How Do You Write a Visual Analysis Essay for Art History?

Art|Art History

A visual analysis essay for art history is a type of essay that focuses on the analysis of a work of art. It can be used to discuss a painting, sculpture, photograph or other type of art. This type of essay requires the student to analyze the artwork in terms of its form and content, as well as its historical context and relevance.

Forms of Analysis

When writing a visual analysis essay for art history, there are three main forms of analysis that can be used. These include formal analysis, contextual analysis and iconography.

Formal Analysis

Formal analysis is an examination of the elements within an artwork such as line, colour, texture and composition. This type of analysis allows the student to understand how these elements are used to create an overall effect or message within the work.

Contextual Analysis

Contextual analysis looks at how a work is placed in its historical context and how it relates to society and culture at large. This type of analysis requires students to research and consider the influences that may have shaped the artist’s vision when creating the artwork.

Iconography

Iconography is an examination of symbols or images within an artwork that may have deeper meaning or significance when looked at in conjunction with other elements within the piece. This type of analysis requires students to consider both what these symbols mean in isolation, as well as what they might mean when taken together with other parts of the work in question.

Organization and Structure
When writing a visual analysis essay for art history, it is important to structure your thoughts and arguments clearly so that they are easy to follow. The essay should begin with an introduction which outlines what will be discussed throughout the paper. This should then be followed by body paragraphs discussing each form of analysis separately and how they relate to one another before ending with a conclusion which summarises your main points and reemphasizes your thesis statement if applicable.

Conclusion
Writing a visual analysis essay for art history requires students to use their knowledge about form, content, historical context and iconography in order to create an argument about how these factors combine together to create meaning within a work of art. By organizing their thoughts clearly according to each form of analysis and then combining them into one cohesive argument, students can effectively write this type of essay with ease.