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:
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 Conceptsby Walter Benn Michaels et al. There, you can get ideas on what to write about.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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:
From painting to filmmaking: a brief history.
Leonardo da Vinci and the Golden Ratio.
Baya Mahieddine – the girl that inspired Picasso.
What do we mean by ‘contemporary art’?
Victorian beauty standards and their depiction in art.
How World War I gave birth to Dadaism.
The symbolism in Frida Kahlo’s paintings.
Cave paintings as very first artworks.
What is the difference between art and design?
Bollywood: how cinema evolved in India.
How the Edo period in Japan defined its arts and culture.
Salvador Dali’s influence on the surrealist movement.
Perpetuation of stereotypes in modern art.
Women in art: why are female artists often overlooked or forgotten.
Is graffiti a legitimate form of art?
The history and evolution of graphic novels.
Greek and Roman sculptures: similarities and differences.
Iconoclasm during the French revolution and its impact on art.
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.
That's the uniqueness of a painting compared to the other art forms. Apart from that, as the inquisitive person that I am, I find art to be very mysterious and fascinating.
Murray has argued that perspective allowed the illiterate and the literate to visualize a picture and created a pictorial space that unified the beholder with the image.
My theme is the arrangement of a geometric figure to symbolize the diversity of form and narration with pictures. Their work relates to my theme as they have explored the geometric and human forms and [...]
Art is one of the main forms of liberal arts which influences the perception of the world and understanding of its beauty, allows a person to adapt to the new environment, and develops critical thinking [...]
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 [...]
Arts of the antique world refers to the lots of types of art that were in the backgrounds of ancient societies, such as those of antique China, India, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and Rome.
This effect is specifically beneficial for the artwork that depicts the horrifying picture of the ruins of a building that used to be a magnificent sight and a symbol of wealth and power.
Murals, as one of the major forms of revolutionary art, were popularized by the government of the country that promoted exterior frescoes in Mexico City and other cities of the country.
The city's "rich manufacturing heritage" was the focal point in the decision of the theme for the photographs. The photographs were taken as a part of the project for the company that Meiselas works for, [...]
The aluminum foil is attached to half of the page and represents that the artificial limb is attached to half of the usual limb, such as a lower leg prosthesis.
At the same time, when evaluating the object from the standpoint of conformity with Arab culture, it can be argued that the style and plot of the work largely convey the peculiarities of social organization.
The second image is a piece of Renaissance art entitled The Last Supper and created by Leonardo da Vinci in the 1490s. The postmodern piece questions the norms and conventions of the patriarchal society depicted [...]
The second image goes under the title "The Cave," and it appeared in the book The Republic by Plato that dates as far back as 380 B.C. Likewise, the man in the postmodern work is [...]
The lack of information about the Dogon traditions and philosophy is one of the key complexities associated with the definition of the role of the twin concept in the Dogon culture.
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 [...]
However, as the fascination of the view subsided and gave way to more constructive thinking it occurred to me that the artworks were somewhat polished, that the tint of the ingenuity, so precious and so [...]
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.
In particular, the artist heightens the role of scientific explorations in modern society by locating the basis of environmental politics in the origins of knowledge and history about nature.
They say that the work reflects the pop art of the USA. I would like to clarify that the type of an art movement appeared in the early fifties in the United Kingdom of Great [...]
The participants also experience a strong feeling of immersion in the virtual world; it was already noted that they perceive the virtual reality as a strong personal experience.
This feature of Osmose implies the unique nature of the new media and its ability to stay connected to the other features such as immersion and hypermedia, as the interactive nature is rather broad and [...]
It is paramount to note that the level of integration that has been achieved with this work is truly astounding. The most important aspect that should not be disregarded is that it can be viewed [...]
Osmose by Davies as the art installation reflects all the features of the modern media while combining the elements of the virtual environments with the persons' perception and such physical processes as breathing and moving.
In the age of modern arts, when both the creators and the audience is less concerned with the physical form and more with the underlying messages and feelings that art invokes, the multi-faceted topic of [...]
Part 3 takes a close look at the initial wire drawing for the benefit of developing the same linearly on a bigger scale. The figure below shows the development of a 3-D effect:
In her essay, Rose explores the legal state of tattooing as a form of artistic expression in the United States. She addresses the historical context of this skin art and the recent banning of tattooing [...]
The range of variations of work activities is lower than average when the output can be measured by such parameters as a total number of issues or the number of issues in a day.
At this step, the art critic mentions everything he/she knows and understands about the piece of art. The final step is judgment, which entails how the critic thinks of the work.
In general, the magazines for boys and girls have the same characteristics and basic format; they differ only in types of stories, main characters, and plots.
In the case of the work of Moore and Campbell, these elements represent a combination of parallel and perpendicular lines helping to reflect the main principles of panel-to-panel transition more precisely.
The panes are arranged in a way that helps to quickly and intuitively follow the major events and receive a clear picture of those before the actual reading of the utterances.
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 [...]
Therefore, the first part of this study explores the Abbass Studios Ltd.fonds through the story of the family and close observation of the selected works that constitute the chronicle of Sydney and all of Cape [...]
