After taking a few minutes to closely observe both images, write an essay that
compares the images exemplifying features and elements found in the works to support
your comparison. Do not discuss one image, then the other, but discuss them together,
point by point.
• Begin with the central theme of the Annunciation, then discuss the features of the works that determine their
similarity or their difference.
• Discuss how these similarities and/or differences exemplify the cultural background of each artist. (Hint: they
come from different regions.)
• Use terms we have learned in class when appropriate.
• Refer to other works we have studied in class to strengthen your point(s).
Some things to consider:
a. What is it? That is, what type of work are you looking at? (a fresco, sculpture, altarpiece, painting? etc.)
b. Thework’sformalproperties.Color,light,shadow,line,shape,composition,style,etc.,andespecially how the way it
is made reflects the style of its period.
c. The subject matter or narrative of the work. Is there a story being told? Is it mythological? historical?
religious? secular? Please explain.
d. The theme within the culture that produced the work. For example, did a patron, or the rise of humanism, or
religious piety, or symbolism figure in the making of the work?
e. The historical importance of the work. What other artists influenced these two?
Sample Solution
