University of California Irvine The Many Layers of Propagandas Meaning Essay

COMPARE Classical era, Statuette of Alexander the Great (2^nd Century B.C.) AND Jacques Louis David, Napoleon Crossing the Alps (1801-05)

Your goal:

Connect the two images.

Are they both about war? Rulers? The aftermath of war? The mocking of a country? Remember, one can be positive, the other negative. Or, both can be positive or negative.

Explain what propaganda is in your own words, but mostly by using scholarly sources.

Remember, relate the two images (the older museum item and the newer found item) from your different time periods.

For example: Heroic idealization: The Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius (175 CE) vs. Statue of Lenin in Seattle (1988 CE). What is being valued in these images? What qualities are emphasized? What are these artworks trying to convey? Is the result positive, or negative?

In Your Paper:

Discuss the functions of your chosen works of art, their methods of creation, and focus on what is important or historical about them. Discuss how your selections reflect the cultures and the times in which they were created. This means that you must include quite a bit of history about the country/region that it was created in, and a “taste” of the times (was it made during a period of war, famine, artistic rebirth, etc.) Do additional research on your artwork. Include information about the stylistic movement that your artwork is identified with (Impressionism, Pop Art, the Baroque, etc.) This is an exercise in viewing art, and understanding its context. Then explain how propaganda can be created and be very effective in a visual form. Identify and discuss historical and contemporary propaganda. Do you feel that one era delivered a message more artfully than another?

Chicago Style:

All references must be documented with proper citations. That includes citing museum placards, the textbook, or any other written sources such as journals, websites or books in your footnotes and again in your bibliography. Provide a bibliography, and format it in Chicago style. If you are unsure how to footnote, just Google “Chicago Footnotes” or “Chicago bibliography,” and numerous help sites will appear.

Your paper must include:

All papers must include a cover page and page numbers. They must be in black text, typed and double-spaced and in 12 point, with Times New Roman font. Your paper must have an introduction, subsequent paragraphs, and a conclusion. Do not title all of the parts of your paper separately, but write your paper as one continuous exploration of your subject. Please proofread your paper carefully.

Your paper MUST be 1500 words long (6 pages, double-spaced)

This page length refers to the text only, and does not include your cover page, an illustrations page (optional) or bibliography. If it is 1499 words in length you will receive no credit for this assignment.

You need at least 8 scholarly sources in your bibliography and at least 5 footnotes (average) per page).

Also, any paper with this much information on every page will have at least 5 footnotes per page. If there is a page that has fewer footnotes, that’s OK. Your bibliography must have at least 8 journal/book/website sources. Wikipedia is NEVER an acceptable source.

Using quotes:

Use a direct quote from a source only if you feel that there is no way that you could say it better. Otherwise, restate into your own words, then still cite the source. Quotes should comprise of no more than 5% of your paper.