AP Art History Course Outline
Semester I
Using Art Across Time as a primary text, the first semester will provide an introduction to the study of art
history and will cover art from the Paleolithic era to the Proto-Renaissance. The art of ancient non-western
cultures, including India, China, Japan, Korea, Africa, the and the Americas will be introduced through
group presentations during the second quarter. There will be a special focus on the various forms of
Sculpture during the first quarter while studying Prehistoric and Ancient Art, and on the purposes and styles
of Architecture during the second quarter in the periods leading to the Renaissance. Students will also
participate in an all-day field trip to The Getty Villa Museum in Malibu, which features art from pre-history
through the art of the Romans under one roof.
First Quarter
Week 1: Introduction to Art History / Prehistoric Art
What Is Art, and What Is Not Art? “Discussion and description are more appropriate than definition”.
Class discussion on the measures of quality applied to works of art, Aesthetics and the concept of beauty
in Art, and the ever-changing definitions, classifications and fluctuating values in the history of Western
art.
Why Is Art Made, and What Makes It Valuable?
Lecture and discussion on the varied functions of art and the ways that artists are sponsored and
commissioned to do works of art by persons or institutions (patronage).
Introduction to art history:
A central aim of art history is to determine the original context of artworks. Art may be examined by
determining its age, style, subject, who made it, who paid for it, and its unique formal characteristics.
Objectives:
 Identify key research questions art historians ask
 Define the terms of formal analysis
 Explain the role of formal analysis in art historical research
 Understand how art historians address different cultural perspectives
Class Activity: “Student Detectives” examine various slide examples of art, architecture, and sculpture
to practice following the research steps of the art historian in identifying its origin.
*Homework Packets: Students are introduced to the primary tool they will
use as a study guide throughout the year: On the day of each assigned
reading, they receive a packet of the major images in the current chapter
with blank space by each image to write comments and notes. These packets
are checked by the teacher before the day’s lecture/slide presentation, and the
student will be expected to participate in class discussions about the previous
night’s reading by referring to these notes. Notes should include pertinent
facts about the subject’s time period, formal qualities, medium, artist, etc.
Chapter One: The Birth of Art: Africa, Europe and the Near East in the Stone Age
An overview of the prehistoric birth of art, from the Old Stone Age or Paleolithic period when humans
began creating sculptures and cave paintings, to the Neolithic period when human beings began to settle in
fixed abodes and changed from hunters to herders, to farmers and finally to townspeople. Students will make
functional and stylistic comparisons between Neolithic and Paleolithic work. Students will view the first
weaving, metalworking, and pottery, as well as the building of fortified towns, cities, and, in Western
Europe, megaliths and cromlechs (henges). Discussion on the influences of geography, and the growth of
agriculture and cities on the nature of art.
 Reading: Art Across Time Chapter One: The Art of Prehistory
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Homework Packet and Glossary List of Key Terms and Concepts
Teacher Lecture/PowerPoint Presentation: Prehistoric Art
Class discussion: Lack of documentation and subsequent “conjecture” about cave art and other
prehistoric mysteries
Week 2: The Rise of Civilization: The Art of the Ancient Near East (2 Days)
Chapter Two: The Ancient Near East (A.N.E.)
Why was Mesopotamia considered the cradle of civilization? Discussion on the development of writing and
the beginnings of recorded history that occurred here, along with the first monumental temples built by the
Sumerians. Comparisons between their successors; the Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Persians, and
others, as they continued the tradition of monumental art and architecture, erecting ruler portraits, stelae
recording victories and law codes, and great palaces decorated with painted narrative reliefs.
 Reading: Art Across Time Chapter Two: The Ancient Near East
 Homework Packets and Glossary List of Key Terms and Concepts
 Teacher Lectures/PowerPoint Presentations: The Ancient Near East
 The First Essay Assignment: “Looking At Art: What’s a Person to Say?
Description: Students write their first art history essay by selecting a postcard image from an art
museum. They write one paragraph describing the artwork by looking carefully at its internal clues
(the medium and technique the artist used, and its formal qualities, such as elements of color and
texture, or principles of composition such as emphasis and balance). They then write a second
paragraph after reading about the artwork, the artist and its relationship to the time period in which it
was made, discussing its particular style and other factors that may have contributed to its creation,
(External clues) so that the artwork has been examined contextually. The students end by citing
where they found the external information.
Week 3: Egypt: Pharoahs and the Afterlife (2 Days)
Chapter Three: Pharoahs and the Afterlife: The Art of Ancient Egypt
The study of Ancient Egyptian civilization and culture introduces spectacular monuments, tombs, and
solemn and ageless art created using a “divine” order that remained almost unchanged for thousands of
years. Discussions on the canon for sculpture and wall-paintings, Egyptian mythology; identifying
traditional styles of the Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms, Akhenaton’s radical naturalism, and
“Egyptology”; the Egyptian pursuit of “permanence” and immortality for their rulers.
