Art Essay Examples and Topics

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1,978 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.

1977 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

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

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

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

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

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

Michelangelo’s “Bacchus” Sculpture Analysis

Furthermore, the specified size of the sculpture allows for experiencing the magnitude and power of the challenging ideas that Michelangelo introduced in the specified art piece.
  • Subjects: Sculpture
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1412

Image Analysis of “American Progress” by John Gast

The telegraph cable that the woman is stretching across the continent, the book in her hand, the trains and the ships, and the bridge on the right everything is empathizing the progress of the European [...]
  • Subjects: Paintings
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 553

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chapter 2 in “Understanding Comics” by Scott McCloud

The second chapter of Scott McCloud's book "Understanding Comics" is devoted to the vocabulary of comics and all that the reader perceives when looking at the inscriptions in illustrated publications and what he concludes.
  • Subjects: Visual Arts
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 316

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

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

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

Pathos, Ethos, and Logos in Photography

The audience's personal experiences affects its interpretation of what the picture depicts, it might be close to the communication the photographer had wished to convey or a totally different perspective.
  • 5
  • Subjects: Photography
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 1180

Painting: “The Great Wave off Kanagawa”

In the far distant center of the painting, is a mountain, still and motionless, in contrast to the dynamic furious sea wave. The shape and size of the wave create the imagery of force in [...]
  • Subjects: Paintings
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 841

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

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

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

The “Kisses from Berlin” Photo by Regis Bossu

The image was portrayed on the Berlin Wall as the symbol of protest and the end of the Cold War. Regarding the context of the photo, the fraternal kiss was a form of greeting between [...]
  • Subjects: Photography
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 944

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

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

“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

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

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

Salvador Dali: Surrealist Self-Portrait

His self-portraits can be seen as a unique part of his heritage reflecting ideas of personal self and self-identity, perception of the world and his genius.
  • Subjects: Artists
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1374

Main Points in the Article and Video by Hito Steyerl

Douglas writes about one of the pillars of the visual culture of the Internet memes: "Internet memes are based on the ideals of non-market network solidarity and free the work from the need to be [...]
  • Subjects: Visual Arts
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1395

Two of Shakespeare’s Sonnets (18 and 55) Analysis

In Shakespeare's sonnets, human perfectibility and love of praise occupy a prominent place, making the great poet's ideals the exemplifications of the themes of Renaissance humanism.
  • Subjects: History of Art
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 631

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

The Painting St. John the Baptist by Leonardo Da Vinci

The whole construct of this painting is maintained in the nature of Renaissance and glory of antique art. The frontal element of the whole performance is concentrated on the hand of the man.
  • Subjects: Paintings
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 854

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

History of Art and Design

Styles such as still life painting advanced from the use of pencils in the past to the use of colors in the present.
  • Subjects: History of Art
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1272

Art Period Comparison: Classicism and Middle Age

Classical and medieval periods of art demonstrate the power of the idea to continue traditions such as teach people and share the basics of life on the one hand, and the necessity to react to [...]
  • Subjects: History of Art
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1168

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

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

The Statue of Liberty: A Timeless Symbol of Freedom and Hope

With a long and intricate history intertwined with the origin of the United States, the monument represented the French people's dedication to the cause of liberty during the American Revolution. The Statue of Liberty is [...]
  • Subjects: Sculpture
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 557

Kagana Mask’s History, Origin, and Function

Further, the deeper literal interpretation of the Kanaga mask pertains to god, and the arrangement of the earth. Kanaga masks are worn by Malian Dogon dancers and are related to funerary rites to honor the [...]
  • Subjects: History of Art
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 996

Sports Photography and Its Evolution

The death of Niepce was announced in 1833, but the experiment was still been performed by Daguerre and he succeeded in the development of the daguerreotype finally in 1837.
  • Subjects: Photography
  • Pages: 8
  • Words: 2319

Invention of Photography and Its Social Impact

Although photography was invented in its full form only in 1835, an understanding of the social impact that was a result of the invention of photography is rightly portrayed by Azoulay in his article "The [...]
  • Subjects: Photography
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 1916

