ARTHIST115 Chap.11 Writing the Art History Essay
Writing the Art History Essay
The essay is worth 30 per cent and must run from 1,800 to 1,850 words, with references and bibliography included in the count. Every 2026 question asks for three examples and an artist or art form the course has dealt with: the continuum or development of an art form, rank and authority, the development of modernism, or three works by one artist on a set theme.
The Art History Guide to Essay Writing sets six steps from choosing a question to referencing and warns that they take at least two weeks. It asks for an introduction of about 250 words that states the approach, body paragraphs that analyse works and link to each other, and a conclusion that draws threads together without new information.
Citations go in Chicago footnotes after punctuation, with an alphabetised bibliography, artwork titles in italics with date and location, image plates on separate pages, and at least five to eight sources consulted. The guide's grade descriptors show what markers reward: wide, acknowledged reading, a well-constructed argument, a clear grasp of the issues and, at the top, independent thinking expressed with flair.
What this chapter covers
- 01
The four 2026 essay question families
- 02
Reading the instruction word in a question
- 03
The six steps of the essay guide
- 04
Introduction, body and conclusion
- 05
Chicago footnotes and the shortened note
- 06
Bibliography, image plates and the grade bands
Worked example · free
Build a three-example essay plan for the modernism question
- 1Choose the place and three works: for India, Amrita Sher-Gil's Three Women (1935) and Jamini Roy's Mother and Child (1950s), plus a third from the Indian modernism lecture.
- 1Order them chronologically so the essay can show development rather than three separate descriptions.
- 1Assign each body section one work and one argument step, with a linking sentence to the next.
- 1Plan the conclusion to return to the introduction's claim about how modernism developed, adding no new works.
Key terms
- Footnote
- A numbered note at the foot of the page giving the source of a quotation or idea, placed after punctuation.
- Bibliography
- An alphabetised list of every source consulted, with the author's surname first and no numbering.
- Image plate
- A captioned illustration placed on a separate page at the end of the essay.
- Ibid.
- The note form used when a reference follows the same work directly, with a page added only if it differs.
- Thesis
- The single arguable claim an essay states in its introduction and proves in its body.
Writing the Art History Essay FAQ
How long is the Global Art Histories essay?
A minimum of 1,800 words and a maximum of 1,850, and the word count includes your references and bibliography. The general essay guide mentions a 10 per cent margin, but the 2026 assignment sets its own limits, so plan to the assignment. Leave room in the count for footnotes, which add up quickly in a well-referenced essay.
Do I need to reference lecture material?
The essay guide says lecture material and common knowledge, such as famous dates, do not need referencing. Ideas specific to one writer must be acknowledged whether you quote or paraphrase. Your essay still needs at least five to eight sources consulted, so build the argument on readings and published scholarship, not on lectures alone.
How should I cite an artwork in the essay?
Put the title in italics, and give the date and location, such as the city, building or museum; medium and size are optional unless your tutor asks for them. Number the image plates in the order you discuss the works, and refer to the figure number in the text whenever you mention the work.
Which essay question should I choose?
Choose the family that fits the three works you know best, then read its instruction word. Development and continuum questions need chronology, rank and authority questions need mechanism, and single-artist questions need a theme traced across three works. The guide advises choosing early and leaving time for more than one draft before submission.
Exam move
Pick the question family that matches your strongest three works, then write a one-line thesis that could be wrong. Draft the introduction first, check it against the four-point checklist, and plan each body section as one work and one argumentative step. Leave at least two days for referencing alone: footnotes after punctuation, shortened notes, ibid. used correctly, and an alphabetised bibliography.
Draft early enough to leave a full revision pass for argument alone.
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