THE BASICS: You will write an short responce (roughly 1,000 words) that compares and contrasts two artworks. How are they similar? How are they different? In the process, we will uncover the connections between two different people in two different times and places.

Choose one of the possible pairs listed below:

OPTION 1:

• Buddhist Temple of Borobodur, 9th century CE (Southeast Asia) – image found here
• Great Mosque of Isfahan, originally begun 9th century CE (Islamic) – image found here

You will discuss the similarities and differences between two examples, based on:

• Visual analysis (what do they look like)
  • Describe in detail how the artworks are similar or different.
  • Be sure to take into account whether the work of art you selected is a two-dimensional or three-dimensional, whether it is a work of art or architecture, functional or decorative, etc.
  • Is one colorful whereas the other one lacks color? How do the colors relate to the materials used? What might color communicate in these examples?
  • What is the subject matter of each artwork? Is it a representation of something or is it nonrepresentational?  
  • If it is representational, is it an abstraction of something? Are certain elements exaggerated? Is one example much larger or smaller in scale than the other?
• Context (external factors that may have influenced the object’s appearance or function)
  • How are these two artworks similar or different based on the particular religious, historical, social, political, or other events going on at the time of its creation?
  • Do they both tell us about the development of a particular religion in a certain part of the world?
  • Does one represent a time of peace, whereas the other example represents a time when that region was at war?
  • How do we see that context represented in the two artworks?

FORMATTING: The short responce should be typed in Times New Roman or Arial, 12pt font, double-spaced, with 1” margins. No extra spaces between paragraphs.

Do NOT conduct outside research, do not copy/paste text from an online source, do not use A.I. to generate a response…your answer should come from your own observations and/or the assigned readings/videos, the powerpoint, etc. If you do include any outside research, you must cite your sources within the text and include a Works Cited page. Cases of suspected plagiarism will be addressed by the instructor and in egregious cases the student may receive a ‘0.’

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dis 7

As we wrap up the term and finish up the compare and contrast short responce, it’s time to reflect on what we’ve learned.For this week’s discussion board, please share (at least 300 words):

• Out of all the artworks we learned about this term, which artwork challenged your preconceived ideas or views about art (its purpose, function, and/or aesthetics, etc.) — or about a particular region? Explain — is it different from the kinds of art forms that you were already familiar with? Was the material unique? 
• Do you think this artwork should have a place in the “art historical canon“ — the list of “greatest hits” of art history, among masterpieces like the Mona Lisa, for example? Explain.
• Please include an image of the artwork you chose and include the title, artist’s name (if known), country or region of origin, medium, and date that it was created.

Note: this discussion board post is worth 40 points rather than 20, so make sure that your post reflects the extra effort (at least 300 words, address all discussion prompts). Make sure to respond to at least two classmates (at least 75 words each) to push the conversation forward in some way.

sidenote: the art work i choose was “Crowned Head of a Yoruba Leader,” Ife (West Africa), bronze, 15th Century