic outdoor setting or an interior space?
In a particular viewpoint (for example, down below or high above)?
Artistic Decision Making
Contextual Analysis
"Historical context allows the student not only to understand why a work of art looks the way it does, but to understand how the people who made these objects in any given time and place thought about themselves and the world around them." - AP Art History teacher's guide.
How does the work reflect the following cultural aspects of a particular time and place?
Cultural Impact
What impact did the work of art or architecture have on the history of art?
- READ the whole question, but break it down so you understand exactly what it is asking you. THE LAST SENTENCE IS OFTEN THE MOST IMPORTANT OF THE PROMPT!!!
- Familiarize yourself with various essay topics (listed below). Begin to plan your choices of art for each topic. Which works of art do you feel most comfortable discussing and analyzing? When you can write with knowledge and passion about works of art, your discussion is always stronger.
- When you see the essay topic, don't panic. Start making a list of several works of art that you think can fit the topic. Then, choose the work that you feel most confident in discussing. You should have at least 4-5 characteristics for each work of art you choose. Explain how each characteristic CONNECTS to the question being asked! Connections and context are key.
"Because the format of the AP Art History Exam is 40% objective and 60% essay, students taking the exam will need to express their observations and arguments clearly and effectively in their writing. Teachers should stress the importance of carefully reading the question before formulating answers as well as helping students to understand the importance of outlining arguments and planning responses BEFORE actually beginning to write." - AP Art History teacher's guide
From the AP Art History Teacher's Guide:
To prevent students from writing essays that simply describe a work of art, teachers should encourage students to focus on five areas for class discussion: subject matter, function, artistic decision making, contextual analysis, and cultural impact. Contemplating these five factors will help students to see art as a meaningful part of their lives. The following questions apply not only to masterpieces but also to images and objects found in our everyday world that we consider to be art.
Subject Matter
- Subject: What does the work depict? Who does the artist depict in the work? Iconography: What do the figures and objects in the work represent or symbolize?
- Narration: What event or series of events does the artist present to the viewer?
Function
- Why did the artist create the work?
To entertain or to please the eye?
For propagandistic purposes?
To address a social issue?
To commemorate an event?
To commemorate the life of a famous person?
As an expression of wealth and status?
To savor a memory?
To document a place and time?
To promote an artistic theory or philosophical idea?
To tell a story?
To express some human emotion (such as love, grief, or anger)?
To establish a personal or cultural identity?
To impress others with technical skill?
As a gift to a god or another person?
As a form of scientific study?
For private enjoyment?
For practical reasons only (that is, to provide shelter, to hunt with, or to document something for legal
purposes)?
- For whom was the work created?
- Who was the patron?
- Why did the patron commission the work?
- Was the patron upper class or middle class?
- To what degree could you describe the patron as "religious" or "secular"?
- To what degree was the patron involved in the artistic decision-making process?
- Did the artist create the work of art for the mass market?
- Did the artist create the work for himself or herself?
- Where did the artist originally intend to place their work?
In a private home or a public place?
In a dramatic outdoor setting or an interior space?
In a particular viewpoint (for example, down below or high above)?
- With a particular kind of lighting?
- As a complement to another nearby work of art (such as a building or a sculpture)?
- To compete with another nearby work of art?
- In a competitive exhibition?
- In a portable object (such as a book or a reliquary)?
Artistic Decision Making
- What decisions did the artist or architect make while creating this work of art?
- What medium did the artist use, and why?
- What technique did the artist use (for example, alla prima, impressionistic, trompe l'oeil, or grisaille), and why?
- What format did the artist use (for example, relief, freestanding, two-dimensional, horizontal, or vertical), and why?
- What type of color scheme did the artist use (for example, neutral, intense, arbitrary, monochromatic, symbolic, warm, or cool), and why?
- What type of lighting did the artist use, and why?
- What type of texture did the artist employ, and why?
- What type of line did the artist use (for example, vertical, horizontal, diagonal, calligraphic, undulating, curvilinear, agitated, arabesque, or gestural), and why?
- What so-called principles of design (such as balance, rhythm, movement, unity, emphasis, scale, and variety) did the artist employ, and why so?
- What mode of representation did the artist use (such as representational, abstract, naturalistic, schematic, stylized, idealized, or distorted), and why?
- What rules did the artist follow in accordance with the style of a particular time and place?
- What rules did the artist break away from in order to innovate or experiment?
- Did the artist make preparations before creating the work?
- Did the artist observe from nature or conform to archetypal forms?