 Masterpiece of the Morning: Students identify a slide from the previous night’s reading.
 Reading: Art Across Time Chapter Three: Ancient Egypt
 Homework Packet with Key Images for Identification
 Teacher Lectures/ PowerPoint Presentations: Egyptian Art and Architecture
 Glossary List and Key Concepts
 Review Chapters 1-3
 Test I: Chapters 1-3
Test over Prehistoric, ANE, and Egyptian Art; comparison between Egypt and the Near East
(geography, materials, civilization, nature of royal figures and divinities, funerary and temple
structures), with 20 multiple choice questions (mostly slide-related), identification of specific
vocabulary words and terms used to describe art, Two Short Essay questions on the context of the
law code (Hammurabi) and the iconography of the Palette of Narmer (unification of ancient
Egypt).
Week 4: Aegean Art and Intro to Art Beyond Europe (3 Days)
Chapter Four: Minos and the Heroes of Homer: The Art of the Prehistoric Aegean
Introduces the prehistory of Greece in the Bronze Age, a shadowy and mythical time for scholars until
archeology uncovered the remains of that heroic era. Students focus attention on Cycladic marble sculptures,
Minoan mural paintings of palace life, and Mycenaean fortified citadels for times of war that reveal
primitive but effective Aegean artistic styles and building techniques.
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Homework Packet with images to identify for Chapter 4
Glossary of Key Terms and Concepts
Teacher Lecture/PowerPoint Presentation: Aegean Art
Reading: Art Across Time Chapter Four: The Aegean
Ancient Art Beyond Europe Group Presentations Assigned
Corresponding Chapters in Gardner’s covered:
Chapter 6: Ancient India: Paths to Enlightenment
Chapter 7: The Silk Road (China and Korea)
Chapter 8: Early Japan
Chapter 14: Native Arts of the Americas
Chapter 15: South of the Sahara (African Art)
Preparation: Each group reads and does research on their particular area and its culture. They select
6-8 representative images with at least one example of a “common theme”. Each group writes a
detailed lecture outline, a bibliography, three multiple choice questions plus one short-essay question
with answers, and a one-page front/back class handout that includes a timeline, overview of the
period, slide caption sheet and information about the common themes.
Week 5 and 6: Ancient Greece (4 Days)
Chapter Five: Gods, Heroes, and Athletes: The Art of Ancient Greece
Greek culture and its ideal of humanistic education and life is explored through its art and architecture from
the eighth century BCE when the human figure returned to Greek art. This unit features a focus on the art
form of Sculpture: in Ancient Greece, “the quest for ideal form” involved changes in the representation
of the human figure. Why did these styles change from the Geometric and Orientalizing Periods, The
Archaic Period, to the Early and High Classical Periods, and finally, the Hellenistic Period? Students
begin to define and identify the concepts of Greek idealism, beauty and individuality. The
development of the styles of Greek Architecture will be traced with an emphasis on how these styles
affected later architecture. The influence of Greek heroes and gods in narrative art will be seen and
discussed in vase paintings and mosaics.
 Reading: Art Across Time Chapter Five: The Art of Ancient Greece
 Focus on Sculpture: Lecture, notes and discussion on the three-dimensional art of sculpture; the
four major traditional sculpture techniques of relief, carving, modeling and casting, with examples of
additive, reductive, assembled, freestanding and attached sculpture.
 Homework Packets with images to identify for Chapter Five
 Glossary of Key terms and Concepts: Ancient Greek Art and Architectural components
 Teacher Lectures/PowerPoint Presentations: Ancient Greece
 In-Class Essay: Compare and contrast the emerging shape of the human figure in art from the
Sumerian votive figures to the Greek Kore and kouros figures.
Week 7 and 8: Etruscan and Roman Art (4 Days)
Chapter Six: Italy Before the Romans: The Art of the Etruscans
During the Archaic Period in ancient Greece, the Etruscans dominated the Italian peninsula. There will be a
discussion on the importance and originality of Etruscan art, which was deeply influenced by, yet different
from, Greek art. Etruscan ideas of death and burial, the Etruscan temple, origins of the true arch, and
elements of canopic urn portraiture are discussed. How did Etruscan sculpture, painting, and
architecture provide the models for early Roman art and architecture?
 Reading: Art Across Time Chapter Six: The Art of the Etruscans
 Homework packet with images to identify for Chapter Six
 Glossary of Key Terms and Concepts of Etruscan art and architecture
 Teacher Lecture/PowerPoint Presentation: Etruscan Art
Chapter Seven: From Seven Hills to Three Continents: The Art of Ancient Rome
Discussion on why Roman monuments of art and architecture are the most conspicuous and numerous of all
the remains of ancient western civilization, and how many are still used as part of the fabric of modern life.
