NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

DD1004: Introduction to Histories of Art II:

SEMESTER 2 (2023-2024)

Final Assessment
ESSAY: CLOSE VISUAL ANALYSIS IN CONVERSATION WITH SCHOLARLY TEXTS
Assignment due between April 19th – 21st 2024, Sunday at 23.59 p.m.
(submit through Turnitin on NTULearn)

THERE ARE SIX PARTS TO THE INSTRUCTIONS. PLEASE READ EACH SECTION CAREFULLY.

A. This final assessment takes the format of ONE essay that you will write outside of
class hours and submit through TURNITIN on NTULearn.

*The main purpose of this essay is to learn how to engage with artworks and textual
sources in an essay format using proper citation methods (Chicago Manual of Style).

*Please choose ONE question from below to write a coherent essay of 600 words
(please note that this word count does not include footnotes and end references).

*Your essay needs to engage with the ONE chosen artwork from below and AT LEAST
four different types of textual sources: for example, a survey textbook, a journal article,
a book chapter, a monograph, an exhibition catalog, an encyclopedia, an edited volume,
a museum web site, etc.,).

*You may not use Wikipedia or other popular sources.

*The entire essay consists of 100 marks. The BREAKDOWN for the essay is as follows:
introduction with citations (20 marks); body paragraphs (70 marks) and conclusion (10
marks).

*Note that you cannot work on the same topic, medium, and region as your
presentation.

*Mechanics: 12 point Calibri font; 1.5-spaced; proper use of sources (footnotes, end
references); include images of the main works of art you cite at the very end of the
essay and not in the middle of the text).

*Please follow the instructions on pages 2-5 of this handout to write your essay.

*Please contact NTU Communication Hub at https://www.ntu.edu.sg/lcc if you need

help in writing.
************************************************************************
B. Essay Questions: Choose one question only. Please read them carefully.

1
Theme 1: The Goddess as Icon

The female, symbolising the divine, embodies multiple aspects in visual representation
from the benign to the ferocious. From your study of ONE feminine icon, examine the
significance of the goddess through the form and character in which she is revered. You
may wish to consider the following questions in your writing: Who is she? How and why
is she portrayed as benign, active, or ferocious? What symbols, if any, does she possess?
How do materials and artistic techniques affect the encounter and reception of the
image? How does your chosen artwork function as an icon and how does this deity
reflect religious beliefs and social practices within the cultural setting she is found?

n Yakshi (Sanchi, India)

n Prajnaparamita (Cambodia)
n Kali (Bengal, India)
n Sri Dewi (Bali, Indonesia)
n Rangda (Bali, Indonesia)

Theme 2: Power/Identity in Ceremonial Dress

In our survey of South and Southeast Asian textile, several themes including identity and
power have been represented in ceremonial dress. From your study of ONE specific
dress image, critically analyse one theme represented in your chosen cloth. You may
wish to consider the following questions as you write your essay. What does it mean for
a textile to be powerful or to portray an identity? How is power/identity visualised in a
textile? What emblems, if any, are used? What techniques did the artist use? How do
materials affect the perception of the textile? In terms of social spaces, how does the
ceremonial dress’s material qualities affect social spaces such as weddings or a
diplomatic session? What is the relationship between the textile and
social/political/diplomatic space?

n Baluchari sari (Benjal, India)

n Jama (Rajasthan, India)
n Red Tunic( Jakata, Indonesia)
n Lau Pahudu (Indonesia)

Theme 3: Visual Narratives

Narrative representations are numerous in the arts of Asia. They point to deep and
extensive engagements with telling stories, with recounting actions and events, and
celebrating particular characters and their symbolisms. What are your thoughts on

2
visual or pictorial narratives? How may actions, consequences, relationships, or
associations be represented visually? How does the medium of a narrative artwork carry
the story and facilitate how it is received? How does patronage, social context, and site
of display affect the meaning and functions of a narrative artwork? In your essay, refer
to and discuss a specific narrative artwork from India, East Asia, or Southeast Asia.

