Free Visual Arts Essay Examples & Topics

Free Visual Arts Essay Examples & Topics

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327 samples

Visual arts are the works of art we see with our eyes. It is a broad definition that includes a large number of disciplines and elements. From Wassily Kandinsky to Jackson Pollock, from sculptures and paintings to filmmaking and interior design – the term covers it all.

If you are writing an essay about visual arts, the chances are that you will find yourself a bit lost for words. After all, the subject matter may seem contradictory to the task at hand. However, there is no need to panic.

In this article, our experts have outlined the best way to write your very own visual arts essay step-by-step. You will see that your academic paper can be a work of art in itself. We have also included 19 outstanding visual arts essay topics from which you can choose.

Even a brief essay about visual arts can be overwhelming. It’s usually the case when you don’t know where to begin and how to organize your thoughts. That’s why creating an outline is so crucial. In this section, we have listed what can help you in writing your visual arts essay.

Try following these steps:

  1. Choose your topic. Of course, it’s the most critical step for your paper. The idea you pick should be narrow enough for a detailed analysis. Yet, it should not prevent you from doing extensive research. Try browsing through visual arts essay collections. For example, check Bending Concepts by Walter Benn Michaels et al. There, you can get ideas on what to write about.
  2. Finding relevant art. Unsurprisingly, essays on visual arts require you to interact with the artwork. To offer proper art critique, you might want to conduct a visual analysis of your subject. Besides, it is a great idea to look into art history surrounding your topic. Figure out the context of the work and incorporate it into your paper.
  3. Brainstorming. Jotting down all your feelings and ideas can be an excellent exercise. Everything that you think on the topic may come in handy. So, write down your thoughts about the style and technique of the artist, what message the work is trying to send, etc. When you’re done, make sure to look at your assessment criteria. Compare them to what you have thought of so far.
  4. Grouping information. Here is where you might want to begin thinking of a thesis statement. Begin by grouping all the information you’ve gathered so far by themes. These will later become the foundation for the outline. Sort through all your findings and decide what ideas fit well with your topic. With this in mind, write down an excellent thesis by formulating your message in one sentence. Or our thesis generator can do that for you!
  5. Writing the outline. Now that everything is organized, create a structure of your paper using your ideas and thesis. Begin by making an introduction to visual arts. Explain what you will be talking about in your essay. Your research and formal analysis go into the main body. Finally, your final reflection about visual arts should be left for the conclusion. This is where you get to sum up your interpretation of the work and what you see in it.
  6. Browse through samples. Before you begin your essay writing, you might want to spend some time looking at examples. This can give you further ideas for your outline. Besides, good samples can inspire writing your very own visual arts essay. After all, art appreciation isn’t easy!

Whether you are writing a brief response piece or an entire extended essay, following these steps will improve the quality of your work. With enough practice, you will be composing visual arts essays with your eyes closed.

Visual Art Essay Topic

Still uncertain whether to write about Pablo Picasso or The Color Theory? Take a quick look at this list! Or allow our title generator to create an idea for you.

Here are 19 visual arts essay topics we have compiled just for you:

  1. From painting to filmmaking: a brief history.
  2. Leonardo da Vinci and the Golden Ratio.
  3. Baya Mahieddine – the girl that inspired Picasso.
  4. What do we mean by ‘contemporary art’?
  5. Victorian beauty standards and their depiction in art.
  6. How World War I gave birth to Dadaism.
  7. The symbolism in Frida Kahlo’s paintings.
  8. Cave paintings as very first artworks.
  9. What is the difference between art and design?
  10. Bollywood: how cinema evolved in India.
  11. How the Edo period in Japan defined its arts and culture.
  12. Salvador Dali’s influence on the surrealist movement.
  13. Perpetuation of stereotypes in modern art.
  14. Women in art: why are female artists often overlooked or forgotten.
  15. Is graffiti a legitimate form of art?
  16. The history and evolution of graphic novels.
  17. Greek and Roman sculptures: similarities and differences.
  18. Iconoclasm during the French revolution and its impact on art.
  19. The evolution of Islamic Arts.

Thank you for reading! We hope that you will find inspiration among these visual arts topic ideas. Check out our visual arts essay examples that you will find below.

