Art Essay Examples and Topics

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1,931 samples

If you are studying art, chances are that you will have to write a lot of essays during your time in school or college. To receive an excellent grade on them, it is essential that you learn how to write an art essay. Here are the top tips for writing essays on art:

Choose a subject that is interesting to you. For example, if you are interested in graphic art, focus on it in your essay. If you are not sure of what to write about, try searching art essay topics online and choose the one you like most.

Look for sample papers on the topic. If you want to write about a particular movie, look for a film analysis example featuring it. Using this tip, you will be able to get some ideas and add more depth to your writing.

Find relevant scholarly sources. You can search Google Scholar or your school’s library for high-quality articles and books on the subject. Instead of merely citing the information from sources, try to offer some critique. Are the views shared by the author supported by other scholars? Do you agree with their evaluation and why?

Include a personal response. Many forms of art are subject to personal interpretation, and some tutors want their students’ essays to be expressive. This means that you should share your views on the topic and explain why you think the way you do. Doing so will help you to show your understanding of the topic and earn you some extra marks.

Hopefully, these tips will help you to earn an A on your art and design essays! You can explore our site for free essay samples and topics.

1930 Best Essay Examples on Art

The History of Elizabethan Drama Era

The early Elizabethan dramas were not performed in permanent theaters. In most cases, traveling troupes performed these plays in the courtyards.
  • 4
  • Subjects: Theater
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1009

Mona Lisa’s Elements and Principles of Art

The image involves a half-body portrait of a woman, and the enigmatic smile of the lady reflects the artist's idea of the connection between nature and humanity.
  • 1
  • Subjects: Paintings
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 590

Photograph Description: Nature

The photograph reflects a marvelous landscape combining the elements of human interference in the form of buildings; it is necessary to underline the fact that the picture is to be referred to as representational [...]
  • Subjects: Photography
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 465

Art Appreciation

The works of Art in the Ancient culture were of various forms which included architecture, sculpture, and graphic arts. Architecture and sculpture are the oldest forms of art that existed and still exist in the [...]
  • 4.3
  • Subjects: History of Art
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 676

Greek and Roman Theatre Differences

The design was further involved in the seat arrangement that ensured that the actors were clearly heard by the people on the uppermost semicircular bench of the theater.
  • 1.8
  • Subjects: Theater
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1124

Art in “Who the Fuck Is Jackson Pollock?” Documentary

Simultaneously, the works of renowned artists increasingly became a property of the art elites, a group of individuals who decide the worthiness of a piece of artwork based on their knowledge and recognition of the [...]
  • Subjects: History of Art
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 638

Nudity vs. Pornography When Used in Artwork

Nude art forms date back to the ancient Greeks who had the utmost respect for the sanctity that is the human body even though the same cannot be said in the present day where artists [...]
  • Subjects: Visual Arts
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 752

Arguments for Graffiti as Art

Given the comprehensive nature of art and the time and care necessary to produce a piece of graffiti, it should be considered a form of art.
  • Subjects: Visual Arts
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 850

Monet’s and van Gogh’s Paintings Comparison

Impressionists showed the development of the urban environment at the end of the 19th century. Monet was the representative of impressionism, whereas van Gogh represented post-impressionism.
  • Subjects: Paintings
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 896

The Starry Night by Van Gogh

Different colors represent different emotions and feelings in a work of art such as a painting; perhaps one of the most important facts in the use of color is the ability to actively involve the [...]
  • Subjects: Paintings
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1166

The Play “Fifth of July” by Lanford Wilson

The rebirth can be connected to the launch of new events in the lives of the characters. Shirley, being the youngest in the Talley's in the play, is seen the progression factor of the Talley's [...]
  • Subjects: Theater
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 925

“Understanding Art” by Lois Fichner-Rathus

Though the two works differ in the color gamut used and in the forms and directions of the lines resorted to, in both cases the viewer is encouraged to answer various questions that one can [...]
  • Subjects: Visual Arts
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 602

Comparison and Contrast of Art History

Daniel Strobel, Jr.and Her Son, George is one from the pair of neoclassical portraits of the Strobel family Daniel Strobel, the American Diplomat in France, and his wife, Anna Church, the daughter of the first [...]
  • Subjects: Paintings
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1401

The Black Madonna of Breznichar

The prominence of the Black Madonna is majorly due to the miraculous character it poses to the pilgrims. Since the black Madonna is a representation of the Virgin Mary, there are people of Catholic denomination [...]
  • Subjects: Paintings
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 863

Photos in “12 Million Black Voices” by Richard Wright

It is clear that the author believes that African Americans are victims of the development of the US society. However, 'the Lords of the Land' had the necessary mechanisms to suppress the revolts and make [...]
  • Subjects: Photography
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1394

