1. Many works of art are inspired by deep religious/spiritualbeliefs. Select an artifact and discuss its significance as a religious icon, a symbol of faith and spiritual power. What/who does the artifact represent? What religious/spiritual/emotion/belief was the artist attempting to convey? What methods did the artist use to try to communicate spiritual content? Does the work have any religious/spiritual significance today?
2. A work of art is both material and emotional. Select one artifact and analyze the techniques and materials used by the artist to create it. How did technical considerations affect the outcome of the work? How does the technique/material reinforce the style of the work? What technical problems might the artist have faced in creating this object? Why do you think the artist chose a particular material to create this object? What would have happened had the artist chosen a different material/technique?
3. Art often reflects the popular culture of the people who produced it. Select a masterwork that tells us something about the popular culture of a particular time and place. What does the artifact tell us about how the people lived, what was important to them, how they saw themselves, what they did for recreation, how they dressed, etc. How does art reflect the everyday lives of people in a particular time and place? Why is that knowledge useful to us today?
4. All art contains basic elements of line, form, composition, color, texture, etc. Select an artifact and analyze the basic elements of the object. How did the artist use these elements to create a finished work? Is the work abstract or representational? Realistic or stylized? Materialistic or spiritual? How do the formal elements enhance the content of the object and reinforce the intentions of the artist? Do a diagram of the object to illustrate the basic composition of the work. Is the composition peaceful or chaotic? Simple or complex? Formal or informal? How does the color and texture enhance the mood of the work?

Guidelines for this assignment and how you will be evaluated:

• All essays must be typed, double spaced, and in a standard 12 point font of Helvetica, Ariel, or Times New Roman.
• Your paper must demonstrate accuracy and logic with respect to the paper’s subject matter.
• Your paper must be structured with a clear introduction including a thesis statement, body paragraphs containing contextual information which support your thesis, and a conclusion paragraph which summaries your essay.
• Your essay must be grammatically correct.
• All sources used must be cited in Chicago Style format.
• Any direct quotes or paraphrases must be footnoted.
• Provide a bibliography containing only credible sources. No Wikipedia or random websites permitted. 
• All illustrations must be numbered and contain a proper caption including the object name, country or origin, date, and current museum location.
• When evaluating your essay, I will consider the following:
  • Content: Did you answer the question? Did you use only credible sources? Did you follow the given format/structure of introduction, body, conclusion?
  • Clarity, Logic & Coherence: Did you clearly communicate ideas and thoughts carefully and effectively? Is your writing fluid for the intended audience?
  • Grammar & Style: Is your writing grammatically correct? Are there any typos?
  • Presentation: Are your images properly captioned? Is your essay formatted according to the guidelines?Sources:

    · Calkins. Robert G. Illuminmated Manuscripts of the Middle Ages, Ithaca, New York: Cornell university press. 1983. Pages 21-22.

    · https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/medieval-world/early-christian1/a/the-vienna-genesis

    · Milburn. Robert. Early Christian Art & Architecture: University of California Press 1988. Pages 298-299

    · http://www.academia.edu/5489813/The_Vienna_Genesis_Biblical_Storytelling_as_a_Secular_Practice

    · http://www.historyofinformation.com/expanded.php?id=1715

    · Schreckengberg. Heinz. Jewish Historiography and Iconography in Early and Medieval Christianity. Fortress press. Minneapolis. 1992. Pages 211-215

    · http://www.thebyzantinelegacy.com/vienna-genesis

    · https://sites.google.com/site/adairarthistory/iii-early-europe-and-colonial-americas/50-vienna-genesis