Part 1

Select ONE essay question to answer. Your essay should be about 5 paragraphs long (12 pt., double-spaced).

Make sure that your essay is a COMPARATIVE analysis. You may structure your analysis as you like. Your essay should include some discussion of the historical contexts in which the works were made. However, your essay MUST include a discussion of the formal aspects of the works. A Paper (will have) • Strong thesis that introduces the comparative analysis. • Introductory paragraph that gives some broad discussion of the context of the works. • Clear topic sentences that structure the analysis for each paragraph. • Good, clear examples are discussed and contrasted. • A strong conclusion that summarizes the analyses performed. • Clearly written without glaring grammatical errors.

B Paper (may include) • Good thesis that is comparative in nature, but a bit vague and general- thesis and introduction lack specificity. • Little discussion of the works in the introductory paragraph. • Topic sentences are correct, but overly broad, so they cannot adequately structure the analysis that follows. • Some good analysis and comparison, but more concrete examples or specific evidence are needed to strengthen the analysis.

C Paper • A broad discussion of themes and ideas that bears no relationship to the analyses that we have done in lecture. • Telegraphic, to the point that there is minimal analysis. • Unclear with many grammatical errors. Peter Paul Rubens, Henry IV Receiving the Portrait of Marie de Medici (from Marie de Medici series) Annibale Carracci, Assumption of the Virgin Nicolas Poussin, The Israelites Gathering Manna Michelangelo Merisi Caravaggio The Calling of St. Matthew Charles Le Brun, Entrance of Alexander into Babylon Domenichino, Last Communion of St. Jerome Caravaggio, Supper at Emmaus Bernini, Saint Teresa of Avila in Ecstasy, Cornaro Chapel Part 2

Select ONE essay question to answer. Your essay should be about 5 paragraphs long (12 pt., double-spaced). Question 1

Compare Paleotti’s theorization of images with Le Brun’s reading of Poussin’s Israelites. What makes a painting worthy of praise? How should a viewer “read” a painting? Would Le Brun and Paleotti agree about how to read a painting? In what ways? Essay 1- Paleotti

Question 2

Compare Bellori’s reading of Annibale Carracci’s Hercules at the Crossroads with EITHER Le Brun’s 1672 attack on color OR the defense of color presented by De Piles in 1673.

Explain the main theoretical points of both authors. Consider any points of theoretical agreement or disagreement. Speculate about how the second author (Le Brun or de Piles) would interpret Carracci’s Hercules.

Question 3

Rubens' "On the Imitation of Statues" was published by the French writer Roger de Piles. Bernini's ideas about painting and sculpture were recorded by Chantelou during the artist's visit to France. From these texts, we can extract the artists’ theories of art. Both Rubens and Bernini are interested in the relationship between painting and sculpture. How do they describe that relationship? What is unique to painting? And to sculpture? Are Rubens' theory of painting and Bernini's theory of sculpture compatible? Why or why not?

Question 4 Compare Philippe de Champaigne's reading of the coloristic aspects of a painting by Titian in the "Second Conference" with Blanchard’s Defense of “Color.” Describe the two theoretical positions. Explain the differences between their views.

How would they each interpret Annibale Carracci’s Assumption of the Virgin? What types of things would they look at in the painting? Speculate about their analyses of Carracci’s work, highlighting similarities and differences. Question 4- Champaigne and Blanchard

Part 3 (2-3 sentences)

Explain how Rubens thinks about the relationship between power and gender, as it is described in ONE of the following articles:

● Lisa Rosenthal, "Manhood and Statehood: Rubens's Construction of Heroic Virtue," in Gender, Politics, and Allegory in the Art of Rubens (Cambridge, 2005), 63-112. ● Geraldine Johnson, "Pictures Fit for a Queen: Peter Paul Rubens and the Marie de' Medici Cycle," Art History 16 (1993), 447-69.