Contemporary Art Practices Essay

Speaking about contemporary art, people usually mean the objects of art and artistic techniques that began to be used in the middle of the twentieth century.
  • 5
  • Subjects: Art Movement
  • Pages: 11
  • Words: 2962

Visual and Performing Arts

As a result, visual and performing arts are crucial for the participators and the society as a whole. The study of visual and performing arts is very crucial for the success in the industry.
  • Subjects: Visual Arts
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 606

Mona Lisa and the Last Supper Paintings

The naming of Mona Lisa and the Last Supper paintings is based on the themes represented in the paintings and situations at the time.
  • 4.2
  • Subjects: Paintings
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1674

Picasso’s Painting “Guernica”

Guernica is a painting by an influential 20th-century artist, Pablo Picasso, that was created in 1937 in response to the bombing of the city of Guernica in the Spanish Civil War.
  • Subjects: Paintings
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 582

Leonardo Da Vinci’s Last Supper

The painting of the last supper draws the attention of any admirer to the center of the work, which is Jesus Christ's head.
  • Subjects: Paintings
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1821

Why Was the Globe Theatre Important to Shakespeare?

The role of the Globe Theatre in Shakespeare's life is significant because the possibility to participate in the theatre's The Lord Chamberlain's Men Group and to write plays for the theatre's performances contributed to the [...]
  • 3.8
  • Subjects: Theater
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1089

The Basic Principles of Western Theater

Third, the importance of the audience in the concept of a theater play is discussed. However, they lack the unique characteristic of a theater, which is the unparalleled connection between the audience and the performers.
  • Subjects: Theater
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 596

Anti-War Statement in Pablo Picasso’s “Guernica”

Despite the fact that the bombing of the town was Picasso's major motive for creation Guernica, in the painting, there are no scenes of bombing, no explosions, and no direct images of the ravages of [...]
  • Subjects: Paintings
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 1191

Discussion: Old Comedy and New Comedy

One of the most famous representatives of New Comedy was the playwright Menander, whose plays, such as "The Twin Brothers" and "The Girl from Samos," are known for their focus on everyday life and their [...]
  • Subjects: History of Art
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 609

Carlos Schwabe’s “The Death of the Gravedigger”

He also drew the image of "Death" in his masterpiece painting The Death of the Grave-Digger from her. The figures of the woman angel and the old man standing inside the grave are in the [...]
  • Subjects: Paintings
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1214

3D Animation: Main Inspirations and Personal Experience

I have read that an understanding of the underlying story and a keen interest in storytelling is essential to build a good animation. This I have found that a number of institutes in the country [...]
  • Subjects: Visual Arts
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 680

Pre-Raphaelite Artists

The Pre-Raphaelites artists opted to go back to the aspects of art that involved copious details, complex compositions of Italian and Flemish art, in addition to the use of intense colors.
  • Subjects: Artists
  • Pages: 11
  • Words: 3104

“The Tragedy” by Pablo Picasso

An impression of three people at a beach on the sea creates an open form, and the artist used blue colour to indicate the beach and the sea. Contour lines bring out the shape of [...]
  • Subjects: Artists
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 613

Emblazoned on History: The Fleur de Lis

The Fleur de Lis is most recognized as the symbol for French Royalty or as a part of a coat of arms, used in many European countries, including England and Scotland.
  • Subjects: Visual Arts
  • Pages: 8
  • Words: 2269

The Art Piece “The Sacred Heart” by Damien Hirst

The questions prompted by the observations of the "Secret Heart" are some of the many that follow from Damien Hirst's indictment of religion as viable means of ascribing meaning to human experience.
  • Subjects: Visual Arts
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 840

The Theories of Theatre’s Origins

The play's inspiration was the Greek mythology a part of the Greek religion. The governing body of the city convened and decided whether to allow the staging of a Corpus Christi play.
  • Subjects: Theater
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 1131

Visual Analysis: Untitled Film Still #21

Hence, the analysis of this piece is feasible from the perspective of demonstrating the importance of the sociological underpinning of cultural products and the way visual techniques are used for transmitting the message.
  • Subjects: Visual Arts
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1414

”Girl With a Pearl Earring” by Johannes Vermeer

Following is a depiction of the painting: This painting was chosen because the innocence on the face of the girl can be related to one's self and moreover, the choice of colours that Vermeer has [...]
  • 5
  • Subjects: Paintings
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 630

How Theater Was Used in the Soviet Union

The formation of the Soviet Union can be traced back in 1917 when the people got tired of the monarchy system which, was led by Czar Nicholas II.[1] In those times, most people in the [...]
  • Subjects: Theater
  • Pages: 8
  • Words: 2173

