Paragraph Two
Here, you will describe the overall subject matter of the image. Respond to questions, such as:
- What is the image’s appearance?
- What is the action or event occurring in the image?
Use concrete rather than abstract language for your description. For instance, avoid writing: “The painting is beautiful.” Instead, write, “The painting features shades of green, blue, and red throughout, giving it a dynamic contrast of colors.” Remember, the description is not the analysis yet.
An example of a description of Monet’s Woman with a Parasol is included, below, on this page.
Inserting Your Image in Word
You should also note that the description paragraph is where you’ll place the art image you selected.
- Insert the image into Microsoft Word.
- Resize the image to dimensions that allow it fit within the description paragraph.
- Wrap text to help you manipulate the image around your paragraph.
- Caption the image with the words “Fig. 1” or “Figure 1”
Sample Paragraph Two
To briefly describe Claude Monet’s Woman with a Parasol, the painting shows a woman standing on a grassy hill with a young boy several feet behind her (see Fig. 1). The woman appears near the center of the painting wearing a long white dress and holding a green parasol above her head. Her dress and veil blow toward the left, while the grass around her bends in different directions, suggesting a windy day. Behind and slightly to the left of the woman, the boy is visible only from about the waist up because the hill blocks the lower part of his body. The lower portion of the painting consists mostly of green grass dotted with small areas of yellow and brown, while a bright blue sky filled with large white clouds covers much of the upper portion. The woman’s white dress stands out against the darker green grass and the blue sky, making her the most noticeable figure in the painting. Overall, the painting presents a simple outdoor scene of a woman and child standing together on a sunny, windy day.
Fig. 1