327 Best Essay Examples on Visual Arts

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.
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 850

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 [...]
  • 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 [...]
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1395

“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 [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 602

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 [...]
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 889

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 [...]
  • 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.
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 316

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.
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1414

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.
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 968

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 [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 606

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.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 524

Arabic Calligraphy and Contemporary Artists

Arabic calligraphy is a form of art involving the use of the Arabic language and alphabet. In the old town of Jeddah, for instance, artists have blended Arabic calligraphy with graffiti to create calligraffiti.
  • 3
  • Pages: 8
  • Words: 2213

Four Scenes from the Life of Buddha

The show has presented four major events from the life of the Buddha: the Birth and the Dearth of the Buddha, the First Sermon at the Deer Park, and the Image and the First Teaching [...]
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 817

Modern Art: A Cultural-Aesthetic Movement

The problem of defining of the term Modernism created much difficulty for artists, philosophers and writers of the 20th century. In the course of time, the aspect of realism came into consideration to change a [...]
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1375

Cabramatta’s Culture and Art

Indeed, seeing that turtle and tortoise shells have been used as the raw material for various types of medicine for quite a while in China and Vietnam, as well as the fact that the Chinese [...]
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1404

Art in Details: Elements of Art

Form is the existence of elements, principals, and the physical elements of art and design, that an artist uses in his/her production.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 600

Yue Minjun’s Self-Portraits As Modern Art

This paper will try to present the aesthetic as well as commercial interpretation of artist Yue Min Jun as an artist, in the eyes of a westerner but with the consideration of personal history and [...]
  • Pages: 9
  • Words: 2604

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.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 598

The Silk Road’s Impact on Chinese Art

Nevertheless, the most important impact of the Silk Road system experienced in China is the art culture. Arguably, the Chinese art and architecture borrow a lot from the other cultures involved in the Silk Road [...]
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1069

Modernism in Art and Painting

Paintings done in the past about the state of people and past society presently help to give direction to in the world of art.
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 859

Parsons Challenge Visual Art

The initial stage of the creative process is the identification of the problem or the definition of the goal of creation.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 648

Cultural Artifacts and Their Theme

It was written in El Salvador in 1978 in the middle of a civil war between the US-backed military and government on the one side and the Foarabundo Mart National Liberation Front on the other [...]
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 397

Michelangelo’s Artwork

Michelangelo was taught sculpture by Bertoldo di Giovanni. Michelangelo was a renaissance artist and his works were greatly influenced by humanism.
  • Pages: 24
  • Words: 700

The Expression Theory of Art: A Critical Evaluation

Accordingly, art work is believed to portray the exceptional, individual stance and sentiments of the artist; consequently for art to be considered good, it must clearly show the sentiments and feelings the individual intends to [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 602

Visual and Performance Arts in Creative Process

In painting, artists need to know how different paints convey messages and how to blend different paints to convey the desired artistic message. The Number of oil pigments used by artists depends on the desired [...]
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 1031

Private Art, Public Exposure

The more diverse the art exhibitions are, the more attracted the public is and eventually development of lucrative relationship that will see the collectors and artists benefit greatly from the sale of artistic works in [...]
  • Pages: 10
  • Words: 2825

“Notes on Camp” by Susan Sontag

Also, Sontag had proven herself analytical enough to realize that the very concept of Camp is nothing but the modern equivalent of the concept of dandyism, originated in late 19th century: "Camp is the answer [...]
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1669

Visual Arts: Ancient Art of the Greeks

Ancient art plays a significant role in helping the individuals of the current generation explain the civilizations of the ancient past. Fresco painted the Bull-leaping fresco from Knossos art to depict the civilizations of the [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 571

History of Art in Early Civilization

On the other hand, the Virgin of compassion icon was a Byzantine icon portraying the Virgin and Child as subject matter. On the contrary, the painting was used as a style of artwork in the [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 678

The Save Water, Save Life Picture Analysis

After the water in the aquarium runs out, the fish will die due to a lack of water. Consequently, human innovations and innovations cause the disappearance of water, which is a misfortune.
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 339

Perception of Visual Art Types

Therefore, my perception of art is largely creative but not analytical: in all three types, I tend to prefer visual and audio impressions rather than analyze something that is not on the surface.
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 384

How Writing Is a Form of Art Practice

The concept of writing in expanded sense also extends into visual arts where writing is considered as a verb referring to an activity in the world of arts or writing within arts.
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 2278

“Barbie Dolls” Image by Chris Jordan

However, the image passes the test, and, consequently delivers its intended message, which is to portray the "nudity" of the modern people in various activities that they undertake each passing day.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 561

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.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 606