Special attention is given to the far-reaching influence of Roman society, their architectural revolution
using concrete vault construction, Pompeii’s unearthed treasure houses of painted frescoes, role
playing in Roman portraiture, Roman city planning, the building of great aqueducts throughout
Europe, the construction of the Colosseum, arches and columns celebrating the victories of the
emperors, the Pantheon’s great dome, and the triumph of Constantine as the first Christian emperor.
 Reading: Art Across Time Chapter Seven: Ancient Rome
 Homework Packet with images to identify for Chapter Seven
 Glossary of Key Terms and Concepts on Ancient Rome
 Teacher Lecture/PowerPoint Presentations: The Art of Ancient Rome
Week 9: Review of Ancient Greece and Rome/ Test Preparation
In-Class discussions of Aegean/Greek and Etruscan/Roman Art (2 days)
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Test II: The Art of Ancient Greece and Rome: Chapters 4,5,6,7
This test is given in two sections:
Part I. The first section is over chapters 4 and 5 (Aegean and Ancient Greek art). It contains multiple
choice questions based on the readings, slide identification, vocabulary and terms, and a
compare/contrast essay question using images from two separate time periods in ancient Greece:
“Compare and contrast these works; how are they significant and how are they different?
What does each reveal about ancient Greek society?”
Part II. The second section tests the students understanding of Etruscan and Roman art (chapters 6
and 7). It is similar in organization as Part I, with the addition of a slide-based short answer question
at the end:
“ How does the equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius convey the power of the emperor?”
Class Activity: In-Class Research for Ancient Art Beyond Europe Group Presentations. Assigned
groups do research online and using the classroom art library for information to be used in their
presentations.
End of First Quarter
Week 10: The Art of Antiquity/ Art Beyond Europe Group Presentations/ (2 Days)
Chapter 8: Pagans, Christians and Jews: The Art of Late Antiquity
Lectures and PowerPoint slides address the Jewish and Christian art produced under Roman rule. Popular
themes and iconography in Early Christian art, the effects of classicism, and the changing attributes
in the way the figure of Christ was represented (from Good Shepherd to Judge) will be observed and
discussed. Read excerpts from Augustine’s City of God to understand his influence on the early Christian
church. How did these Late Antique sculptures, paintings, mosaics, and buildings form the foundation
for the art and architecture of the Middle Ages?
 Reading: Art Across Time Chapter Eight: Early Christian and Byzantine Art
 Homework packet with images to identify for Chapter Eight
 Teacher Lecture/PowerPoint Presentation: The Art of Antiquity
 Glossary of Key terms and Concepts
Group Presentations: Ancient ABE Projects (2 days)
Description: Each group leads a 20 minute discussion that is organized, accurate, and thorough. The
slides are shown and handout given. This is followed by class discussion and a question and answer
session.
 Ancient A.B.E. Test: A slide-based test based on the questions written by group members and
including key images from Gardner’s chapters on “Ancient Art Beyond Europe”. Both multiple
choice and short essay questions concerning the subject matter (human figures, landscapes,
sacred spaces and objects), contextual issues like patronage, the origins of the various religions,
gods and goddesses, and architectural styles will be included.
Week 11: Byzantine Art / Early Medieval Art (3 Days)
Chapter 12 (Gardner’s): Rome in the East: The Art of Byzantium
Become familiar with the historical events following the foundation of Constantinople (Byzantium) in 330,
and the resulting changes in art and architecture as the Christian world became divided into the Latin West,
centered in Rome, and the Greek Orthodox East, with its capital at Constantinople. Discuss how Justinian
mosaicists carried on the formal, hieratic style of late antiquity and Justinian’s architects pioneered
the distinctive form of Byzantine churches. These centrally planned, dome-covered structures will be
viewed and contrasted to the longitudinal basilicas of the West. What distinguishes the Early
Christian and Byzantine styles?
Chapter 9: Europe After the Fall of Rome: Early Medieval Art in the West
Introduce early medieval civilization as reflected in the art and architecture of the thousand year period
between 400 and 1400 in western Europe; a representation of a fusion of Christianity, the Greco-Roman
heritage, and the cultures of the non-Roman peoples north of the Alps. This “Northern”art includes the
art of the Celts, Vikings, Hiberno-Saxon art, illuminated manuscripts, Mozarabic art,
Carolingian”Renaissance” art and architecture and Ottonian art and sculpture. Focus is given to the
transformations of the architectural support systems from the Carolingian to the Ottonian church. Discuss
importance of manuscript illumination and its iconography.
 Reading: Art Across Time Chapter 9
 Homework packets with images to identify for Chapters Twelve and Nine
 Glossary of Key Terms and Concepts for Chapters Twelve and Nine
 Teacher Lectures/PowerPoint Presentations: Byzantine Art and Early Medieval Art
Week 12: Romanesque Art (2 Days)
Chapter 10: The Age of Pilgrimages: Romanesque Art
“Romanesque” broadly designates the history and culture of Western Europe between about 1050 and 1200.