- How did the artist or architect compose or structure the work (for example, symmetrical, asymmetrical, radial, random, proportional, bilateral, open, or closed), and why?
- How large (or small) is the work, and why?
- How much time did the artist spend on the work, and why?
- Did the artist or architect choose to emulate the work of another artist or architect?
Contextual Analysis
"Historical context allows the student not only to understand why a work of art looks the way it does, but to understand how the people who made these objects in any given time and place thought about themselves and the world around them." - AP Art History teacher's guide.
How does the work reflect the following cultural aspects of a particular time and place?
- Religious beliefs?
- Political ideologies?
- Philosophical ideologies?
- Attitudes toward social class and gender?
- A culture's concept of aesthetic beauty?
- A culture's concept of power and authority?
- A culture's concept of morality?
- A culture's changing tastes?
- A culture's concept of normality, perhaps with a view into the daily life of "ordinary" people?
- A culture's concept of nature and man's relationship with nature?
- A cultural view of history and tradition?
- Cross-cultural influences?
- The status of the artist or architect?
- The impact of subcultures existing within a larger, mainstream culture?
- The impact of new scientific discoveries or inventions?
- The lifestyle and milieu of the artist or architect?
Cultural Impact
What impact did the work of art or architecture have on the history of art?
- Inspire or influence other artists or architects?
- Dramatically rise in value?
- Seen by a large number of people?
- Cause controversy or raise complex questions?
- Alter visual perception in some way (such as the invention of linear perspective)?
- Popularize a particular medium or technique?
- Provide a sense of cultural or national identity?
- Make a particular person famous or infamous?
- Popularize a particular ideology?
- Alter fashion and taste?
- Alter the way artists were trained?
- Dramatically alter the art market?
Introductory Information
Let us begin with some important "do's" and "do not's"
Our goal here is to make essay writing as simple as completing a fill-in-the-blank exercise and the key is a good outline.
Sample Prompt
Now let us put this plan into action with the sample prompt below:
Many cultures use architecture to express or reinforce power and authority. Choose two works of architecture from different cultures, identifying each work as fully as possible. At least one work must come from beyond the European tradition. Discuss how each work conveys power and authority.
Sample First Paragraph
Again, remember to always begin your essay by answering the prompt and citing your works. It is important to let your AP reader know, right from the start, that you understand the prompt.
The palace of the Assyrian King Sargon II (ca. 8C BCE) and the triumphal arch of the Roman Emperor Titus (ca. 1C CE) both convey their culture's notion of power and authority. For the Assyrians, power and authority resided in the military strength of their kings and the palace of Sargon II reinforces this idea. The Arch of Titus , meanwhile, reflects the Roman view that power and authority lie in the military and cultural supremacy of Rome, each embodied in its emperor.
Do you see how this student has selected two appropriate works and answered the prompt (without specific details) in her first paragraph? Certainly, this student is well on his/her way to earning full credit on his/her essay!
Sample Second Paragraph
The key to writing your second and third paragraphs is two-fold
The Palace of Sargon II clearly reflects the fact the king was the source of power and authority in Assyrian culture. Here, Sargon's martial might was reflected in the complex which more closely resembled a fortress than a palace, with its fortified walls and military barracks. Sargon's ziggurat, unlike its Ancient Near Eastern counterparts, was not built on separate platforms with a linear ramp, but rather featured a spiraling ramp, to assure that anyone ascending to the top would be forced to take in the ever widening grandeur of the palace, and consequently the grandeur of its king. Within the central structure of the palace, the king's royal throne room itself was "guarded" by the Lamassu, supernatural winged, human-headed bulls with a four-tier headdress (signifying deity), no doubt serving as symbols of the king's divine right to rule. Furthermore, the seemingly endless hallways, which led to the throne room, were lined with relief sculptures depicting the might of the Assyrian nation and king, the purpose of which was to impress and intimidate visitors with the power and majesty and courage and piety of the king.
Here, the student has cited four specific aspects of the Assyrian palace:
- There are two long essay prompts on the AP Art History Exam.
- Long essay prompts are thirty minute exercises, totaling one hour of writing time.
- Students select the works on which they will write.
- Selected works must be fully identified in order to receive full credit.
- Beginning in 2006, the order of the free-response questions will be as follows: Question 1 will be a 30-minute essay requiring students to incorporate in their response at least one example of art beyond the European tradition. Questions 2 through 8 will be 5- to 10-minute essay questions based on slides and/or text. Question 9 will be a 30-minute essay question.
