Essay 3. Images of Nature Please read the tips of directions below and instructions carefully! - here is the link - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1voWV-uo4pq...
In this most recent segment, we've turned our attention to how, where, and to what end natural imagery was used in sacred spaces and artworks of the Middle Ages, both East and West: we have explored contemporary ideas of heaven, Paradise, Nature (with a capital "N"), Creation and, indeed, Apocalypse. For this essay, you are going to take a deeper-dive into one particular work that has spoken to you
The Assignment
Using your chosen example as a case-study, write a short essay (2-3 pages) answering the following question:
"In your chosen case-study, how is natural imagery used to produce sacred meaning, and to what end?"
Your answer should make specific use of examples from your case-study and the assigned readings (secondary sources) we have looked at so far.
Some Tips and Directions
- The same tips as the last essay still apply. For example, you will likely have too much to say - be selective. Likewise, take care to structure the paper as an argument - i.e. with an identifiable main point, intro, conclusion, etc.
- Spend some time with your artwork before you sit down to write; don't rely just on your class notes. Be prepared to isolate and identify features to use as examples from the image -- think of these like "quotations" from a text. Don't generalize.
- If you want some more contextual information about an artwork, a building, a person, or anything else, use peer-reviewed resources. I particularly recommend the Oxford Dictionary of Late Antiquity, Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium, and the Oxford Dictionary of the Middle Ages. These are all accessible through Oxford Reference and the LITS catalog website; feel free to ask me if you want pointers.
- It might not seem like it, but the Historical Thinking Chart is still your friend here. For example, getting inside the intended message (kind of like a text's argument...), audience, contexts, and the particular devices (symbols) at play are all important facets of this exercise.
- The question itself here is deliberately quite broad to ensure that the maximum number of examples are relevant. Take care to offer a clear and concise answer to it. It can help to, for example, establish limits on your topic by defining your terms (e.g., what kind of "sacred meaning" are you discussing in your paper -- that can be taken a few different ways).