ARTH 396 - Art and Architectural Treasures of the Vatican: Home

Giovanni Battista Piranesi, Interior view of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, from Vedute di Roma (Roman Views), c.1748 via MetMuseum.org

This guide provides recommended research tools and skills for your ARTH 396 research assignment.

The attached brainstorming worksheet may give you some ideas.

When analyzing a work of art, it's helpful to develop and apply a list of relevant questions. Consider:

• Subject matter - What is being depicted? (May require researching a related place, figure or event - e.g. from religion or mythology)
• Material and form - What is the size, shape, line, texture, color, etc.? How do these affect the way you "see" the subject?
• Social and historical contexts - When, where, and why was the work made?
• What were the artist's intentions (if known)?

Barnet's A Short Guide to Writing About Art provides many useful examples of analytical questions and is a required/recommended text for most Art History courses.

If you would like in-depth help with research, make an appointment with your librarian by completing the online form at the link below: