Please write a 750-word illustrated essay describing and analyzing both the artwork and, as importantly, the conditions of your encounter with that artwork, by reference to the ideas explored in any combination of three of our thematic units 4 through 10 (Street, Light, Statue, Camera, Playground, Prison, and/or Museum) (Links are provided below). My Museum is the Philidelphia Museum of Art.
Your paper should describe the appearance and/or subject of the artwork, within its own material and thematic limits as an object and idea, but also situate that artwork within a wider discussion of your own experience of encounter with it as it was shaped by the surrounding environment of the museum building and grounds and the wider community that these inhabit. Use imagination and creativity to explore these connections!
Your paper must make clear and productive references to and properly cite (Chicago or MLA (Links to an external site.)) at least three assigned course readings from three different units, chosen for their value in enriching our understanding of your selected case study.
Your discussion of these three texts must engage carefully and thoughtfully with their arguments and reflect solid understanding of their key ideas and evidence. Direct quotation is encouraged but not required. Citation, including page numbers, is mandatory.
Please include in your submission two or more photographs showing the work of art, its surrounding space in the museum, and any notable details of your experience of visiting the museum that relate to your discussion of course themes. If possible, please also include a link to the relevant object page on the museum’s website.