User:Michael1199/Evaluate an Article

Which article are you evaluating?
Allegory of Waterloo

Why you have chosen this article to evaluate?
I selected this article because I found it and I found it in the Art History section, and it looked especially interesting to me. Personally, I never thought about what happens when a painting gets lost, but I can't imagine how many masterpieces have gotten lost over the years for various different reasons. This is something that probably happens a lot less today than it did in the past, but still, that must be a terrible feeling for any artist or fan of art. I remember learning about the Battle of Waterloo in European History class, and I was curious to learn more about this paining that I had never heard about. Upon first glance, it is clear that both the article and Wikipedia page have been constructed by experienced members who conducted extensive research on the topic. The page looks neat, tidy, and clean, and it is finished off with lots of paintings and hyperlinks. Really cool topic, and a really cool article too.

Evaluate the article
After several close readings of the article at hand, it is evident that it is expertly crafted in both a clear and concise manner. Although the article is not lengthy in statue, its components are necessary and worthwhile making it an easy, yet interesting read. Many, if not all, important topics and words are hyperlinked to their respective Wikipedia articles, making it easy for any reader to understand the full picture of what is going on. The article is very nicely set up - divided into six small, concise paragraphs. Each paragraph and sentence contains new information that is relevant and efficient. On the right side of the article, two images are attached and captioned nicely so as to give the reader a clear understanding of why they are there and important. If I could make a suggestion to the article, I would like to see the sources cited with footnotes after they are used. As it stands not, the sources are only listed at the bottom of the page, and this makes it difficult to understand where exactly the information in the article is coming from. Footnotes would make it easier for me get a better picture of how the research was conducted, and they would also give me the opportunity to read directly from the sources themselves. All in all, this article is effective in teaching about the Allegory of Waterloo and providing adequate context as to why it is important even though it is a lost painting. As I begin to craft articles and make revisions for the better of the Wiki world, I will certainly keep this one in mind for inspiration.