Formal Analysis: Empress Theodora and Her Attendants

The focal point of the composition is the figure of the empress, highlighted through color and light. The mosaic 'Empress Theodora and Her Attendants' provides a glaring example of how formal elements of design work [...]
  • 4.5
  • Subjects: Art Movement
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 611

Photography Exhibition: Examples of the Works

This is an outstanding piece of art which made me, for instance, think of our world and humanity: first of all I thought about the perfection of the both, and then I passed to contemplations [...]
  • Subjects: Photography
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1137

Ferdinand Hodler’s “The Chosen One” Painting

The boy is confronting the remnants of the Tree of Life from the Garden of Eden, as is shown through the presence of the small snake and the walled 'garden' while the landscape behind him [...]
  • Subjects: Paintings
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 961

A View from the Bridge by Miler

The play is based on a real story that happened in the fifties of the last century. This is a tragic story about love and jealousy, friendship and betrayal.
  • Subjects: Theater
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 1038

Graffiti and History of Street Art

Statues of antiquity and great canvas of the New Age and many other works appeared due to the set of reasons which made this very kind of art the main characteristic of the epoch.
  • Subjects: History of Art
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 1940

Shaun Gladwell’s Art: Materials And Techniques

Gladwell appears to be one of the modern artists whose skills have broken from the past in terms of specialization and application of both materials and skills, especially due to the digitalization of his methods [...]
  • Subjects: Visual Arts
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1642

Jeff and Julia Woods: Passion to Making Photos

In this paper, the works, skills, and achievements of Jeffrey and Julia Woods will be analyzed; their awards and contribution to the world of photography is really magnificent, because they do not want to create [...]
  • Subjects: Photography
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1654

Celine Dion and Her Voice

What caught me most is the power of Dion's voice and the depth which she uses to guide the listener through the feelings she projects with the song.
  • Subjects: Artists
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 599

Should the Government Fund the Arts?

Since the arts play a big role in the society the government has a moral responsibility to fund the arts as they are primarily unsustainable when exposed to open market forces, art is a necessity [...]
  • 5
  • Subjects: Art Movement
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 1149

The Shaka Triad Sculpture

The sculpture of the Shaka triad has a mandorla, which has an inscription providing a piece of essential information about the date, the author, donors, and the circumstances in which the statue was created.
  • Subjects: Sculpture
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 530

Chapters 7-9 in “Understanding Comics” by McCloud

Despite the strict logical organization of the stages from the basic understanding of purpose to sharpening the specific skills related to the form of art, the author claims that many artists tend to learn these [...]
  • Subjects: Visual Arts
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 877

Modern Age: Deconstructivism vs. Modernism

In the course of their evolution people obtained new values that impacted their vision of the world and resulted in the appearance of new ideals of beauty.
  • Subjects: Art Movement
  • Pages: 9
  • Words: 2522

Franz Kafka’s and Vincent van Gogh’s Connection

Although van Gogh and Kafka realized their creative intentions in different areas of art, they had the remarkable connection in terms of sharing problems in family relations; having problems in personal relations; struggling to find [...]
  • Subjects: Artists
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1475

Sculpture and painting

A look at the military sculptures in many city parks shows that, they were meant to inspire patriotism while at the same time instigate and boost the pride of a country where the sculptures stand.
  • 4
  • Subjects: Visual Arts
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 653

“The Two Fridas” painting analysis

The mirror-reflexion of the two Fridas constitutes the foreground of the painting. The two figures on the picture are being either linked in the inner world, which is being illustrated by the unity of the [...]
  • Subjects: Paintings
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1099

Modern and Postmodern Art Scene in Malaysia

Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation is to research modern art and postmodern art in Malaysia's art scene in light of the change in art throughout the Industrial Revolution.
  • Subjects: History of Art
  • Pages: 35
  • Words: 8389

Is Photography an Art and Why?

