A Brief Writing Workshop for a
Formal Analysis Paper
By Professor Tom Folland
Use the writing handouts made available to you:
“Assignment Instructions” –it sounds basic, but make sure you read the
outline carefully so you understand the parameters within which you are
producing your paper.
“Observation Prompts” – if you’re writing a formal analysis/museum paper,
you should work through the prompts while you observe the object you will
write about, and when you craft the first draft.
“Paper Style Guide” – we’ll go over much of the expectations of basic
grammar and academic writing style here, but make sure you consult it when
you make the final checks to your paper.
“Grading Rubric” – it is essential you check this to make sure you understand
my expectations when I grade your paper.
Basic Tips I
• Who is your audience? your paper is not a conversation
with a close friend, so avoid colloquialisms (eg. Use “do
not” and not “don’t”)
• Do not use first person. No “I” or “You”
• Be clear – assume your reader has never seen this object
or heard of art history before in their life, and it is your
job to explain what your object looks like and the context
of its making and reception
Basic Tips II
• Italicize titles of artworks
• Punctuation should fall inside of quotation marks.
Example: The student said, “The professor is such a
fantastic instructor!” (not, “The professor is such a
fantastic instructor”!)
• All papers must be typed using Times New Roman
font, doubled spaced, with standard 1inch margins
and proofread. You must use 12 point font. Do NOT
add extra spaces between paragraphs.
Plagiarism
• If you use the words of another writer without acknowledging
that writer it is considered plagiarism.
• If you use the ideas of another writer without acknowledging
that writer it is considered plagiarism.
• As I read your paper, I will be asking “How does he or she know
this information?”
• If you plagiarize (ie. cut and paste from an on-line site, etc.),
you will fail the assignment.
Some basic grammar
• Semi-colons separate independent clauses that are closely
linked in content. Ex: Grammar is a truly fascinating subject; to
study it is essential.
• A paragraph should consist of between four and eight
sentences, the first of which is a topic sentence. Every
subsequent sentence in the paragraph should relate to the
topic. When you shift to a new topic, begin a new paragraph.
• You use an apostrophe for possession, not for simple plurals. A
common mistake is the use of the words it is in a paper (it’s=it
is; its=of it (possessive).
Precision of language
• Suffixes of - ish and – like are imprecise. Ex: “The coat is blue-ish.”
Your reader has no idea what “ish” connotes. It’s some tone close
to blue, but what? Use more specific language. “The coat is
periwinkle.” Or, add an adjective: “the coat is light blue.” The same
goes for phrases such as “sort of,” “kind of,” and “a little.” Avoid
them.
• Overly subjective adjectives do not convey meaning to your reader.
Example: “This is a great painting.” Or, “The artist’s use of line is
truly excellent.” Neither of these sentences tell your reader
anything objective about the painting or the artist’s use of line.
• The same goes for “interesting” or “detailed.” If you use rich and
precise language, you will not need to inform the reader that your
point is “interesting.” “Detailed” is too general. What exactly is
detailed? Where? How is it detailed?
Use evocative metaphors and
similes; avoid clichés.
• A painting or sculpture does not say anything (paintings
can’t talk).
• The painting does not grab your attention (paintings
can’t move) or the sculpture does not “catch your eye”
(it can’t move.)
• A picture is not worth a thousand words. Generally
they’re worth money.
• Finally, “gives off” should never be used! Works of art do
not “give off” anything – calmness, “vibes,” beauty. Ever.
Verbs should live in the same time
zone: pick a tense and stick with it!
• Watch the verb tense. It is difficult to decide which tense is
appropriate when writing about an art historical object. The
making of the object happened in the past, yet most of the
objects are still tangible in the present. It is also easy to make
the mistake of switching between the past and the present
when writing an art history paper. Choose a tense and stick with
it. Ask for assistance if you have any confusion.
• When describing an artwork, the simple present
tense is usually most concise and effective (“The
artwork is in the Met museum.”)
• The simple past also works (“I saw the artwork in the
Met museum.”)
• Either write in the first person (I, we) or the third
person (he/she/it, etc.). Do NOT use second person
(you) in an academic paper.
Write with confidence and authority
• Avoid beginning sentences with “it can be said that…” Yes,
of course it can. Anything “can be said.” But presumably,
you are saying something that is based on fact, or your
educated opinion. So state it with confidence.
• The same goes for “it is safe to say that…” The first
amendment of the U.S. constitution guarantees that it is, in
fact, safe to say whatever it is you’re going to say. So just
go ahead and say it.
• Avoid “it seems like…” unless you are truly unsure of
whatever you’re suggesting. Even then, there is
probably a better way to state it. Ex: “It seems like
the artist used short, rapid brushstrokes in order to
create the effect of dappled light.” If you see what
looks like short, rapid brushstrokes on the canvas,
then just assume that you’re correct: “The artist
used short, rapid brushstrokes to create the effect of
dappled light.
• Similarly, avoid the verb “appears.” Seems and
appears are wimpy verbs that allow you to hedge
your bets without ever committing. Would you want
to hear your beloved say, “It seems that I love you?”
No.
• To express uncertainty (but probability), use
“perhaps” or “this suggests.” It is formal and
Be concise!
•
Adjectives modify nouns, and there is usually no need to
separate the two.
– Ex: “He wears a hat that is brown.” This sentence contains
superfluous words. Simply write, “He wears a brown hat.”
• Avoid run-on sentences. If you have words like “however”
in the middle of a sentence, you should probably break it
into two separate sentences.
• Read your paper out loud. If you have to take a breath and
you have not yet encountered any punctuation, ADD IT.
Title page (see Grading Rubric)
Your Name
Title of Your Paper
The Artist’s Name (if there is one)
Title of work/object
The Date of the Work
Medium (the material it is made from)
Image of your object(s)
Text from the Object Label – you can find it on the Met
Museum Timeline/Collection database