It is imperative to mention that the number of Chicano murals in Los Angeles is truly astounding, and it is not an easy task to choose the one that is the most visually appealing.
Cerberus therefore provides the viewer with a significant representation of hell and the underworld by encompassing the forces reigning in the underworld and its significance in allowing entry and exit from the underworld.
One of the main themes, which is common both for the graphic novel and for its adapted film version, is the life of teenagers in a post-graduation period.
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 [...]
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.
In specific, the theme of human body proportions is well-reflected in the engraving The Fall of Men; the brilliant use of color and attention to details in oils, characteristic of Michelangelo and Da Vinci, are [...]
David's "Napoleon Crossing the Alps" is a masterpiece because it gives the true picture of Napoleon Bonaparte. Although this was not the case with Napoleon, the painting achieved its purpose because the emperor was always [...]
The work states the idea that the "location of the soul was not necessarily in the body", and the focus is not on the man trying to breathe above the water, but on the vivid [...]
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.
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 [...]
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 [...]
The chronological history in the development of Islamic art has been featured both in the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum through various displays of scientific instruments, metalwork, calligraphic decoration, and glass mosque [...]
Being one of the pioneers of the integrative art, he tries to impact the peoples vision of the technologies and the role they might play in their life.
Although there are differences in visual manifestations of works of art, the central aim of the art in Cameroon is to glorify the royal power of kings.
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 [...]
The fresco Birth of the Virgin by Domenico Ghirlandaio, the Italian painter, is also of the great cultural and historical significance because of demonstrating the elements of the style typical for the Early Italian Renaissance.
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 [...]
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 [...]
The aim of this essay is to describe the painting Joy of Life by Henri Matisse, the sculpture The Kiss by Constantin Brancussi, and to present the vintage print illustration of 1930s.
These artists support the best national ideas and traditions in order to make every society successful. Artists can "encourage their followers to support the best activities and decisions in the society".
It is possible to trace this change through examining two sculptures pertaining to different periods of Ancient Greek art. Of course, to understand art, it is necessary to understand the epoch.
Our universities have become the patrons of creative arts. Our colleges possess the necessary resources and mechanisms towards changing the world of art.
The above concept will make it easier for artists to produce and market their works. Every society should be ready to appreciate the power and importance of art.
It is in this location that the anonymous graffiti artist Banksy has placed 9 suggestive pieces along several well travelled areas of "the Wall" in order to create social thought regarding the moral and ethical [...]
The central piece of analysis is hauberk, a shirt of mail dating back to the beginning of the sixteenth century. Some features as length, size, form and texture of loops, as well as the materials [...]
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 [...]
He uses photographs and films to record his works to show how different objects are arranged in a landscape. This allows him to show the energy within and outside various objects he uses in his [...]
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 [...]
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.
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 [...]
Apart from that, the increasing availability of information about cultural and artistic life is one of the factors that contribute to the growing number of art fairs in various regions of the world.
The research explores how the social status, the cultivation of esthetics, and attendance of artistic events affect the inherent attitudes of the cultural policies in the USA.
The collection, which is the subject of the current research, is presented with the purpose of familiarization of the public with the culture of Ancient Greece.
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 [...]
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 [...]
Damien has managed to be successful in a dynamic and competitive global art scene because he understands the value of beauty and morality through his works.
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 [...]
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.
In the field of art, postmodernism refers to the new approaches that were taken by modern artists as the world experienced various changes. However, his works on art are generally believed to have shaped postmodernism [...]
Over many centuries, the Gorgon of Medusa is transformed from that of a beautiful woman to that of a hideous monster in various art forms such as the fragmented ornamental roof.
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 [...]
It is also important to notice the kind of confidence in the face of David in this sculpture. In this painting, it is apparent that the angels gave a helping hand in the creation of [...]
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 [...]
The government has got a lot of criticism when it targeted to reduce it spending and hence reduce the funding of the arts council; through this the public feels that the government is not showing [...]
Analyzing the components of the self-revealed in the Art work, the pictures on the plate personify a "not centered" component, a second dimension of the self.
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.
In its turn, the design of Abelam mask appears to be subliminal of its creator's deep-seated anxieties as to what he or she perceived as the 'power of eyes' hence, the unnaturally enlarged eyes, featured [...]
In addition, the artworks may provide insights into the life of the royal society of the ancient Chinese dynasties. Therefore, the study of the ancient Chinese paintings would help in determining the aesthetic values and [...]
Besides, resting on these facts, it is possible to assume that the analysis of artworks created in China can help to obtain the vision of the main tendencies of its society, concepts of beauty and [...]
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.
It is acknowledged that the closed-loop color method is quite easy to implement as it presupposes that the digital color is a preserve of the high-end systems hence it is quite easy to get the [...]
She was widely exposed to art and yearned to run away to France which charted the direction of her life as she thwarted her mother plans for "coming out" into the society and leading a [...]
Though every object of art can be analysed in a different way, there is a number of traits that can be traced in most of them with regard to the gender of the author, the [...]
The second category of Neolithic artifacts encompassed jade carvings and pottery originating from the eastern seaboard and the lower side of the Yangzi River towards the southern direction.
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.
