The 4 scholarly works I plan to use when researching my paper include Understanding Early Christian Art by Robin M. Jensen, The Index of Medieval Art, ArtStor, and Gardner’s art through the ages: The Western perspective. (or whatever you may choose)
The artwork I’ve chosen is Scenes of the Passion and Resurrection of Christ, Lambert Lombard. I decided to research the scenes of The Resurrection.
The research question that I’ve planned to go with is: How can an artwork such as the one presented impact society at the time and what specific significance did this artwork hold? I want to know the opinions of those who decided to create the artwork and what led them to make this powerful image. What were the opinions of the surrounding people and also those in other regions? The most curious aspect to me is how the religious and political leaders felt about the artwork presented and whether it was accepted or not. However, the main goal of my paper will be to uncover the meaning and significance of the artwork which might seem clear to the beholder, but with the many aspects involved I believe there to be numerous interesting talking points. I’m looking forward to researching this piece and discovering answers to my questions and hopefully be able to spread more knowledge about the artwork.
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Choose one image from any given topic, and discuss the iconographical theme.
Discuss how the Biblical subject is conveyed by analyzing the relation of the image to the Biblical text; what part of the story is excluded, what is added, and to what effect? If it contains messages that are outside the Bible, identify those sources and explain their significance.
For symbols (e.g. as goldfinch), or to identify saints depicted in art, consult George Ferguson’s Signs & Symbols in Christian Art or Peter and Linda Murray’s Oxford Dictionary of Christian Art
For saints who appear in the artwork, make sure to consult Jacopus de Voragine’s Golden Legend (available on the web site: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/goldenlegend/ )
For symbols regarding Jesus and Mary consult a book by Gertrud Schiller, Iconography of Christian Art.
For all images from the Renaissance period, basic information can be found in the Museum catalogue: Carolyn C. Wilson, Italian Paintings XIV-XVI centuries in the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
Make sure that your paper has an introduction clearly identifying the image(s) by its author, title and date, and the iconographical theme. Make sure you understand the original function of the image: an altarpiece, a predella, or a devotional image for private use. This will make a difference in a way the theme is presented to the viewer. Demonstrate that you fully understand the narrative, and its development in art.
Internet web pages (including Wikipedia) that are not affiliated with an academic institution are not considered valid scholarly sources. Here is a good principle to follow: Use webpages to start your research, but always verify their information within printed scholarly texts. As a result, you should reference the printed source rather than the webpage in your research papers. If you cannot verify the information using a printed text, it is not something you should reference, cite, or build your ideas from.
Your paper must have three specific parts:
1.Formal Analysis. Discussing size, function, composition, color, texture, program, form, shape, etc. Include a discussion regarding its purpose (i.e. is the image chiefly decorative, illustrative, narrative, iconic, or some other scheme?). You should compare the artwork with AT LEAST one other artwork that is a relevant comparison.
2.Iconography. Meaning based on primary sources.
3.Historical Context. Place the object/building in the time period when it was made. You can refer to the reign of the respective politicians and religious leaders, major events of that period. What makes this artwork significant and a representative of that culture?
