Art Essay Examples and Topics

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1,952 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.

1952 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lunch Atop a Skyscraper: Analysis

On the particular day when the photograph was taken, the workers decided to humor the photographer because of their excitement over completing the construction project.
  • Subjects: Photography
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 553

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

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

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

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

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 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

“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

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

Formal Analysis of Two Photos

It seems to have been framed on the warriors' figure in part of a greater scene, and this stresses the significance of the figure. The legs and feet of the warrior look bigger compared to [...]
  • Subjects: Visual Arts
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 889

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

The Sphinx of King Taharqo Statue

Tace of the artifact is the Sudanese resemblance of the Tahsrqo, the black king, the fourth pharaoh to rule over the combined kingdoms of Kush and Egypt. The sphinx, as a whole, represents the fusion [...]
  • Subjects: Sculpture
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 575

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

Comparison of Indian and Chinese Art

Brief History of Indian Art The history of Indian art is said to be as old as the Indus Valley civilization itself where each period in history has provided the nation with unique modes of [...]
  • Subjects: Visual Arts
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1675

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

“Seated Couple”: A Dogon Art Piece Analysis

The dark brown-black shades used in the figure represent the typical color choices of the selected period. The "Seated Couple" figure by a Dogon artist represents the selected period through its color, medium, and emotion.
  • Subjects: Sculpture
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 553

Van Gogh’s Use of Color

The use of complementary colors, which became the signature of Van Gogh's style, helped to intensify the mutual effect of the color scheme in the paintings.
  • 5
  • Subjects: Paintings
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1412

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

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

Art and Printmaking. Contemporary Art

These types of printmaking have differences relative to the nature of the surface, which creates or forms the print that is to be transferred onto a fabric or paper.
  • Subjects: Visual Arts
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 968

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

Photography Comparison and Contrast

The focus on the naked parts of the body, like dirty and scratched hands, necks, and faces, allows for learning about the terror and horror of that period. In my photo, the style differs due [...]
  • Subjects: Photography
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1202

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 Son of Man” Painting by Rene Magritte

This picture made me interested in what was depicted in it from the first sight because its composition was attractive due to the wide range of shades and the scenery that can never be witnessed [...]
  • Subjects: Paintings
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 568

“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

Timothy Hogan’s Photography

Taking into consideration the infinite backing from the greatest producers, retouchers, and workshops in the professional photography niche, it is quite reasonable that Hogan and his team managed to furnace the lifelong contacts that provide [...]
  • Subjects: Photography
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 555

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

Cindy Sherman’s Adaptation of Fornarina

In Sherman's interpretation, Bacchus has most of the external features of the original, but the details alter the painting's context. The gaze of Bacchus in Sherman's painting is less ambiguous than in the original.
  • Subjects: Paintings
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 308

An Analysis of a Photograph By Mike Wells

This spread of technology-enabled many people to document the environment around them and allowed millions of people to relate to stories of others told through photographs."A Starving Boy and a Missionary" is one of the [...]
  • Subjects: Photography
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 598

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

Alice Gerstenberg’s Overtones Review

This new technique along with the publications of Sigmund Freud who was on a trip to New York at the time of the productions spread interest in the use of the unconscious mind. She is [...]
  • Subjects: Theater
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1485

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

The Body in Contemporary Art

Finally, the art of performance includes the human body in its motion; in this role, the body is viewed from a variety of angles and perspectives and in the combination with what is happening to [...]
  • Subjects: History of Art
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1212

Pottery in Saudi Arabia

A part of them even do not know that pottery is the notion that is utilized also to define the final objects made by the potters and the material used in making different kinds of [...]
  • Subjects: Pottery
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 1935

Leonardo da Vinci Painting “Ginevra de’ Benci”

The essay explores the strengths, elements, and styles of the artwork. Leonardo da Vinci uses the best elements of art and principles of design to give the painting "Ginevra de' Benci" powerful themes such as [...]
  • Subjects: Paintings
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 870

Comparing of two pieces of art

In the second part of the essay, the paper discusses the meaning and function of the sculptures. The surface of the statue is clean and gleams of the granite stone with which it is made [...]
  • Subjects: Sculpture
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1702

Photography as a Career

It is of essence to note that a number of variations exist in the field of photography, for example, self-employment and commercial photographing are just some of the ways one can successfully earn a living [...]
  • 3
  • Subjects: Photography
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 560

Queen Latifah as a Hip-Hop Feminism Icon

The song was released in 1989 when the third wave was starting, and Latifah talks about the importance of women the society and the need for equal treatment and supporting each other.
  • Subjects: Artists
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1063

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

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

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

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

Cubism in History of Modern Art

Cubism has become one of the iconic art movements of the twentieth century that had a profound effect on the development of art.
  • Subjects: Art Movement
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 306

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

“References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot” by Rivera

These are: "Why does the author of the play depict Gabriella either nude or in some light bed-like clothes?", "How does the clothing style reflect Gabriella's feelings?", "How do the costumes of Gabriella relate to [...]
  • Subjects: Theater
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 1111

Italian Sculptures of 16th Century

The literal meaning of Arethusa is "the waterer" and the tale on which this sculpture of Alpheus and Arethusa is based, has its origin in a river.
  • Subjects: Sculpture
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1668

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

Analysis of the Play ‘Romeo and Juliet’

Another interesting scene of the production that makes it real understanding of the authors work is the casting of the romantic love between Romeo and Juliet, the physical love of the nurse and the contractual [...]
  • 4.5
  • Subjects: Theater
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 554

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

“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

“Tom Torlino Student File” Photograph Analysis

The before and after photo of a native American student is vivid evidence of American influence on the disappearing cultural heritage. What was the impact of such boarding schools on the identity and values of [...]
  • Subjects: Photography
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 367
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