4. Writing Art-History Papers

• Art History isn’t opinion; it’s interpretation, which is supported and informed opinion. The best use more of the available information on a subject. A formal analysis paper starts with sustained looking. Anne recommends 15 minutes. What jumps out and what do you notice later? If it’s 3D, move around it. Leave it and come back later for another 15 minutes. Take more notes. Sketch the work and take photographs if you are allowed. Go back another day if possible.
• For research papers, books from major universities or museum presses are a good place to start. You should also seek out older sources cited in these books. Make photocopies, but don’t go overboard. Be sure to consult your reference librarian. Take notes in a notebook, on index cards, or on a computer, whichever works best for you. Anne suggests that you list ten useful resources as a good guideline, but don’t limit yourself. Primary and secondary sources can both be helpful; just know which is which. The appendix contains top examples of periodicals, websites, and other references.
• Focus on developing a thesis, which is the overall argument that you present, as you work. Your opening paragraph should get the reader’s attention, explain your subject, and set up your argument. Consider doing it as the last part of your first draft. In the body, one idea should lead to the next, creating a unified whole. Describe the artist’s intentions and try to tell a story. Summarize your key points in a concluding paragraph and try to be creative.
• This chapter offers 44 pages of great advice and includes lots of examples, editing advice, how to do citations and bibliographies, and common style pitfalls. (Doug: I would like to see links to complete papers that Anne considers to be exemplars.)

5. Navigating Art-History Examinations

• (Doug: Like any course, you will do best in art history if you do some studying every day. Research has shown that cramming the night before doesn’t work.) Common art history tests ask you to identify images with name, artist, medium, date, and culture. Consider making flash cards of the images discussed in each class that day and review them as part of your daily study. It may help to group images by commonalities like artist or date. Take notes and make your own sketches of images. Make simple timelines. (Doug: If the professor doesn’t make downloads of images available, ask if you can take pictures.)
• The advice from the previous chapter applies here for essay questions. Use about one third of your time to create a complete outline and use it all in your answer. Be sure to answer the entire question and don’t pad your answer with needless verbiage. Use mnemonics if they come to you. Be calm. (Doug: This should be easy if you have studied daily.) In class, sit up front and participate rather than being passive. You will learn more. Summarize your readings (Doug: like I do for the books I summarize.) There are a number of example essay questions and answers here.

6. Art History’s Own History

• Art history has continually developed over time and still evolves. This chapter contains a brief summary of its evolution from Pliny the Elder (23-79 CE) to modern times. Writers in the Middle Ages recognized that religious art was developed to help people who couldn’t read understand sacred events and concepts. During the Renaissance, writers wrote extensively about the history, philosophy, and practice of art. During the 18th century, art history took its place as an established discipline.
• In the 19th century, authors noted that artists enriched and elaborated on their predecessors. Art also was seen as a means by which a culture expressed and communicated its essential ideas. In the 20th century, art history broadened its scope through greater interaction with other disciplines, such as sociology and anthropology and various theoretical perspectives.
• With the mass entry of women into the workforce and the university, female scholars began to make substantial contributions. LGBTQ artists started to challenge the existing orthodoxy. There was also a shift away from a totally European high art perspective to include art from cultures in Africa, Asia, and the Americas along with craft art and art produced by people without extensive training. The chapter includes Iconic examples.

Dr. Anne D’Alleva

• Anne is an American art historian, author, and higher education administrator currently serving as the president of Binghamton University. She holds a B.A. in Art History from Harvard University, as well as an M.A., Ph.D. in Art History, and a graduate certificate in Feminist Theory from Columbia University. Following postdoctoral fellowships at the Australian National University and the Getty Foundation, she taught at the University of St. Thomas before joining the faculty at the University of Connecticut in 1999 as a joint appointment in Art History and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Over her 26-year tenure at UConn, she was Head of the Department of Art and Art History, Dean of the School of Fine Arts (2015–2022), and Provost & Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs (2022–2025). She is recognized for her introductory textbooks on art history methodology and practice. They are Look! The Fundamentals of Art History and Methods and Theories of Art History.

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