Free Visual Arts Essay Examples & Topics

Free Visual Arts Essay Examples & Topics

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.

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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.

379 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

Modern, Modernism, and Modernization

Modern, modernism, and modernization are the notions which may be easily defined in human mind, it means that one can understand what modern, modernism, and modernization mean, however, when it comes to formulation of the [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 565
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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

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
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Manga: “Naruto” by Masashi Kishimoto

5
We want to consider the first part of the story where the main character is just a boy who wants to reach the main purpose of his life, to become a Hokage, the leader of [...]
  • Pages: 3
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Sculpture and painting

4
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.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 653

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
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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

Vincent van Gogh’s “Starry Night”

In a temporary post as a missionary in the village of Petit Wastes in Belgium, he recorded peasant miners' lives in his drawings. He was later exposed to Impressionist artists' works and became friends with [...]
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1544

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

The Islamic and Mughal Arts

If the objects presented in the Jameel Gallery reflect the standard features of the Islamic art, the objects typical for the Mughal art can be discussed as influenced by the combination of the Islamic and [...]
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1346

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 [...]
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  • Words: 870

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
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How Digital Technology Influences Art

5
This section of the paper discusses the impacts of digital technology on the world of arts. Digital technology has extended the array and amount of artwork that one artist can do in a given period.
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 2025

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

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

Phenomenon of Embroidery Stitches

Following the experience of the ancestors, the human being tries to improve it by adding the modern accent to the well-known idea.
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 849
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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 [...]
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 877

Material Culture: Pottery

In the context of the discussions of this paper, the later definition of material culture is adopted. In the light of the arguments raised above about the origin of the pottery making art, it is [...]
  • Pages: 10
  • Words: 2808

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

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.
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1098

Trend on the Parody of “The Mona Lisa” by DaVinci

It illustrates the modern trend on selfies, the self-made photos of the person holding the camera, among young ladies, and the importance of social media like Instagram in the lives of the people who live [...]
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 274

Sand Animation Works by Kseniya Simonova

The show of a sand artist includes a video that allows the audience to see the process of the creation of the piece; it also is accompanied by special music, and, of course, the art [...]
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1671
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Is Graffiti Vandalism or Art?

The first questionable characteristic is the history of graffiti, and associated with the street gang culture of New York in the 70s.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 576

The Artwork “Pieta” by Michelangelo

The subject matter of Michelangelo's Pieta portrait is the body of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary. This artwork is a picture of one of the seven sorrows of the Virgin Mary, as experienced [...]
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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 [...]
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Discussion of Importance Art Education

With the help of art lessons, a person begins to enrich irrational thinking, build imagination and see artistic images and aesthetics. Also, the introduction of art and literature classes will help to express emotions appropriately.
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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 [...]
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Visual Art and Photography

Ice Sculpting is truly an art of its own, and even though this style of art is not permanent, unless a person were to place the item into the freezer, this would still be categorized [...]
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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.
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The Piece of Art “Confrontation” by Spencer Fiddler

While line etching as a form of art has been around for quite sometime the distinctive style utilized by Spencer in this instance is unique in that the personally identifiable details of the subjects involved [...]
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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.
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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.
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  • Words: 599

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 [...]
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  • Words: 1031

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 [...]
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Illuminated Manuscripts – History of Graphic Art

However, those people who can be even not interested in art easily imagine illuminated manuscripts because the elements of this art tradition are still used in decorating the books for children and some of the [...]
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1222

Perception of Beauty in the Artistic Field

Numerous artists have tried to find the answer to what beauty is and managed to come up with an important finding that beauty is something all people long for. The song is related to physical [...]
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  • Words: 541

Art and Aesthetics: Art in Public Space

5
Public art is important to public art specialists, bodies that commission art performances, curators as well as the entire art world with much emphasis being given to collaborations, the specificity of the site of performance [...]
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 2199

Rococo and Neoclassical Art

However with the advent of the neoclassical art period in the mid 18th century, balance and symmetry was emphasized as a reaction to rococo art designs.
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1267

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.
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“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
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The Early Forms of African Art

Purpose of the Research Because the African art is mostly premised on representing visual culture of the continent, the main purpose of the research consists in defining the early forms of African art, main materials [...]
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  • Words: 1633

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 [...]
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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 [...]
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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
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Illustrators Artists and Designers

