CARLETON UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL FOR STUDIES IN ART AND CULTURE
ARTH 1100
Art and Society: Prehistory to the Renaissance
Assignment (20%) – due date: 29 September 2014
Your assignment for this class consists in writing a visual and contextual analysis of an artwork currently on view at the National Gallery of Canada. Please note there is a $10 admission fee to the NGC’s permanent collection, but admission is free every Thursday night from 5pm to 8pm!
For your assignment, you must choose one of the following artworks:
Artwork 1:
Simone Martini (1284-1344)
St. Catherine of Alexandria, c. 1320-1325
Tempera on wood
(NGC location: Room C201)
Artwork 2:
Unknown French Sculptor
Virgin and Child, c. 1450-1500
Limestone with traces of polychrome and gilding
(NGC location: Room C201a)
Artwork 3:
Hans Baldung (1481?-1545)
Eve, the Serpent, and Death, c.1510-1515
Oil on linden (?), cradled
(NGC location: Room C202)
In 600 to 700 words, provide a description/analysis of your chosen artwork. This short assignment should comprise a description of the object’s subject matter (be concise and do not copy wall labels word for word). What does it represent? What is the story being told? What is the purpose of this object? More broadly, what is its context? Who made it, where and when was it made and, if known, for whom? You should also pay attention to the formal features of the artwork: for instance, what is the object made of? Describe how the artwork is visually
