ART207 Writing
The writing assignments are described in greater detail on their respective pages. In general, they need to be as long as you need them to be: don't pad, but at the same time, fully develop the essays. Content, rather than an arbitrary number of words or pages, takes precedent here. They are required to be typed (or printed out, as the case might be). Use proper citation of outside sources. Illustrations are always welcome.
The comparative essay
This form of writing is a comparison and evaluation of two (or more) subjects. The most basic setup is thesis, argument, conclusion, which constitutes the most basic three-paragraph essay. For the most part, a comparative essay will require more than three paragraphs, but the three-part structure remains.
Thesis
This is in the form of an introduction, and tells what you are going to prove or disprove. A thesis is a declarative statement, such as “the Mediterranean sky is different from Northern European sky, and affected the way artists see and use color”.
Argument
The argument section is where you present evidence, both for and against your thesis. This is an argument, not a rant. Strive for a balanced, reasoned, argument. The subject should suggest a sequence, such as overall to detail. Thus you can discuss the scientific measurement of light in Southern versus Northern Europe, then general trends in painting (probably during the Renaissance, as travel and distance makes for good separation) then a particular set of painters, then a single painter whose work changed. The sequence should first of all make sense to you, and secondly should convince your reader.
Conclusion
The conclusion restates your thesis, as well as whether you proved it or not, with the salient points of evidence.
General
The keys to writing a good comparative essay are clarity, precision, and organization. The clarity is foremost in your thesis. Make sure you have a good understanding of what you are writing about. The thesis forms the basis for the following argument, so if you are unclear about your thesis, the argument will at best be vague.
The precision is manifested in your thesis, but is as or more important in your argument. If you are comparing apples and oranges, make sure what you are discussing is a valid comparison.
Organization is an overriding element. An argument that is well organized, point-by-point, and takes in as many factors as it can, will be more persuasive than one that is jumbled, jumping around with no overall sequence. Finally, do not rant. Ranting does little to persuade, and often does just the opposite.