Ancient Chinese Arts Comparison

On the right is The Seated Buddha, a sandstone carving from the Northern Wei Dynasty obtained from a cave along the Silk Road in China.
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1632

Metropolitan Museum’s Historical Objects

The paintings and design of the plate show pictures of boats, buildings, and animals, an aspect that creates an impression in the mind of a person, who comes across the object that the people of [...]
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1173

Concepts of the Baroque Era

Considering this, the Baroque Era is one of the most significant periods in the world of art, as it bore a new world of art dominated by both religious and iconoclastic artistic representations, as a [...]
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1023

The Use of Fine Art and Architecture in Advertising

However, the advertising industry and the fine arts world have for decades been engaged in a continuing discussion of what constitutes fine art. It is also helpful to know what the place of fine art [...]
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1675

Theories of Art

In this paper, we will look at the mimetic theory of art and the pragmatic theory of the art. As the Mimetic theory of art asserts, art is a representation or just an imitation of [...]
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 1077

The “Spiral Jetty” Work by Robert Smithson

Since the main element in land art is the artist's intervention in the natural environment, the projects reflect the diversity and uniqueness of nature, climate variability, environmental issues, and the essence of the impermanence of [...]
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1212

Baroque Painting: History, Commissioning, and Functions

Similarly, St Jerome and the Angel of Judgment utilizes a thematic subject of martyrdom and death commissioned at the church of Santissima Trinita Delle Monache, Spain, in 1626, depicting saint Jerome kneeling and looking up [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 641

The University Campus Picture Analysis

It is essential to understand that when writing work like this, it is necessary to consider not only what is depicted but the emotions it evokes, as this, too, is an essential part of any [...]
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 860

Biblical Art: From the Middle Ages to the Renaissance

In the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the Catholic Church's heads commissioned artists to produce visual art to decorate the chapels and cathedrals. Of the suitors, Joseph is the only one barefooted and with a [...]
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 2015

Modernist Art: A Feminist Perspective

Clarke limited the definition of modernism even further by his restriction of it to the facets of the Paris of Manet and the Impressionists, a place of leisure, pleasure, and excesses, and it seems that [...]
  • Pages: 8
  • Words: 2069

Western Influences on the Japanese Animation Industry

The Japanese animation industry has significantly evolved to overcome most of the other animation industries in the world. The establishment of newspaper humorous strips and motion pictures in the west spurred the development of the [...]
  • Pages: 9
  • Words: 2467

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 [...]
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1752

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.
  • Pages: 8
  • Words: 2269

Cultures and Emotions in Picasso’s Artworks

Nonetheless, Picasso had a tendency to deny the influence of the African culture in his paintings, and It could be said that the primary reason for the denial of the African tradition is the fact [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 582

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 [...]
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1642

The Language of Art

The implication is that the language of images in art is grounded on the underlying interactions between an individual's perception of information, and their sociological bias.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 599

San Diego Museum of Art

The San Diego art museum is one of the oldest in the country. The museum has a lot of significance because its exhibits show continuity in art ideas from different periods.
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 828

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
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 653

Contemporary Art in China

However, the fruits of the struggles are worth the effort, if the current fame and reputation of China as a beacon of contemporary art is anything to go by.
  • Pages: 10
  • Words: 2803

Definition of Art

Therefore, for individuals to be able to create some pieces of art, they have to have such ideas in their mind in form of mental images; hence, visible works of art are just a depiction [...]
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 870

Picture Observations and Their Meaning

The picture shows the sun shining on the grass at an angle while the sky is clear, indicating that the photographer took the picture in the morning.
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1105

Pectoral and Necklace of Sithathoryunet

Thus, the zigzag lines at the base of the pectoral represent primordial waters, which refers to the importance of the royal figure and the concept of eternity.
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 242

“Adoration of the Magi” Analysis

The title of the artwork is "Adoration of the Magi"; Gentile da Fabriano created it in the 1423 year. The Adoration of the Magi, also known as the Adoration of the Kings, is a [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 671

“All Seeing Eye” by Hailei Wang: Artwork Analysis

The computer quickly puts in place features of the image through the use of the artists' ideas, such as colors, shadows, shapes, and opacity. The computer technique of algorithms used by the artist is to [...]
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1207

Oskar Schlemmer’s Exploring Humans in Space

The most famous creation of Oskar Schlemmer, "Das Triadische Ballett" or "The Triadic Ballet," is also a significant representation of how the artist sees the relationship between the human body in space and the surrounding [...]
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 845
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