In brief, photography is an art since it uses a variety of human actions to create aural, visual, or performative artifacts that show the author's creativity or technical proficiency and are intended to be admired [...]
  • Subjects: Photography
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 561

Leonardo Da Vinci and Galileo Galilei: Art and Science

From the art, Leonardo described the wakes' tricky nature and the vertical up-welling of water in the paths. The case of Galileo is similar to that of Leonardo in terms of influence as art-informed science.
  • 4
  • Subjects: History of Art
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 282

“The Last Judgement” by Michael Angelo

The painting conveys the act of the second come of Christ, and the apocalypse. It is explicitly seen the way Christ is depicted in the light, in the middle of the painting; just the way [...]
  • 1
  • Subjects: Paintings
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1118

The Realism in Art Movement

The paintings of authors representing the movement of realism are extremely vivid and are likely to create an impression of presence in the painting while observing it.
  • Subjects: Art Movement
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 844

Steve McCurry’s Photographs

This approach has revealed the impacts of war on the lives of many people across the globe. McCurry had the opportunity to capture the portrait of a monk in Tibet.
  • Subjects: Photography
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1392

Ray Beldner Artistic Works

This reproduction is the allusion of the painting by Rene Magritte This is not a Pipe, which is the typical example of the representative art.
  • Subjects: Artists
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 636

Exhibition Review

The photographs on the exhibition are all from the permanent section of the museum. The unifying factor in the photographs on this exhibition is the use of Photoshop software in enhancing their appeal.
  • Subjects: Art Exhibitions
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 818

Surrealism Development

The text, which was written with a great deal of absurdist humor, has references to several precursors of Surrealism that represented the Surrealist spirit before the declaration of the manifesto and the works of other [...]
  • Subjects: Art Movement
  • Pages: 8
  • Words: 2209

The Role of Costumes in Play

In the given pictures from a play, the character's costume can help to deliver information to the reader through hints about their social hierarchy or wealth.
  • Subjects: Theater
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 599

The Connection of History and Photography

Overall, photography falls under the visual sources of chronological data that historians can use to understand and write about recorded events.
  • Subjects: Photography
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1130

“Hope II” by Gustav Klimt: Formal Analysis

The painting is called Hope II, which indicates that the artist wanted to emphasize not the doom and sadness of the death of a child but the hope of the women depicted in the painting.
  • Subjects: Paintings
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 462

Art of Ancient Greece: The Diadoumenos Statue

The marble statue of the Diadoumenos depicts an athlete with a victory armband and is a reconstruction of the original based on Roman marble spears. Polykleitos' sculpture is a typical example of the classical period [...]
  • Subjects: Sculpture
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 336

Biographical Profile of Jamaal Barber

Notably, he won the JOSA Award of Excellence in Drawing in 2002 and got first place in the graphic design competition of the Rebel Magazine.
  • Subjects: Artists
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1702

The Rent Broadway Musical’s Analysis

This is a musical, and the type of performance is an ensemble since the majority of songs are performed by a group of actors, although there are several solo performances as well.
  • Subjects: Theater
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 562

Death of Socrates, Painting Analysis

The setting of the painting is a prison that has arches on the window and an arch in the hallway. On the right-hand side of the painting, the orange tunic echoes the red and yellow [...]
  • Subjects: Paintings
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1211

Musical and Artistic Life in Paris in 1830-1850

The focus of the paper will be personal and professional lives of the prominent artists and musicians who contributed heavily to the development of the musical and artistic tradition of Paris in the period described.
  • Subjects: History of Art
  • Pages: 10
  • Words: 2780

Art and Society: Goals and Duties of Artists

Therefore, it can be asserted that one of the roles of art is to preserve the cultural trait and heritage of a community or society. This is both to the user of the artistic material [...]
  • Subjects: Visual Arts
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1752

Art and Design Principles and Their Effects

Contrast helps in emphasis, variation, and addition of interest which enables the user to develop a certain feeling in the work of art. Harmony refers to the consistency of appearance in a work of art.
  • Subjects: Visual Arts
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 600

Gallery of Joy: Chagall, Kandinsky, and Miro

They handled color quite differently, and their methods of creating shapes and shadows are unique to each artist to the point that each artist's work is easily identified from its unique treatment of the shape [...]
  • Subjects: Paintings
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1434

Michelangelo’s Madonna of the Stairs

The sculpture is important from a historical perspective because it helps the beholder to grasp the enormity of Michelangelo's genius as well as his unique approach to the canons of Christian iconography.
  • 4
  • Subjects: Sculpture
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1728

Naji al-Ali, a Palestinian Cartoonist and His Art

The open and fearless criticism of the political affairs of the particular state is always a risk for the author. Naji Al-Ali was a prominent Palestinian cartoonist famous for his criticism of the political situation [...]
  • Subjects: Artists
  • Pages: 12
  • Words: 3010

Magical Realism as a Literary Genre

The concept of loreal Maravillas was introduced in 1949 to the Americans where the foundations of magical realism were traced from the art world.
  • Subjects: Visual Arts
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1098

Drama Oedipus the King by Sophocles

The key aspects of Sophocles' play capture the learners' interest in the purpose of comedy and twist of fate. The theme of tragedy is illustrated in the play, Oedipus the King.
  • Subjects: Theater
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1104
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