COURSE NAME:
History of Art – Advanced Placement
COURSE #: 460
Grades: 11-12
Level: Accelerated
Sem: 5X
Credits: 5.0
Course Description: This rigorous course is designed and taught at a level parallel to 4year undergraduate colleges and universities, employing a textbook endorsed by the
College Board. It incorporates interpretive skills, analytical thought, and complex
concepts in the study of art through history, politics, geography, culture and economics.
While core knowledge is essential, equally important is the student’s ability to employ
critical thinking and decision-making. The course traces major themes throughout the
year, spanning the “Stone Age” through the “Rock Age”. There are several key strands
and analytical processes that cut across the history of art, including: learning and
applying contextual and formal analysis for each era and movement, evaluating the
techniques, styles, and design of artists and their works, evaluating relationships between
art and religion and culture, and assessing the factors that cause certain art works to
become part of the canon of a particular era. The study of art in the context of history
enables students who have studied the events, issues, and phenomena of particular places
and eras to apply a different lens and gain a new perspective of their historical
understandings. While the core content and course methods are academic in nature,
students are able to appreciate art works for their own aesthetic value and further their
own personal interests and independent pursuits of more a comprehensive study of art.
Course Proficiencies: The following is a list of proficiencies that describe what students
are expected to know and be able to do as a result of successfully completing this course.
The proficiencies are the basis of the assessment of student achievement. The learner
will demonstrate the ability to:
1. Use the four language skills of reading, listening, speaking, and writing to acquire
a rich arts vocabulary and communicate ideas and interpretations in class.
2. Interpret artworks, throughout the course and beyond, in three distinct contexts:
form, content, and, medium.
3. Trace the historical and artistic evolution of painting techniques, sculptural forms,
and architectural design spanning human history across the world.
4. Evaluate the significance of patronage in different cultures and places as a factor
influencing what art is commissioned and available to the world
5. Formulate their own conclusions about artworks, including aesthetic judgments,
which are based on the analytical devices and frameworks used throughout the
course.
6. Compare and contrast the form, content, and medium of artworks distinct to
different cultures and historical eras, focusing broadly on the contrast across
Western and non-Western traditions.
7. Discover the origin of works from the Prehistoric and Mesopotamian civilizations
and apply different theories of contextual analysis to evaluate the salient religious,
political, and geographic forces and the diverse mediums to create the works.
8. Investigate the artistic accomplishments of Ancient Egypt and apply the
geographic, governmental, and cultural contexts to interpret meanings of the
sculptures, tomb decorations, and architecture.
9. Apply understanding of the diverse history and culture from art works created
during the Ancient period in Mesoamerica, and compare and contrast the
aesthetics and meanings to Ancient Egypt.
10. Understand and analyze the various mediums and continuously developing style
of Greek art and architecture, originating from the islands and then spreading to
the mainland while eventually impacting the entire Mediterranean region.
11. Building on the Greek influence, evaluate Roman innovations in art, architecture,
and sculpture as represented through the history from Republic to Empire.
12. Analyze how monotheistic worship manifested in Byzantine art and architecture
by understanding historical consequences, such as the division in the Roman
Empire, and religion, including the influence of Christianity and Islam during this
period.
13. Understand and apply religious tenets of Buddhism and Hinduism to recognize
the functional purposes of art and architecture, as well as the representation of
religious principles through imagery.
14. Trace the development of Medieval, Romanesque, and Gothic art in Western
Europe, identifying the formal and contextual distinctions in multiple ethnic
regions and comparing the changing art form in conjunction with growing
Christian worship and scholasticism, as well as political and economic growth of
the region.
15. Analyze the development of the Renaissance style and iterations of artwork in
Western Europe, recognizing the changing ideological, political, economic, and
cultural contexts from this historical period.
16. Explore African art, outside of Egypt, analyzing the rites and rituals in African
culture, the aesthetics of the art works, and the stigmas associated with labeling
African art and culture.
17. Understand that dynamism and emotionality of works guided viewer expectations
of Baroque style art in connection with changing religious and economic
situations of the time period.
18. Tracing the overlapping historical and artistic developments of 18th century
Europe, analyze Rococo, Neoclassical, Romantic styles represented in art work
that was influenced by Enlightenment and democratic ideals, increased travel
between countries, an interest in nature and the environment, and the Industrial
Revolution.
19. Understand how the foundations of Chinese culture and religion influenced art
works and more broadly, determine how Eastern and Western philosophy
influences humans and nature as represented in art.
20. Evaluate the changing agendas of 18th century Europe toward realism and social
reform, as reflected through the art work, while also understanding the role of
technology and new techniques of art represented through photography and
architecture.
21. Analyze the development of the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist style for its
focus on light and color, and contrast Impressionism to other accepted academic
traditions.
22. In response to challenges associated with a more industrialized and globalized
world in the 20th century, understand how the symbolists influenced art works
during the early years and later developed into modern art as reflected by
Dadaism, Surrealism, and modern architecture.
23. Recognize how artists in the modern and post-modern movements develop their
individual styles.
Assessments:
1. Tests/quizzes correlated to the College Board
2. Projects and research papers
3. Daily participation and homework
Board Adopted Materials:
Text:
Art History (1999)
Stokstadt, Marilyn
New York: Harry N. Abrams