Art History buffs -- I need your help asap with the MET!!?

Question

Okay, so I have to take an Art History class as a requirement for my major, and I must admit that I know ABSOLUTELY nothing about the subject. I'm a therapeutic recreation/occupational therapy major, so art history really doesn't have much to do with my future career. Regardless, it's a requirement.

Anyway, for this class, I have to take a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NY (I'll be going on Sunday). I will copy and paste my museum assignment below so all of you can understand what I have to do. *** PLEASE READ below the actual assignment for my question!!!:

Part 1
Choose and Describe the Artworks in Detail
Thoroughly describe each work of art that you have chosen individually as if to a person unfamiliar with the artwork in particular or even with any experience with art in general.  Clearly describe the artworks’ Style (HOW each looks) and their Iconography (WHAT appears as the content in each and WHAT does it mean/symbolize) so that we can ‘see’ them in our imaginations.

Part 2
Write the Contextual-Comparative Analyses: Context, Iconography, and Style
	Begin, as we do in class, with a short explanation of the Context for each work of art by describing When and Where and by (Artist) and for Whom (Patron) they were each created.  NOW comes the most important and difficult step: comparing each artwork to other works of art created in the same Context in terms of Style and Iconography.
In doing this, you will need to consider how similar or dissimilar each of your chosen works of art is in comparison to those created at the same time and/or in the same country/city (Context) and/or by the same artist.  Then, explain why these Styles and Iconographies were used by artists or expected by audiences in these specific Contexts – why were these Styles and Iconographies appropriate?  Do they relate to the cultures in which they were created? To some system of religion or philosophy? Or were the artworks specific to certain patrons, the Iconography specifically communicating something about these patrons and to no one else?
Take all of these characteristics into account.  The goal in doing this is to identify if any pattern exists or not: Do your chosen works of art represent examples of a consistency in the art of the Context (the time/place/artist) in terms of the Iconography and Style? Or are they aberrations and different from all that came before or after?  Were they experiments that had no precedents and/or were never repeated? Or did these works of art represent something Avant-Garde which subsequently became the most popular Style?  Or, in terms of Iconography, does the content (Iconography) of your works of art have any precedence? Or is the Iconography entirely novel and new, and then because of its popularity was often repeated?

Example:
Michelangelo’s David, 1500-04, Florence.
Michelangelo Buonarrotti created his sculpture of the Biblical subject of David (iconography) during the first decade of the 16th century in Florence.  In this context (place/time), statues of David had been sculpted previously by such Florentine sculptors as Donatello and Verrocchio, all of which symbolized Florentine determination to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles such as the invading forces of Milan, etc.  In this way, David also symbolized the Republic of Florence itself as an agent of its own independence and also as a divinely protected city-state.
Even while Michelangelo’s choice of iconography took a traditional subject (iconography), his manner of presentation (style) was unorthodox and without precedent: David stands at the ready, before he’s used his shepherd’s sling to hurl the stone that will knock his giant foe, Goliath, to the ground where David will use Goliath’s own sword to decapitate him…(ETC.)


...So there you have it. I know what I have to do for the assignment, that's no problem. However, I'm wondering if any of you have any suggestions for me to consider as far as works of art to analyze. As I've said, I know nothing about art history, so are there any artists that would prove particularly beneficial as far as additional resources are concerned? In other words, I will need to compare these artists to others within the time period. As a point of reference, we just finished a unit on the Early and High Italian Renaissance in class. 

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE HELP! :)

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

You are SO lucky to have the Met so close to you! 

For Early and High Renaissance, a great choice would be Raphael or Fra Angelico. Raphael's "Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints" and Fra Angelico's "The Crucifixion" are both at the Met. 

Part 1 is easy: just write what you see! What "pops" out at you? Try standing from a couple feet away, turn around and pin point on what you see first. The good thing about Renaissance art is the clarity and detail of what the artist is depicting: what you think you see is what is there. WHAT are they wearing? Is there dramatic drapery? Do they appear realistic? Are they proportional? What position are they in? What is the expression on their faces? What colors stand out? WHO is in the painting? Saints, Madonna and Child, Jesus? (Also, they are religious because they are alter pieces) WHERE are they? Is it a day or night? 

Part 2 requires a little bit more thinking: Start with who painted it, who they painted it for and what medium is used (all can be found on the identification card next to the work). The just start comparing and contrasting! Whats different? Who is in one and not in the other? Why? Both Raphael and Fra Angelico are Renaissance painters, how do their styles differ? What is different between their uses of color and placement of figures? Both of these pieces are religious, but what is different between the subjects? HINT: For my chosen artists, they used their paintings to release their creative talent, not to satisfy what the patron wanted (although they did both). They portrayed their story while clearly expressing their own emotions for the context given. The Iconography is most definitely not new (religious scenes have been shown for decades already), but painted in a matter to which viewers can relate and feel the power that the painter felt while producing the work. 

Just answer the questions and place your thoughts into statements! From what I can see, your teacher wants you to write this as if telling someone who has never heard of the art. They are not looking for an extreme evaluation of the piece, just some critical details and compare and contrast. 

Good luck and HAVE FUN!!

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Art History buffs -- I need your help asap with the MET!!?

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