Step 1: Choose one of the following key works for your essay topic.
Court of Justinian, or Hagia Sophia

Step 2: Write an introductory paragraph that includes the following items in the text (not as bullet points):

title of the key work
date of the key work
name of the artist, if known
name of the patron, if known
where the key work was made
Step 3: Write a paragraph explaining the subject matter of your key work. Please go into as much detail as possible. Try to connect what you are writing to what you see in the key work.

Step 4: Write a paragraph that does the following things:

state whether your key work is typical or innovative or both
explain your above statement by comparing your key work with another work of art (this does not have to be another key work)
make sure that your comparison refers to visual details in both works of art
make sure that your argument makes sense and that your evidence, which is made up of the visual details you were comparing, actually supports your claim of the key work being typical or innovative for its time
Step 5: Write a conclusion that identifies three reasons why the key work is important. I suggest that you go to the modules and listen to the last five minutes of the recording (.mp3) for your key work. We always go over three reasons why the key work is important in the last five minutes of class.

Step 6: Make sure your essay has a bibliography with at least three references, properly cited in Chicago or MLA style. If you do not know how to do this, click here or go to the Writing Center on the fourth floor of the Holland building.

Step 7: Make sure your essay has at least three in-text citations (putting the author and date in parentheses) OR three footnotes that cite references in the bibliography. If you do not know how to do this, click here or go to the Writing Center on the fourth floor of the Holland building.

Essay Dos

use Times New Roman font at 12 points
double space your essay
write in the third person
make sure that all of the words in your essay are your own