How Do You Start an Art History Essay?

Art|Art History

An art history essay is a particular type of writing that focuses on the analysis of art works and aesthetics. It is not merely a description of an artwork, but rather an in-depth exploration into the meaning behind it. If you are new to writing art history essays, there are certain steps you should take to ensure that your essay is well written and organized.

1. Understanding the Assignment
Before you can begin writing your essay, it is important that you understand exactly what the assignment entails.

Read through the prompt carefully, making sure to note any requirements or guidelines given by your professor. Some assignments may require outside research or specific sources; be sure to follow any instructions given in order to receive full credit for your work.

2. Choosing a Topic
Once you have read and understood the assignment, it is time to choose a topic for your essay.

Consider which topics within art history are interesting or relevant to you and then pick one that aligns with the prompt given by your professor. Your chosen topic should be narrow enough so that you can explore it in-depth within the confines of your paper’s length, but broad enough so that it can be explored from multiple angles and with various perspectives.

3. Researching & Gathering Sources
Now that you have settled on a topic, it is time to conduct research on it using credible sources such as books, scholarly articles, museum websites, and other similar resources.

When researching, make sure to take copious notes along the way as this will make it much easier when writing your essay later on. Additionally, record all the sources used during your research process so that they can be referenced properly when citing them in your paper at a later point.

4. Writing & Structuring Your Essay

Once you have gathered all of your sources and notes for research, it is time to begin structuring and writing out your essay according to its assigned format (i.e., APA or MLA).

Start off by drafting an introduction paragraph which should include a brief overview of the topic being explored as well as an attention-grabbing hook sentence which will draw readers in and make them want to keep reading further into the paper. After this comes the body paragraphs which should each focus on different points related to your chosen topic while also incorporating evidence from various sources used during research; be sure to provide proper citations for any information taken from external sources! Finally conclude your paper with a strong conclusion paragraph which summarizes all main points made previously while also restating why these points are important overall.

In conclusion, writing an art history essay requires careful planning and organization along with extensive research from reliable sources in order for it to be successful. By following these steps – understanding the assignment, choosing a topic, researching & gathering sources, and finally structuring & writing – students will find themselves equipped with all necessary skills for composing an effective art history paper.