Students get assigned essays on a wide variety of topics, and a museum essay can seem easy at first sight. In practice, these papers often leave writers stuck and frustrated. They are most often given to history and art students, but anyone can end up with one. If that is your assignment, don't worry — read on and you'll see how to handle it with ease.
The world's most-known museums to write about
Before you can nail a museum essay, you have to decide which museum you're writing about. A popular, widely-known institution makes the whole job easier: you'll find plenty of material without much effort, so research and writing become far simpler. If you're not sure where to start, here are five famous options.
-
01
The Louvre
Probably the first museum most people picture. Set in Paris, it spans 72,735 square metres and holds some 38,000 celebrated ancient exhibits. Stunning to write about — though a little cliché.
-
02
Museo Nacional del Prado
In Madrid, and one of the most famous museums in the world for fine art, known for holding one of the richest collections of European painting.
-
03
The British Museum
Established in 1753 and often called the museum of human history, with a vast collection of some 8 million objects — including the greatest collection of mummies held outside Egypt.
-
04
The Museum of Modern Art
MoMA, in the heart of New York, is one of the most influential museums of modern art, showing works by Picasso, Monet, van Gogh and other leading figures.
-
05
Museo Jumex
Founded only in 2013 and far younger than the rest of this list, yet already known worldwide for an outstanding collection of contemporary Latin American art. The least cliché choice here.
Museo Jumex: the best-known museum in Mexico City
Thousands of these essays are written every year, so an obvious topic risks repeating what someone has already covered. Museo Jumex is the newest major museum of contemporary art in the world, which makes it easy to stand out. It takes its name from its backers: the museum was funded by one of Mexico's largest juice companies. While founder Eugenio López Rodea Jumex wasn't especially interested in art, his son Eugenio López Alonso created Fundación Jumex and funded the museum, establishing his place in the international art and cultural landscape.
The building is as compelling as the collection it holds — a 15,000-square-foot venue by British architect David Chipperfield, shaped as a cube with a sawtooth roof that stands out sharply in the city skyline. The permanent collection features leading figures of contemporary art, among them Martin Kippenberger, Andy Warhol and Cy Twombly, ranging from drawings and paintings to video and light installations. Alongside it, rotating temporary exhibitions regularly spotlight one or a few artists at a time.
Expert tips for a great essay
Knowing which museum to write about is only half the task. These principles come up again and again from experienced writers.
- Keep the deadline in mind. Missed deadlines wreck grades. Start early and always know how much time you have left.
- Pick the topic wisely. A well-chosen topic is half the battle — it should be researchable, relevant, and genuinely interesting to you first.
- Research before you write. Gather solid facts, figures and viewpoints up front, and save your references as you go to make citing easier later.
- Build an outline. A simple roadmap keeps you on track and stops the essay wandering off course.
- Edit without mercy. Go beyond grammar and punctuation — check style, voice, vocabulary and sentence structure too.
Write about the Louvre or MoMA and you join a crowd. Write about Museo Jumex and you have room to say something that hasn't already been said a thousand times. Choose the museum that lets your essay be genuinely yours — then research it properly, structure it clearly, and edit it hard.