“Starry Night” by Vincent van Gogh

The cultural influence on the theme and manner of the work The Starry Night presented by the author can be evaluated through the complicated world look of its nature. The exaggeration of the drawing lines [...]
  • Subjects: Paintings
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1555

Anubis: The Statuette of the Egyptian God

The mission of Anubis was to guide the souls of the recently dead people through the underworld. This art object is masterfully carved and color-coded, especially the clothing of Anubis that has a rhombus pattern.
  • Subjects: Sculpture
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 558

“Sculpture in the Expanded Field” by Rosalind Krauss

The major works that mark the transition from the classical to the modern period that she cites are Gates of Hell and the statue of Balzac by Rodin. In the 1950s, sculpture became a 'combination [...]
  • Subjects: Sculpture
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 205

Baroque and Rococo: Imagination, Values, Emotions

The church chose the style so that it could communicate religious themes in emotional involvement during the time of the Council of Trent. The style dynamically reflected the growth of absolutist monarchies, and in power [...]
  • Subjects: Art Movement
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1421

“Into Bondage” a Picture by Aaron Douglas

Aaron Douglas was a bright representative of the Harlem Renaissance, a movement that appeared in the first half of the 20th century and was aimed at attracting public attention to problems of African American people [...]
  • Subjects: Paintings
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1413

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

Melodrama in Realism and Naturalism

French artists coined the term melodrama to refer to plays with exaggerated plots and actors with the purpose of touching the emotions of the audience.
  • Subjects: Theater
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 637

Art and Design Analysis

The drawings are purely handmade and they show that the artist spent a lot of time to come up with these drawings. There is a clear evidence of thinking in the mind of the art [...]
  • Subjects: Visual Arts
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 606

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

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

“The Old Guitarist” by Pablo Picasso: Critique

Pablo Ruiz Picasso When the discussion comes up about the subject of the monochromatic color schemes, I usually think of Picasso and his famous "Blue Period", especially about "The Old Guitarist" painting."The Old Guitarist" painting [...]
  • Subjects: Paintings
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1123

Jackson Pollock’s “Convergence” Painting

Jackson Pollock mastered this technique and while such paintings look like a mess of colors, careful inspection reveals that the paintings have very intricate patterns that put a living form for the painting.
  • Subjects: Paintings
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 561

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

Aspects of Graffiti as Art Therapy

According to the psychological perspective when reviewing the art of graffiti, it has helped relieve stress, and tension and brings joy to the people in the community.
  • Subjects: Visual Arts
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 524

The Renaissance Time During Romeo and Juliet

Men and women performed different roles in the household; the man was responsible for farming while the woman took care of the poultry and dairy. In the upper-class, marriages were arranged and the parents chose [...]
  • Subjects: Art Movement
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 600

Crafts and Fine Arts.

Moreover, to explain the vaguely difference between them, one may give the example of the art work that may be assigned to the both categories: either to the crafts or to the fine art.
  • Subjects: Visual Arts
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 598

The History of War Photography

The purpose of this report is to identify basic trends in the development of war photography and determine the conceptual, stylistic, and technical changes observed in the course of its formation.
  • Subjects: Photography
  • Pages: 8
  • Words: 2235

Different ways to approach the definition of art

Therefore other than the definition of art being related to the great skills of the artisan, the aesthetic value of the resulting product gives art another definition.
  • Subjects: Visual Arts
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 579

To be or not to be

Branagh's Hamlet is a version that sets the "to be or not to be" scene in a palace, in a room surrounded by mirrors.
  • Subjects: Theater
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 861

Analysis of “The Falling Man”

The theme of the article was unified by the photograph of the falling man which branched out to several stories surrounding it.the story of the photographer who took the picture, the story of the family [...]
  • Subjects: Photography
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1306

Kouros and the Kritios Boy: Comparative Analysis

The Kouros and the Kritios Boy represent the artistic evolution from a physical awareness of the environment, as reflected in the archaic style, to an optical one, as highlighted in the classical period.
  • Subjects: Sculpture
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1414

Gustave Moreau’s Painting Jupiter and Semele

Moreau's work depicts this tragic plot and indicates the theme of the difference between humans and the divine by portraying Jupiter and Semele on the border of heaven and the underworld.
  • Subjects: Paintings
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 829
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