Reference will be made to medieval society, its structure and its effect on art and architecture. The
development of architectural elements of this period, based on and resembling those of ancient Roman
architecture, including the groin and barrel vaults and the round arch, along with regional and
stylistic differences in structure and design will be analyzed. Pilgrimages to monasteries and churches
which housed relics of venerated saints are discussed as the primary economic and conceptual catalyst for
the art and architecture of the Romanesque period. Students compare Romanesque images of power and
authority with those of earlier cultures and learn the importance of “telling stories in stone” through
narrative relief sculptures, such as scenes of the Last Judgment and other biblical stories and images used to
instruct the faithful.
 Reading: Art Across Time Chapter Ten: Romanesque Art
 Homework Packet with images to identify and describe for chapter Ten.
 Glossary of Key Terms and Concepts for Romanesque Art and Architecture
 Teacher Lectures/PowerPoints on Romanesque art and architecture
Week 13: Review Chapters 8, 9, Gardner’s 12, and 10 (2 Days)
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Sample Essays and Questions from previous AP Art History Exams are handed out to the class;
students are assigned a 30 minute in-class essay comparing subjects from Western art with
subjects from Art Beyond Europe.
Test III: Byzantine, Early Medieval and Romanesque Art: Chapters 8, 9, Gardner’s 12, and 10
A slide-based multiple choice test including key images from the text, identification of architectural
features, comparisons and contrasts between the East and West, (Byzantine figurative style,
Romanesque portals, domes, vaulting methods), icons and mosaics, early medieval manuscripts and
books, cloister sculpture, and a short essay on the growth of pilgrimages and the resulting effect on
Medieval society.
Week 14: Gothic Art/ Art Field Trip to the Getty Villa in Malibu (2 Days)
Chapter 11: The Age of Great Cathedrals: Gothic Art
Students will be able to give a definition of the Gothic style and its evolution; describe the cult of the Virgin,
and the emergence of chivalry. The development of the French Gothic style, appearing in northern France
about 1140; Gothic art was at first a regional phenomenon occurring north of the Alps. Clergy and the lay
public alike recognized the great cathedrals as images of the City of God on earth. The “art of
architecture”: architectural innovations such as the rib vault with pointed arches, flying buttresses,
and stained glass windows emphasized the beauty and otherworldliness of these magnificent churches
and inspired believers as well as being the source of civic pride; compare these with the Romanesque
church style and purpose. Minutely detailed tapestries such as those depicting the unicorn legend, the
Parisian court style of book illumination and freestanding sculpture are examined.
 Reading: Art Across Time Chapter 11: Gothic Art
 Focus: Architecture: Space-Spanning Construction Methods (Vaults, Arches, Frames)
 Homework Packets with images to identify, including architectural elements for Chapter 11
 Teacher Lectures and PowerPoint Presentation on Gothic Art and Architecture
 Glossary of Key Terms and Concepts for Gothic Art
 Handout: Architectural diagrams of Romanesque and Gothic Cathedral building construction to be
labeled, Review of space-spanning methods from post and lintel to Gothic pointed arches.
 Field Trip: Students fill out a questionnaire with information on their own “favorite” artwork from
the Getty Villa; describing it , analyzing it, interpreting it and making a judgment on whether it is a
successful work according to its aesthetic theory. They also make comments on how the particular
artwork reflects the culture and time period in which it was made.
Week 15: Gothic Art/ 14c. Italian Art (2 Days)
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Continue Chapter 11: How did the acceptance of the writings of Aristotle influenced figurative
sculpture to become more naturalistic again? Class discussion on how the Gothic style was later
expressed through regional diversity in England and south of the Alps. Emphasis is on Gothic
building styles and engineering breakthroughs, vocabulary and techniques, with “light and
height” as two guiding principles.
Reading: Finish Art Across Time Chapter 11
Quiz: Gothic Art
Movie: A White Garment of Churches (Art of the Western World)
Chapter 12: From Gothic to Renaissance: 14th Century Italian Art
The “Quattrocento”:
 Reading: Art Across Time Chapter 12
 Homework Packet with images to identify and describe from Chapter 12/ Glossary of key
terms and concepts
 Dante and the rise of humanism, the humanist painter, wealthy patrons
 Giotto: the Bardi Chapel of Santa Croce, Scrovegni Chapel in Padua
 Nicola and Giovanni Pisano and Duccio’s departure from “Maniera Graeca” style
 Simone Martini and the International Style; the Lorenzetti’s secular frescoes in the Palazzo Publico
 What stylistic characteristics separate Byzantine figurative painting and mosaics from the 14th
century work of Giotto and Duccio?
 Understand the growing interest in the natural world and the interest in real space and explore
how these elements are depicted in the art.
Week 16: Transition from Middle Ages to Renaissance/ Review for Final Exam (2 Days)
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Class discussion of the societal and artistic changes which occurred that resulted in the Italian
Renaissance.
 Students begin filling in a chart of “Greatest Hits” from art history from Prehistoric times through
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the Middle Ages.
