Research Paper (due Monday, Nov. 20).

Your paper for this course will be based on your analysis of a single Chinese object. Try to choose an object that you like and want to know more about. It may be from any period and in any medium. I encourage you to come talk to me about possible paper topics. (Note that you should turn in a proposal for your paper topic on Friday, Sept. 29, and that you should turn in an annotated bibliography of your sources on Monday, Oct. 30. These will not be graded per se, but I will look them over and give you my comments.)

The paper should be about 1500 words (between five and seven pages). I expect to see both a description and an analysis of the object that you choose. Start by describing the object, and then use that description to analyze its style, function and historical context. You may wish to do some reading about similar objects or about the period and region to help with your analysis.

Here are some elements that you may want to pay attention to (remembering that the absence of certain characteristics is sometimes important too):
· the object's subject matter and/or function;
· where and when the object was made (its provenance and date);
· what the object is made of (its medium);
· formal characteristics of the object (including its form or composition; use of line or color; texture; space, mass or volume; perspective; proportion or scale);
· whether the object is inscribed.

These elements might suggest the following questions:
· what does the subject matter suggest about the object's significance?
· how does the object fit in its historical context?
· what do the medium and formal characteristics tell you about the artistic choices of the maker, the status of the owner, or the possible reactions of viewers?
· does an inscription reveal anything about the circumstances of the object's creation, or the attitudes of the maker or viewers?

Develop a thesis or an argument around which to organize your writing. (Note: this should not be a vague, inflated claim such as "This painting exemplifies the beauty and grandeur of Chinese art.") Pay attention to your language: please avoid judgmental words like "good" or "bad," as well as overused adjectives like "nice" and "interesting."

Please refer to the notes in your syllabus about appropriate formats for written work and about plagiarism. If you need more information about how to write an art history paper, I recommend looking at Sylvan Barnet's A Short Guide to Writing about Art. (The 1985 edition is in the reference section of the Library; the 2005 edition is a recommended text for this class and available in the College Store.) If you have further questions about writing research papers, you might visit the HWS Writes website.