Art Humanities
Spring 12
1st Paper Assignment
Length: 1-2 pages (double-spaced, 12-point type, 1” margins) + 1 sketch or drawing
(you do not have to be an artist – this is because sketching helps you to look at the work
of art in a much more detailed way.)
Due: February 13
Formal analysis
The purpose of the formal analysis is to describe what effect an artwork has on you as a
viewer and to explain how the artwork's unique formal properties render that effect. It is
important to recognize that this involves more than describing the subject matter of the
artwork; it requires thoughtful, creative analysis of what art historian Joshua Taylor calls
"expressive content," or "that unique fusion of subject matter and specific visual form"
that accounts for the way a viewer responds to a particular piece.1
Please go (back) to the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Choose one of the relief or inthe-round sculptures from the façade of the church. Analyze the scene or sculpture,
considering some of the following questions. These are meant to prompt your
thoughts, rather than you needing to answer all of them. Your paper should address
only those you consider important.
--Material, texture
--Size, and relationship to the space in which it is situated
--Style or technique, noting
--the pose and/or gestures of the figure, if applicable
--handling of hair or clothing
--appearance of facial features
--total expressive effect of the figure or scene
--Look at the way each element of the figure contributes to the overall effect. Does the
figure seem threatening? Approachable? Friendly? Neutral? What about the figure leads
you to your conclusion.
--Does the statue convey motion? If so, how?
--Do you think the statue represents a particular individual? If so, how is that person’s
individuality conveyed? If not, what makes the figure seem generic?
--Is the figure human or divine? How can you tell?
--Some aspects of the figure may be portrayed accurately; others may be idealized or
distorted for expressive purposes. What balance does the sculptor strike between realism,
idealization or distortion, and what are his expressive goals?
Joshua C. Taylor, Learning to Look.. A Handbook for the Visual Arts, 2nd ed. (Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, 1981), 51.
1
--Be specific and give evidence. Do not just write, “The figure has a happy expression,”
but explain what gives it a happy expression – is it the eyes? Body language? Upturned
mouth? Back up your statements with observations, using specific details. At the same
time, don’t merely list facts, but think about the significance of those details. Every
observation should make a point.
--Try to go beyond first impressions and think about the work, while remaining objective.
Avoid making judgments about whether or not you like the work.
--Keep in mind that this is a formal analysis and a very short paper. You are not
expected to draw complex conclusions, but you will wish to introduce the figure with
a topic paragraph that tells the reader what conclusions you have come to as to the
importance of this figure and how that is conveyed through formal means. You will
also need to have a coherent concluding paragraph. You will not need to do outside
research for this paper – if you choose to write about a figure or scene whose meaning
you are unfamiliar with, you can choose to either ask me or one of the staff at the
Cathedral about its meaning, or make this a purely formal analysis, drawing no
conclusions as to the iconographic meaning of the subject.
Content
In order to successfully convey this effect, you should:
 Look closely and push yourself beyond initial impressions.
 Give precise, detailed descriptions of formal properties.
 Address a wide variety of formal categories such as those taken up in class and by
Taylor.
 Draw thoughtful conclusions about the expressive content from your formal
descriptions. Don’t describe an element without discussing its particular importance
to the artwork.
 Support these conclusions with what you observe and describe in the object itself,
rather than with empty speculation or outside sources.
 It is not necessary to consult any source other than the object itself. Use outside
sources only to gain a basic understanding of the piece's subject and materials beyond
what you can discern from looking at the piece on its own.
 Limit analysis of subject matter to how it is structured by form.
 You may compare and contrast the piece to other works from class in order to
substantiate your analysis. If you choose to do so, treat your discussion of the secondary
work with the same descriptive and analytical rigor outlined above.
Organization
 State your argument at the beginning of the paper.
 Introduce the artwork with a brief general description, after which all description
should be in service of your argument.
 Order your points logically.
Style
 Take an objective tone, avoiding first-person narrative.
 Avoid unnecessary repetition.
 Proofread for spelling, grammar, and style.
 Cite all outside sources either with parenthetical references or footnotes (see
footnote below for appropriate citation style). 
For further hints on developing a formal analysis of sculpture, see Sylvan Barnet’s A
Short Guide to Writing About Art. In the 2003 Seventh Edition, pp. 62-68 and 95-97 deal
with sculpture and with formal analysis specifically.
___________________
From the Columbia College Policy on Academic Honesty:
Plagiarism and Acknowledgment of Sources
Columbia has always believed that learning to write effectively is one of the most
important goals a college student can achieve. Whether students major in the humanities,
the social sciences, or the natural sciences, they will be asked to do a great deal of written
work while at Columbia: term papers, seminar and laboratory reports, and analytic essays
of different lengths. These papers play a major role in course performance, but more
important, they play a major role in intellectual development.
Every year there are instances in which students attempt to submit the work of other
people as their own. Because intellectual integrity is the hallmark of educational
institutions, academic dishonesty is one of the most serious offenses that a student can
commit at Columbia. It is punishable by suspension or dismissal from the College.