You will build on the first assignment by integrating your comparison of each scholar's argument rather than analyzing one argument and then another in sequence. Break down the arguments and compare, for example, what sorts of historical and visual facts the authors summon. Then perhaps, you might compare how the authors sequence their statements to arrive at an interpretation. Then, you might compare the interpretations of the works of art or architecture for similarities and dissimilarities. Pay attention to how a scholar might focus on iconographic or stylistic analysis or on a literary comparison as the best means to understand the purpose of the artist and of the work of art for that culture.
Analytical statements differ from descriptions of the work of art.
You may want to consult the checklist art historians use for formal analysis . Since the discussions in each text are part of a chapter, you may need to fill in the missing parts of the author's argument from another part of the chapter. You will see that some authors use different analytical models that lead to a particular interpretation. Let me remind you that the preceding chapters in the text and the class discussions should also inform your writing. Just as works of art and architecture are not constructed in a vacuum, so should your essay reflect your understanding of the material so far discussed in the text and in the class.