Thinking Contextually: In preparation for the final exam, students complete a chart where they
examine a work of art chosen from their “Greatest Hits” List. The work of art is understood by
filling in information that includes the predominant religious beliefs, political climate, societal
issues, patronage, impact of geography, function, and any other cultural influences.
Week 17: Semester 1 Final Exams
The first semester final exam covers the material from Prehistoric times through the Proto-Renaissance. The
format is mainly slide-based and consists of selected questions from previous AP Art History Exams,
matching terms with definitions or examples, and an essay on the Aphrodite of Knidos, by Praxiteles.
Students write an essay answering the questions: Why was it made? Why does it look the way it does?
What was it meant to communicate?
WINTER BREAK
Semester Two
Again using Art Across Time as a primary text, Second Semester will cover the period of the Renaissance in
Western Europe, through the Post-Modern art and culture of our contemporary world. The art of nonwestern cultures, including India, China, Japan, Korea, Africa, Oceania after 1200 will continue as a
focus through student projects presented during the fourth quarter. There will be an emphasis on the
developments and methods of painting and the graphic arts. Students will also participate in an all-day field
trip to the Museum of Modern Art in Los Angeles to view contemporary and post-modern art.
Week 1: Chapter 13: Piety, Passion, and Politics: 15th Century Art in Northern Europe and
Spain (2 Days)
The 15th century in Western Europe north of the Alps: the importance of Flanders to Europe’s economic
development, the migration of rural populations to the cities. How did these events influence the art
produced during this period?
 The maturation of manuscript illumination (The Tres Riches Heures du Duc de Berry by the
Limbourg Brothers)
 The increased use of oil paints in Flanders, (Large-scale devotional altarpieces such as the Ghent
Altarpiece and the Portinari Altarpiece)
 The importance of symbols (references to the secular and the sacred); Jan van Eyck’s portraits, and
Bosch’s foreshadowing of surrealistic images.
 The development of the intaglio method of printmaking (metal engraving)
 Reading: Art Across Time Chapter 13 and beginning of Chapter 14,
 Movie: The Renaissance (Art of the Western World)
 Homework Packets with images to identify and describe from Chapters 13 and 14.
 Glossary Lists of terms and key concepts
 Painting and Graphic Arts Concepts Handout and Lecture: From Art Basics, main categories of
painting throughout western history, processes, materials and techniques, mixed media, mosaic and
stained glass. Graphic arts: the various processes used to make prints (relief print techniques, intaglio
techniques and photography).
 Test on Chapter 13: 15th century art in Northern Europe
Sections assessing student knowledge of the art of the north as it relates to social context, the formal
qualities (of altarpieces for example), symbolism and religious iconography. Write essays on the
stylistic characteristics of The Book of Hours, symbolization in the Ghent Altarpiece, and comparing and
contrasting works by Rogier van der Weyden (Deposition) and Giotto (Lamentation).
Intro to Chapter 14: Humanism and the Allure of Antiquity: 15th Century Italian Art (1 Day)
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Discuss the spread of humanism, emphasis on education and expanding knowledge (especially
of classical antiquity), the desire to excel and the fulfillment of individual potential: how did
this influence art in Italy?
Look at the Met Museum’s Timeline of Art History/ Florence and Central Italy, 1400-1600 A.D.
for information on the Medici family’s rise to power, stylistic aspects of Florentine painting,
etc.
Reading: Chapter 14, Art Across Time
Homework Packet with images to identify and describe for Chapter 14.
Glossary List of Renaissance terms and characteristics of Italian Renaissance Painting
Begin with slides and discussion surrounding the 1401 competition for a design for the east doors of
the Florence Baptistry by Ghiberti and Brunelleschi.
The invention of true linear perspective/ depicting objects in space by early Renaissance artists
and architects, as observed in Masaccio’s The Tribute Money and Holy Trinity.
Brunelleschi’s dome of the Florence Cathedral and the interior of Santo Spirito
“The Two Davids”: Donatello and Verrocchio
Week 2: Chapter 14: Humanism and the Allure of Antiquity: 15th century Italian Art (2
Days)
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Continue reading Art Across Time Chapter 14
Homework Packet with images to identify and describe for Ch. 14
The Birth of Venus by Botticelli marks the rebirth of classical mythology
Ghirlandio’s portraits of women: wealthy patronage promotes the secularization of sacred themes
Further developments in architecture, Alberti’s classical rationalism
Images of piety and devotion: Annunciations, Last Suppers, and Madonnas
Use of Linear Perspective (Perugino’s Christ Delivering the Keys of the Kingdom to Saint Peter)
 Andrea Mantegna’s striking use of perspective and foreshortening of the human figure for dramatic
effect (Dead Christ)
 Discussion of the turmoil at the end of the century, Savonarola’s reaction to the Medici’s paganism,
“bonfires of the vanities”, Signorelli’s Damned Cast Into Hell
 Read excerpts from Georgio Vasari’s Lives of the Painters, Sculptors and Architects
 How did the patronage of wealthy families affect the direction of art in Italy during the “High”
Renaissance?
