Art History and Art Appreciation
Art History and Art Appreciation
Art History and Art Appreciation
Art is both a record of the past and a living form of artistic expression today. By examining the context in which material art objects, such as paintings, sculptures, and architecture, were made, it is possible to increase our understanding of the people and the cultures that produced them. Study and discussion of artworks can make powerful connections to our lives and to civilizations past and present.
Art History is a continually-evolving academic discipline in which creative masterpieces made by diverse civilizations, throughout history and across the globe, are studied for their artistic and historic value. Art historians ask critical questions about art and society, explore a broad range of interpretive and theoretical methodologies, and employ valuable research and communication skills to express their ideas and subject knowledge.
Art Appreciation is a process of learning to see, a methodology which relies on developing an appreciation for and understanding of both the materials and processes utilized in the creation of artworks, and the context in which they are created. This method of active looking encourages a deeper understanding of how artworks are composed to convey specific concepts or meanings, and the ways in which the work may be informed by art history or societal circumstances. Art Appreciation allows for the development of personal taste through active exploration while simultaneously fostering strategies for deriving meaning from complex visual materials.
Course Descriptions
Art History survey courses are a chronological analysis of architecture, painting, sculpture, and other art forms from diverse cultures throughout the world. Art History I (ARTS 1303) covers art production from prehistoric times to the beginning of the Early Modern period (about 1400 CE). In turn, Art History II (ARTS 1304) covers art from the Renaissance to the present. Students enrolled in either of these courses will learn to critically interpret and evaluate works of art, investigate major global artistic developments throughout history, and gain insight into many perspectives through innovations in the history of human artistic production.
The Art Appreciation course offers a general introduction to the visual arts. Students engage in critical interpretation of artworks within formal, cultural, and historical contexts in a course designed to develop an understanding of the vocabulary, media, techniques, and purpose of the creative process. Through this method, students deepen and enrich their relationship with art and increase their ability to evaluate artworks.
There are no prerequisites for Art History I, Art History II, or Art Appreciation; these courses fulfill the Creative Arts requirement of the Core Curriculum outline.
Course Resources
Area Faculty
Monica Alfonso
Brucie Bowman
Kristin Calhoun
Jonas Criscoe
Bernardo Diaz
Kristina Elizondo
Claire Hendren
Dawn Hewitt
Esteban Hinojosa
Michelle Kaiserlian
Erin Keever
Paula King
Joelle Lardi
Lindsey Mikash
Chelsea Moore
Anastasia Rees
Bethany Ogdon
Amy Szumilewicz
William (Yam) Tolan
Roberta Weston
Course Resources
Master Syllabi
Art Appreciation
Art History I
Art History II
Image Credits
Julia Margaret Cameron (British, 1815-1879), Julia Jackson, 1867, albumen silver print. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Image courtesy of the Met’s open access program.
Vessel with Mythological Scene, Mesoamerican, attributed to the Metropolitan Painter, 7th-8th century CE, ceramic. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Image courtesy of the Met’s open access program.
Vincent van Gogh (Dutch,1853-1890), Wheat Field with Cypresses, 1889, oil on canvas. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Image courtesy of the Met’s open access program.
Head of an Oba, Edo peoples (Nigerian), 16th century, brass. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Image courtesy of the Met’s open access program.
Folio from a Qur’an Manuscript, probably Syrian, late 9th-early 10th century CE, ink and gold on parchment. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Image courtesy of the Met’s open access program.
Marble Statue of a member of the imperial family, Roman, 27 BCE–68 CE, marble. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Image courtesy of the Met’s open access program.