Mary Prevo Department of Fine Arts Hampden-Sydney College Guidelines for  Art History Papers

To clarify issues about writing an art history paper see:

Barnet, Sylvan. A Short Guide to Writing About Art. Fourth Edition. New York: Harper Collins College Publishers, 1993.

These general guidelines should be used along with any specific instructions for assignments. 

USE THE LIBRARY, not the web.  The reference librarian is there to help you find appropriate material for your paper.  Don't forget you may also use the Longwood University library, which has an excellent collection of books on art.

USE YOU RHETORIC HANDBOOK - for examples of proper foot and end note style.  

1. Finished papers must contain: a) Title (a title page for long papers), with your name, and date; b) Text, typed clearly, double-spaced with adequate margins; c) Footnotes or endnotes in standard form (not merely page references in the text - see #4 below); d) Bibliography in standard form; e) List of illustrations, followed by xeroxed illustrations mounted on paper and clearly labeled with complete captions. Hand in the original, but keep a copy for yourself. Anyone turning in a plate cut from a book or periodical will fail the paper and be turned into the Honor Court.  

2. As you begin your research, and before you start to write, think about the purpose of the paper and make your presentation appropriate. Establish your problem, thesis or point of view right away, in the first paragraph - in the title if you can - and develop it in the essay. Organize material logically (this does not always mean chronological narrative).

3. Find a balance between recounting facts or information garnered from "authorities" and giving your own analysis of the issues. This means not just opinions, but informed commentary, based on your study of the subject. Be sure that any generalizations you make are supported by references to concrete details in the work.

4. Use sources critically, distinguishing between primary and secondary, between fact and opinion. Consider differing views on a subject, and then decide on your own conclusion.

It is your responsibility to avoid even unintentional plagiarism.  See your syllabus for a complete definition.

Always acknowledge sources of information and ideas, as well as direct quotations.

NOTES

Art historical footnote style follows the Chicago Manual of Style and is the standard for the discipline used by Art Bulletin.  

Foot or endnotes begin with a number that corresponds to the number of the citation in the text, the author's first name or initial is first, the principal elements in the note are separated by commas, and the last element is the page number where the citation can be found in the source document.

Use standard footnote or endnote form, even in short papers. Parenthetical notes are not adequate.  Use full citations of your source for the first reference, abbreviated citations for subsequent notes, e.g.: 

1. Donald Gordon, Expressionism: Art and Idea, New Haven: Yale University Press, 1987, pp. 24-26. 
 

Here are more examples from the Chicago Manual of Style - The Chicago Manual of Style Online Chicago-Style Citation Quick Guide

But how do I do it?  Footnoting in WORD.

Footnoting is easy in Microsoft Word. Click on the Insert menu, follow down to 'footnote' and click. Accept all the default settings and click on okay. You will immediately see a superscript number in your text and a window below where you may write your footnote citation. When you have finished writing the footnote, click on 'close'. The program keeps track of the numbers for you and their placement on the page. If you move a sentence in the text, move the note number as well and the
program will renumber the moved note appropriately.

It is good practice to cite not only the book or article you used, but also, if possible, the original source cited by your reference: this gives important information to the reader. 

E.g. your text says, "Pollock stated that his work did not depend on accident." The footnote or endnote here should not be simply "Chipp, Theories of Modern Art, 548," but "Jackson Pollock, statement in the film Jackson Pollock, 1951 by Hans Namuth and Paul Falkenberg; reprinted in Chipp, 548." 

Note that it is not sufficient merely to insert page references in your text, even if you do this in other kinds of papers, or in your rough drafts.. Be sure that you understand and use the proper format. Consult Barnet, the Chicago Manual of Style link above, or the notes at the end of your textbook for examples. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bibliography: arrange alphabetically by author [or title of work if no author is listed]; format is: 

Last name, First name [if more than one, list other names in normal order]. Title of Book. City: Publisher, date. 

Samples with one author

Janson, H.W. History of Art. Englewood Cliffs, N.J and New York, N.Y.: Prentice Hall, Inc. and Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1995.

Prevo, Mary.  "How to Write Footnotes and Bibliographies I Will Accept." The Mary Prevo Journal.  17 (March, 1999): 17-33.  [Totally bogus citation.]  [Note that you do not need to use 'Vol.' and 'No.']

Stokstad, Marilyn. Art History. Volume One. Revised edition. Englewood Cliffs, N.J and New York, N.Y.: Prentice Hall, Inc. and Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1999.

Samples with more than one author

Hunter, Sam and John Jacobus. Modern Art. Painting, Sculpture, Architecture. Third edition. Englewood Cliffs, N.J. and New York, N.Y.: Prentice Hall, Inc. and Harry N. Abrams, Inc. 1992.

For articles or chapters: 

Last name, first name. "Title of essay," in Title of book or journal. City: Publisher, date [for journal list volume, number (date), pages - using a consistent style]. 

Consult Barnet, or your rhetoric handbook, or the Chicago Manual of Style for more details and examples. 

Citations for internet sites and other electronic sources: 

Author/editor. ["Part title,"] Title of Print Version/Electronic version of work. Medium. Information supplier and other information. Site/Path/File. Access date. 

5. After writing a draft, edit your paper for content, accuracy, logic; does it hold up under scrutiny? Then edit for style: clarity, economy of language, avoidance of repetition and empty phrases, correct syntax, spelling, and use of words.

A good way to begin editing is to read your paper aloud to a friend. Does your audience get the point early; follow the argument; understand the method or study and the manner of organizing the material? Is your concluding paragraph conclusive without being repetitive? Does the audience seem interested? Does the language feel natural to you?

Be prepared to edit for clarity and precision, and rewrite some sections several times. A short paper is harder to write than a long, rambling one. Check the final draft for proofreading errors, misspellings and misuse of words (spell-check is not enough), forgotten endnotes, misplaced pages. A sloppy result indicates careless preparation and cannot earn a top grade.

6. Always underline or italicize the titles of works of art (just as you treat books).

When you first mention a work, indicate its date and present location immediately after the title. This is sometimes essential for clarity: for example, Cezanne's Mont Sainte-Victoire (1904-06, Philadelphia Museum of Art) is one of many paintings of this landmark near the artist's home in Aix-en-Provence.

When you first mention an artist, give his or her full name; afterwards, it is appropriate to use the last name alone - e.g. "Gauguin" or "Nevelson"; not "Mr. Rauschenberg," but also not "Pablo," "Georgia," or "Jackson."

7. Be aware that thinking, drafting, writing and rewriting take time, even for a short paper. You might want to make a schedule, working backwards from the due date, in order to be sure that you are not rushed at the crucial rewriting stages.


Try to keep a balance: make a real effort, but enjoy it.