Course Description:
The end goal of ARTH 101 is to provide students with a breadth of knowledge in the history of art, including major movements and artists, to develop the ability to make meaningful discussions about the development of art and visual culture over time. We will make a chronological study of major art works and movements from Prehistory to the Renaissance through which students will learn the language of discussing visual texts including terminology, media, techniques, and processes. As art does not exist in a vacuum, major art works will be studied in the context of the political, economic, social, and religious developments of each period. We will investigate the impact visual works from each period have had on our current understanding of art. This course will develop the background and skills to confidently apply higher-order thinking skills to the study of art and visual culture.
*It is important to recognize that survey courses of this nature traditionally focus on the development of the canon of Western art, however, we will deviate from this tradition by investigating concurrent timelines from non-Western sources to provide an inclusive and holistic understanding of artistic creation in this timeframe of study.
Learning Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
Identify key works of art and visual culture from Prehistory to the Renaissance
Define and apply relevant terminology related to art and visual culture Prehistory to the Renaissance
Describe the form, content, and context of art and visual culture from Prehistory to the Renaissance
Identify factors that affect the changes and continuity of visual expressions and styles over time
Apply understanding of context (political, economic, social, and religious developments) to analyze the art forms of each period studied
Apply understanding of context (political, economic, social, and religious developments) to interpret the iconography and symbolism of art from the period
Make connections between the images and objects viewed in class and our modern visual culture