Week 3 and 4: Chapter 15: Beauty, Science and Spirit in Italian Art: The High Renaissance
and Mannerism (4 Days)
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Movie: Michelangelo: Artist and Man
Reading: Gardner’s Art Through the Ages, Chapter 15
Homework Packets with images to identify and describe from Chapter 15
Glossary list of terms and key concepts for the High Renaissance
Objective: Recognize the achievements of individual artists: Leonardo, Bramante,
Michelangelo, Raphael
Leonardo’s breakthroughs: “unified representation of objects in an atmospheric setting” (Virgin of
the Rocks), The Last Supper fresco’s broad range of emotional responses
Bramante “The Pope’s Architect”: Concrete, the dome, and the new St. Peter’s in Rome
Michelangelo’s David: compare to Donatello and Verrocchio’s and Hellenistic Statuary
Sistine Chapel ceiling fresco: How does it reflect Renaissance ideas? What is its humanistic
interpretation?
In-depth discussion of Raphael’s School of Athens
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Neoplatonism’s influence on Renaissance art
Venetian Art and Architecture: Describe Mannerist pictorial devices
Titian’s “Arcadian” lyrical and sensual landscapes and the use of color
Pontorma and Parmigianno’s “Stylish Mannerism”
Contribution of women artists (Anguissola)
Tintoretto’s dramatic “plunging diagonal” Last Supper. Compare to Leonardo’s balanced
pyramidal structure
Week 5: Finish and Review Chapters 14, 15 (3 Days)
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Be able to describe and explain classical influences, identification of structures, and
architectural terms used to describe them, stylistic differences between artists and schools of
art, compare and contrast Late Gothic with Renaissance work, identify characteristics of
Italian Renaissance painting and be able to apply them when discussing specific artworks.
Week 6: Test on Chapters 14 and 15: The Renaissance in Italy (2 Days)
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Slide-based multiple choice and free-response (short essays) test.
Movie: The Masters of Illusion
Week 7: Chapter 16: The Age of Reformation: 16th Century Art in Northern Europe and
Spain (2 Days)
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Reading: Art Across Time, Chapter 16
Homework Packets with images to identify and describe from Chapter 16
List of Key Terms and Concepts
Class discussion on the background of the Protestant Reformation and its effect on art and
architecture of 16th century Europe
The use of allegory in art to express the differences in theology (Lucas Cranach the Elder’s Allegory
of Law and Grace)
Divergent views on religious imagery, Iconoclasm and the reaction against religious art: how did
this reveal the power of art?
Comparison between artworks: The Isenheim Altarpiece by Mathias Grunewald (preReformation) and Albrecht Durer’s Last Supper, (produced after the Reformation began).
Durer’s elevation of the art of engraving; the “capability of the graphic arts to convey intellectually
and emotionally complex themes”.
How does Hans Holbein the Younger’s French Ambassadors allude to the growing tension between
secular and religious authorities?
Architecture in France: Francis I’s Chambord and Henry II’s Louvre
Netherlandish Art: Pieter Bruegel the Elder, women painters (van Hemessen’s self-portrait)
El Greco’s dramatic style: can he really be labeled a Mannerist?
Quiz on Chapter 16: Discuss the impact Italy had on Durer. Use specific examples from his work.
Week 8: Chapter 17: Popes, Peasants, Monarchs and Merchants: Baroque Art Italian and
Spanish Baroque (2 Days)
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Reading: Art Across Time, Chapter 17 Homework Packets with images to identify and describe
from Chapter 17
17th century Europe: Discuss the “broad range” of the term Baroque; stylistic characteristics
that define what Baroque means in different countries. Numerous geo-political shifts in Europe, the
Thirty Years War’s (1618-1648) movement towards the secularization of government, worldwide
mercantilism (Bank of Amsterdam) permanently altered the face of Europe.
Stylistic characteristics of the Baroque: Emotional, dramatic, sharply lit figures, “tenebrism”.
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Italian Baroque: Bernini, Caravaggio and his followers, ceiling frescoes and the glory of the
Barberini, “a theater for the production of a mystical drama”.
Spanish Baroque: Political decline, Counter-Reformation devotion and piety, Velazquez, the
greatest Spanish painter of the age (and the greatest painting, Las Meninas).
Week 9: Chapter 17: Baroque Art Continued: Flanders, Holland, France and England (3
Days)
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Flemish Baroque: Peter Paul Rubens’ Elevation of the Cross: How hw synthesized the high
Renaissance style with Italian Baroque to create first pan-European manner of painting. Example: the
“Marie de Medici Series”
 Dutch Republic: Why was the 17th century referred to as the Golden Age of Dutch art? Franz Hals,
Rembrandt van Rijn: Compare his religious art with overwhelming opulent Italian Baroque, his use
of light and his desire to interpret biblical Narratives in human terms. Woman artist Judith Leyster,
Dutch landscapes and interior scenes (Vermeer). Dutch “Vanitas” Still-life and flower painters.