n painting, Bhagavata Purana (Gujarat, India)

n Rama Kills Valin, Prambanan Temple (Java, Bali)
n Hungry Tigress Jataka, Tamamushi Shrine (Nara, Japan)
n Goyu, Tabibito Ryujo by Utagawa Hiroshige, (Japan)
n Namban Screen (Japan)

Theme 4: Alternative Traditions

Study an art object from Southeast Asia to discuss what you understand by alternative
traditions. Is this a satisfactory way of referring to these traditions? Identify some
themes represented in your chosen object and focus on a key concept to elaborate on.
Consider the following in your discussion: iconography, style, material, function,
production, location, producer, patron, and meanings. How have scholarly fields
approached the study of these traditions and what are your own thoughts about these
traditions that have become lost, static, or still persist as living cultures today.

n Osa’Osa (Nias, Indonesia)

n Dayak Hudog mask (Borneo, Indonesia)
n Rangda mask (Bali Indonesia)
n Lamak (Bali, Indonesia)
n Sri Dewi (Bali, Indonesia)
n Lau Pahudu (Indonesia)

************************************************************************
C. Timeline

*Week 9 Inform Your Tutor of the Image

In preparation for this short essay, you are required to identify one of the images
provided from the above questions for your essay. Start your research.
*Week 10 : Work on the Essay; Propose a Working Thesis
Include your main object and a tentative thesis.
*Week 11 Peer Review: Complete Thesis and Draft of Essay

3
Write a plan for your essay, possible paragraphs you envision and a tentative end
reference.
*Weeks 12 and 13 Compulsory Consultations: Bring final draft for discussion for
consultations. In this final draft, all paragraphs must incorporate footnotes (and if
needed one or two quotations only).

ESSAY DUE: Friday -- Sunday, April 19th – 21st 2024

************************************************************************
D. Guidance for Writing at NTU Communication Hub:

https://www.ntu.edu.sg/lcc. Contact them early to get a booking.

E. Extra Resources to be consulted

Library Guide: https://libguides.ntu.edu.sg/dd1004

Resources for Writing in Art History

Barnet, Sylvan. A Short Guide to Writing About Art. 11th edition. Upper Saddle River,
New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc., 2015. N7476.B261 2015 (at ADM reserves)

D’Alleva, Anne. Look! The Fundamentals of Art History. Third Edition. Upper Saddle
River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc., 2010. N345.D146 2010 (at ADM reserves)

Harvard College Writing Centre, (Harvard University), “Essay Structure”. Accessed 12

January 2021, https://writingcenter.fas.harvard.edu/pages/essay-structure

Southwestern University, “Guide for Writing in Art History’. Accessed 12 January 2021.
https://www.southwestern.edu/live/files/4166-guide-for-writing-in-art-historypdf

Stanford University (Dept of Art and Architecture), “A brief guide to writing in art
history”. Accessed 11 January 2021,
https://art.stanford.edu/sites/art/files/a_brief_guide_0.pdf

Swarthmore College Writing Centre, “Questions to ask when constructing a thesis”.

Accessed 11 January 2021.
https://www.swarthmore.edu/sites/default/files/assets/documents/writingswarthmore
/Thesis%20Questions.pdf

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Centre, ”Tips and Tools in Art
History”. Accessed 11 January 2021.
https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/art-history/

4
*For guidance on footnotes and works cited, see The Chicago Manual of Style,
http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html

*For guidance on citing images:

https://sites.google.com/a/colgate.edu/colgatevr/citing-images/citing-images-chicago

LCC Communication Cube: trained peer tutors can help you improve your writing skills.
http://lcc.hss.ntu.edu.sg/cube/Pages/Home.aspx

************************************************************************
F. Fostering Academic Integrity

*This essay submitted by you and that bears your name is presumed to be your own
original work that has NOT previously been submitted for credit in another course.

*In your essay, you may use sentences or ideas written by other individuals in scholarly
publications/web sites, but ONLY with proper citation (See The Chicago Manual of Style
for guidelines on quoting and footnoting).

*Plagiarism, Fraud, and Facilitating Academic Dishonesty are all acts of academic
dishonesty. The University will enforce serious penalties on students who violate the
university’s academic integrity policy. See following web site for further details:
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/ai/ForEveryone/Pages/NTUAcademicIntegrityPolicy.aspx