For more information about the exam topics view the AP Art History Course Description text from the Collegeboard. - The essay with a known topic will also require students to select at least one work from beyond the European tradition.
In other words, one of your selections should be from one of the following:- Ancient Near East (Sumerian, Assyrian, etc.)
- Egypt
- Islam
- Asia (Indian, Chinese, etc.)
- Americas (Aztec, Apache, etc.)
- Oceania (Melanesian, Polynesian, etc.)
Let us begin with some important "do's" and "do not's"
- Do ...
- spend a few minutes breaking down the questions and selecting works which are appropriate for the prompt (our essay prompts always require a pair of works). This is the most important step in the essay writing process, for if you do not answer the specifics of the prompt or select works which are entirely appropriate, you will have no hope of scoring highly.
- make an outline. The worst thing you can do with timed essays is to start writing right away. Taking five minutes (or so) to mindfully consider the prompt, the works you will use, and develop is time well-spent.
- Do not ...
- waste time with "fluff" sentences. We do not want generalized "opening statements," rewording of the prompt, or transition sentences between the paragraphs. We want you to spend your valuable time discussing art, not "fluffing-up" your discussion with unnecessary verbiage.
- write conclusion paragraphs. These are exercises in redundancy and should be avoided at all times.
Our goal here is to make essay writing as simple as completing a fill-in-the-blank exercise and the key is a good outline.
- First paragraph (introduce your works and answer the prompt without specific references)
- Identify the first work as best you can (title, date, culture, artist, etc.)
- Tie the first work to the prompt
- Identify the first work as best you can (title, date, culture, artist, etc.)
- Tie the second work to the prompt
- Second paragraph (provide specific references from your first work and tie them directly to the prompt)
- Point one
- Point two
- Point three
- Point four
- Third paragraph (provide specific references from your second work and tie them directly to the prompt)
- Point one
- Point two
- Point three
- Point four
Sample Prompt
Now let us put this plan into action with the sample prompt below:
Many cultures use architecture to express or reinforce power and authority. Choose two works of architecture from different cultures, identifying each work as fully as possible. At least one work must come from beyond the European tradition. Discuss how each work conveys power and authority.
Sample First Paragraph
Again, remember to always begin your essay by answering the prompt and citing your works. It is important to let your AP reader know, right from the start, that you understand the prompt.
The palace of the Assyrian King Sargon II (ca. 8C BCE) and the triumphal arch of the Roman Emperor Titus (ca. 1C CE) both convey their culture's notion of power and authority. For the Assyrians, power and authority resided in the military strength of their kings and the palace of Sargon II reinforces this idea. The Arch of Titus , meanwhile, reflects the Roman view that power and authority lie in the military and cultural supremacy of Rome, each embodied in its emperor.
Do you see how this student has selected two appropriate works and answered the prompt (without specific details) in her first paragraph? Certainly, this student is well on his/her way to earning full credit on his/her essay!
Sample Second Paragraph
The key to writing your second and third paragraphs is two-fold
- Cite specific aspects of the work.
- Tie the specific aspects of the work back into the prompt.
The Palace of Sargon II clearly reflects the fact the king was the source of power and authority in Assyrian culture. Here, Sargon's martial might was reflected in the complex which more closely resembled a fortress than a palace, with its fortified walls and military barracks. Sargon's ziggurat, unlike its Ancient Near Eastern counterparts, was not built on separate platforms with a linear ramp, but rather featured a spiraling ramp, to assure that anyone ascending to the top would be forced to take in the ever widening grandeur of the palace, and consequently the grandeur of its king. Within the central structure of the palace, the king's royal throne room itself was "guarded" by the Lamassu, supernatural winged, human-headed bulls with a four-tier headdress (signifying deity), no doubt serving as symbols of the king's divine right to rule. Furthermore, the seemingly endless hallways, which led to the throne room, were lined with relief sculptures depicting the might of the Assyrian nation and king, the purpose of which was to impress and intimidate visitors with the power and majesty and courage and piety of the king.
Here, the student has cited four specific aspects of the Assyrian palace:
- surrounded by fortified walls and housed military barracks
- ziggurat with an encircling ramp
- Lamassu standing guard at the entrance to the royal throne room
- seemingly endless hallways, which led to the throne, were lined with relief sculptures depicting the might of the Assyrian nation and king;
- palace more like a fortress
- probably so that anyone ascending to the temple would be focused on the ever widening grandeur of the complex, and consequently the grandeur of its king
- symbols of the king's divine right to rule
- whose purpose was to impress and intimidate visitors with the power and majesty and courage and piety of the king.