 Baroque in France: Poussin invoked classical order, Burial of Phocion from Plutarch’s Lives.
Georges de la Tour’s supernatural calm and stillness. Architectural Opulence: The Palace of
Versailles. How does art reinforce the royalty of the Baroque and Rococo Periods?
 Late Baroque Architecture in England: Sir Christopher Wren’s St. Paul’s Cathedral, Blenheim
Palace
Group Essay: Research and write an essay describing how each of these artists represented
Baroque art within their own particular historical and cultural context. Use examples of their
artwork to show how they expressed the religious and other cultural values of the time and place: Group
1; Italian Baroque (Caravaggio), Group 2; Spanish Baroque (Velasquez), Group 3; Flanders (Rubens),
Group 4; Dutch Republic (Rembrandt), Group 5; French Baroque (Poussin).
Art Beyond Europe AFTER 1200 Group Assignments given (due 4th Quarter)
End of Third Quarter
Week 10 and 11: Chapter 18: The Enlightenment and Its Legacy: Art of the Late 18th
through the mid-19th Century (5 Days)
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Reading: Art Across Time Chapter 18
Homework Packets with images to identify and describe from Chapter 18
Glossary List of key terms and concepts for Chapter 18.
Early 18th century was the great age of the aristocracy; privileged class sought to expand their
power, as seen in the decorative Rococo style.
The Enlightenment at end of 18th century was a new way of thinking based on using reason to
reflect on the results of physical experiments, and involved critical analysis of texts: emphasis on
tangible data and concrete experience.
Enlightenment thinking rooted in ideas of Descartes, Pascal, Isaac Newton and John Locke.
Voltaire was the personification of the Enlightenment spirit. (Joseph Wright of Derby’s Orrery
painting glorified scientific achievement.)
Science vs. a Taste for the Natural (Rousseau “ all our natural inclinations are right”, the simple
life as seen in The Village Bride, by Greuze) Chardin: “Happiness is a reward of natural virtue
(Grace at Table)
The English Grand Manner Portrait as an expression of the natural taste in Rococo form:
Gainsborough, Sir Joshua Reynolds.
Neo-Classicism (1780- 1820) reflected “The glory that was Greece and the Grandeur that was
Rome”: David and Ingres
Classic craze influenced by excavations at Pompeii and Herculaneum and the French Revolution.
American themes of patriotism and “a sense of directness and faithfulness to visual fact.” (Copley
and Stewart)
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Romanticism: The Power of Passion (1800-50) : Romantic painters chose emotion over reason:
Gericault and Delacroix
 Define the Romantic: Exotic themes, unrestrained color, emotional intensity, turbulent forms and
brushstrokes.
 Neoclassicism vs. Romanticism (Contrast the two movements, and the contexts out of which
each arose, using examples from representative artists.)
Quiz on Neoclassicism and Romanticism
Week 12: Chapter 19, 20, 21: The Rise of Modernism: Art of the Later 19th Century (2 Days)
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Reading: Art Across Time Chapters 19, 20, and 21
Homework Packets with images to identify and describe for Chapters 19, 20, 21
List of terms and key concepts
Realism: The “new” Realism emerged; a force that would dominate art for the second half of the
century. Its subjects were peasants and the working class, the style, a precise imitation of visual
perceptions without alteration, used muted colors.
Courbet, the father of Realism, “Show me an angel and I will paint one.”
Millet and Corot: The Barbizon School influenced by Constable.
American Realism: Winslow Homer, Thomas Eakins , James Whistler, John Singer Sargent
The Pre-Raphaelites and the Arts and Crafts Movement: How were they a reaction against the
Industrial Age?
Development of Photography: Travel ,War, Documentary, Portrait and Art Photography: How did
the development of Photography impact painting?
SPRING BREAK
Week 13: Chapter 22: (2 Days)
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Impressionism (1863-1886): A product of Positivist thinking as evidenced by the scientific
examination of light. Each work is one artist’s intuitive response to nature; the transitory effect of
light; capturing a moment.
 Reading: Art Across Time Chapter 22
 Salon de Refuses 1863: exhibition of artworks refused by the Paris Salon
 Exposition of the Impressionists 1874
 What were the major influences on Impressionism? Japanese prints, photography, speed of
transportation(steam engine)
 Characteristics of Impressionism
 Major Painters and their work: Edouard Manet (also categorized as a realist), Monet, Renoir, and
Degas, Mary Cassatt and Berthe Morisot.
Quiz: Identify the similarities and differences in subject matter, use of color, style and techniques
between the major impressionists.
Week 14: Chapter 23: (2Days)
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Post-Impressionism : The two camps of Post-Impressionism: Scientific vs. Sensation; How was
each expressed, and through whom?