They have indeed been a great influence in my interest to art and design and have greatly contributed to the economic growth, political and social enhancement of their nations.
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  • Words: 579

Arabic Calligraphy and Contemporary Artists

3
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.
  • Pages: 8
  • Words: 2213

Modern Art: Condensation Cube by Hans Haacke

Thus, obviously being the bright example of the modern art, Condensation Cube helps to author to introduce several questions which are interesting to him and raise the question of the relations between art and science [...]
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1389

Graffiti as a Complex Social Interaction Problem

However, graffiti is vandalism and requires the authorization of the property owner. Moreover, graffiti reduces the value of properties and costs the citizens a lot of money in cleaning it up.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 529

The Correlation of Art and Human Values

Problems occur where art is taken as a form of criticism among religions where some are considered better than others on the basis of the kinds of art that they adopt and use in their [...]
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 812

Art in Public Spaces

The following essay examines a piece of public art and the space it is found in order to discuss art, beauty and the purpose of public art.
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  • Words: 1350

Types of Fonts Used in the Medieval Age

Gothic fonts are good when they are used appropriately hence when one is designing a document it is important to consider the position of the written material that will be occupied by this kind of [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 666
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Simplified Shaping in Visual Arts

That is the main base of the two-dimensional area of a work of art, which allows it to indicate contrasting forms and changes in meaning.
  • Pages: 1
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Lighting in Painting, Film, and Photography

Due to the lack of detail and the unobstructed silhouette lighting, the viewer can witness the anguish of the photography's subject. Finally, "The Entombment of Christ" is a famous example of chiaroscuro lighting in art.
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  • Words: 411

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
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The Early Renaissance Artworks

It should be noted that the period of the early Renaissance was rooted in a tide of change in the stagnant Middle Ages, which was accompanied by an explosion of thought, knowledge, and creativity.
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1136

African Art and Cultural Heritage

An example of expressive individualism is the artistic creation of the Dan people. Unlike the static form of traditional Western sculpture, African art depicts dynamics and readiness for movement.
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  • Words: 325

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 [...]
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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.
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  • Words: 1105

Visual Analysis of Objects of Islamic Art

The patterns of the item, which were initially established in southern Italy after the area was converted back to Christianity, demonstrate the widespread adoration of the Islamic style among the aristocracy of Normandy.
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  • Words: 559
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The Google Art Project Analysis

The artist employs the principle of emphasis by placing the dove in the middle of the medium with a woman's features.
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  • Words: 333

Illustrations to “Inferno” by Dante Alighieri

In Inferno, Dante depicted his encounters with sinners in the form of a shocking reminder of the evil that penetrates the world and defiles even a pilgrim passing through landscapes of suffering on the way [...]
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  • Words: 556

Art: Definition and Components

The existing definition of art fails to grasp the full gamut of influences that shape the development of an art piece and define changes within the very environment, causing art movements to emerge.
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  • Words: 1431
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Eduardo Kobra’s Graffiti as a Form of Art

Hence, graffiti itself, as a separate genre, is a form of art due to its emotional and psychological influence. Due to its emotional and psychological impact, graffiti itself is a type of art as a [...]
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 328

Graphic Memoirs and Forney’s Marbles

A cloud is depicted on the left side of her face, and beneath it is written, "This sank in like the sun had gone behind the clouds"."Like I had been covered by a heavy blanket [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 661

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
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The Healing Wings Project After COVID-19

The pandemic of COVID-19 did not only pose a threat to the physical health of the population but also put many people in a position in which they had to deal with the loss of [...]
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 288

The Project Art Heals Utah Analysis

The mission of the project is to create a piece of art that can enable people to collectively acknowledge and mourn the losses they experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 315

Sandra Mayo’s “Tangram” Installation Analysis

Due to a combination of a unique standpoint on the issue of pandemic and the inclusion of an interactive element to turn readers into the participants of the writing, Mayo has created more than an [...]
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“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
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The Thinker and Pointing Man Pictures Analysis

However, it is important to point out that The Thinker is also a depiction of impressionism due to the aspect of how the light reflects on the sculpture and the deviation from the traditional standards [...]
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Future for Confederate Monuments

And it seems to me that the battle with the monuments testifies to the weakness of those who are waging this war for justice.
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