Reading: Art Across Time Chapter 23
Seurat and Cezanne: Concentrated on formal design. How did their art lead to Cubism and other
forms of 20th century art?
Gaugin, Lautrec and Van Gogh: Emphasized expressing their emotions and sensations. How did
their art lead to Expressionism and Fauvism?
Symbolism: The forerunner of Surrealism: Moreau, Redon, Rousseau, Munch.
 Reading: The Annotated Mona Lisa, “Symbolism”, pp. 124-125.
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Rodin: Impressionist Sculptor; prophet of modern sculpture
Art Nouveau (New Art) an architectural and design movement that grew out of the ideas promoted
by the Arts and Crafts Movement.
Fin de Siecle Culture and Architecture of the Late 19th Century
The Eiffel Tower; Sullivan, first Modern Architect; birth of skyscrapers.
Chapter 24: The Development of Modernist Art: The Early 20th Century (1 Day)
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Reading: Art Across Time Chapter 24
Homework Packet with Images to be identified and described for Chapter 24
Glossary List of key terms and concepts of Modernist Art.
Expressionism: In Germany, the use of exaggerated forms and colors for emotional impact
dominated the art world from 1905-1930.
Die Brucke “The Bridge”: Kirchner’s art of clashing colors, anguished figures and distorted
forms expressed rebellion against established authorities.
Expressionist artist Emil Nolde: Forcefully expressing the ugliness of reality, influence of
primitive art.
Fauvism: “Exploding Color”: The first major avant-garde movement of the twentieth century;
exaggerated, vibrant colors used to express feelings rather than to describe an object. The
discovery of non-European tribal arts played a formative role in modern art.
Fauvist Painters: Matisse, Derain, Vlaminck, Dufy, Roualt
How did the work of Van Gogh influence the Fauves?
Week 15: Chapters 25 and 26: (2 Days)
Continue overview of the 20th Century
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Reading: Art Across Time Chapters 25 and 26
Movie: Art of the Western world: Modernism
Abstraction: Kandinsky, Spiritual, “pure” Abstractions
Analytic and Synthetic Cubism: Picasso : The influence of primitive African and Iberian
sculpture in Les DemoisellesD’Avignon and Bracques Cubist Collage Still Lifes
Sculpture:
Futurism: Political Atmosphere in Italy; Love of speed and motion: Boccioni’s paintings and
sculpture.
Dada: Anarchist reaction to a world gone mad; “artists were revolted by the butchery of the world
war.” Jean Arp, Marcel Duchamp.
American Art: The Armory Show, 1913. Ashcan School, Sloan, Hopper, Marin’s American
Abstractions, the advance of Photography, the Harlem Renaissance, Georgia O’Keeffe
Postwar Germany: European Expressionism after WWI: Max Beckmann, George Grosz
Surrealism : Magritte and Dali’s dream images/ influence of psychoanalysis and Dada. The fantasy
of Joan Miro and Paul Klee.
APAH 2 Hour Review Session/ Practice Exam in Preparation for the AP Art History Exam. Slide
Paired Review with Images from Prehistoric-Proto-Renaissance.
Week 16: Chapter 27: (2 Days)
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Reading: Art Across Time Chapter 27
Suprematism, Constructivism : Arose out of Utopian notions in Russia
Piet Mondrian’s Composition in Red, Blue and Yellow, 1930
Bauhaus: Modernism in Architecture and the International Style, Frank Lloyd Wright
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Art Deco : The different forms it took
Sculpture: Henry Moore, Brancusi, Calder’s floating sculptures and Smith (metal), FrenchAmerican Louise Bourgeois’s constructions and Louise Nevelson’s environmental sculpture
Art as Political Statement in the 1930’s: Picasso’s Guernica
Depression art: Dorothea Lange’s Migrant Mother.
Regionalism: Grant Wood’s American Gothic, Thomas Hart Benton’s murals.
Compare Benton’s American murals with Diego Rivera’s Mexican murals
APAH Review session in Preparation for the AP Art History Exam: Review Beyond the European in
Art/ Write practice free-response essay on a universal theme. Slide-Paired review; RenaissancePostmodernism
Week 17: Chapters 28 and 29: From the Modern to the Post-Modern and Beyond (2 Days)
The emergence of Post-Modernism
Reading: Art Across Time Chapters 28 and 29
Class discussion of Existentialism: The Absurdity of human existence
 Abstract Expressionism: Jackson Pollock, Gorky, De Kooning, Kline and Motherwell
 Color Field Painters: Rothko and Frankenhaler
 Pop Art: Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol, Lichtenstein’s comic strip imagery
 Minimalism: a reaction against Abstract Expressionism and Pop : Minimalist Sculpture
 Performance Art and Installation Art
 Conceptual Art: The dematerialization of the Art Object: process not product
 Photo- Realism: Estes, Chuck Close
AP Art History Exam
Enrichment Projects for after the AP Art History Exam will include movies, painting exercises using various
media, and a field trip to The Getty Museum in Los Angeles .