Course Description
Art is the looking glass that enables us to see into our past. The images that have been created
from prehistory to our current time enable us to explore what has been valued in the history of
humankind. This course will prepare students to become aware of the significant role art has
played in depicting a culture’s historical, religious, social, and political views.
The first term (18 weeks) covers the art from the Paleolithic through the High
Renaissance era. The second term covers the art from the 16th century Renaissance
through Postmodernism.
Basic course objectives include (1) an extensive exploration of art images from Western
and non-Western cultures, (2) the development of visual literacy through formal
analysis, comparison and contrast, and the study of icons, symbols, and metaphors, (3)
the development of written analysis, objective and reactive, and (4) assessing and
understanding how art styles, techniques and content from the past have been repeated
and modified throughout time.
This course is intended to prepare students for the AP Art exam.
Textbooks
Art Across Time, Laurie Adam
A Concise History of Art, Gardner
1
Assignments
Semester 1
Lecture notes
Paper: Formal analysis of artwork from a gallery or museum
Power Point Presentation: Woman Artist
Response essays
Vocabulary quizzes
Midterm
Final
Semester 2
Lecture notes
Paper: Thematic analysis of 3 artworks from 3 time periods
Power Point Presentation: Non-Western Art
Response essays
Vocabulary quizzes
Midterm
AP Final Exam (Required by all students to pass class)
15%
15%
15%
20%
15%
15%
15%
15%
15%
15%
10%
10%
15%
20%
Miscellaneous
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
Check the Art History website for weekly assignments and further reading.
Attendance is mandatory.
Chapter reading is mandatory.
Make-up work, quizzes, and tests must be completed within 2 days of the
original due date.
 One of the response essays will be a summary of a novel or periodical article
pertaining to art history. These will be presented to the class.
Semester 1
Week 1
Ch.1: Prehistory
Paleolithic
Response essay: Why were images
and forms created?
2
Neolithic
Week 2
Ch. 2: Ancient Near East
Create a clay cuneiform tablet
Response essay: Describing style
Begin visual flash cards
Week 3
Ch. 3: Ancient Egypt
Ch. 4: The Aegean
Vocabulary Quiz: Ch. 1-3
Begin architecture chart
Week 4
Week 5
Ch. 5: Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece
Ancient China
Add to architecture chart
Vocabulary Quiz
Flash cards
Week 6
Ch.6: The Etruscans
Ch.7: Ancient Rome
Response essay: Compare and
contrast the focus of Greek and
Roman art
Week 7
Ch.7: Ancient Rome
Ancient India
Vocabulary Quiz
Flash cards
Week 8
Ch.8: Byzantine, Jewish,
and Early Christianity
Week 9
Architecture chart
Response essay: Junius Bassus
Sarcophagus – How Does Imagery
Begin to Modify?
Create an Icon
Midterm
Ch.9: Middle Ages: Islam
Ch.9: Early Middle Ages
Flash cards
Week 10
Ch.10: Romanesque Art
Architecture chart
Week 11
Ch.11: Gothic Art
Paper due: Formal Analysis
Essay
Vocabulary Quiz
Week 12
Ch.12: Precursors of the Renaissance
Response Essay: The Influences of
Giotto
Week 13
Ch.13: Early Renaissance/Italian
Power point presentation due: Woman Artist
Week 14
Ch.13: Early Renaissance/Northern
Flash cards
Week 15
Ch.13: Early Ren. Italian/North
Quiz: Comparing Italian/Northern Art
Vocabulary Quiz
Week 16
Ch.14: The High Renaissance
Week 17
Ch.14: The High Renaissance
Week 18
Review
Flash cards
Architecture chart
Final Exam
3
Semester 2
Week 1
Ch.14: High Renaissance Review
Ch.15: Mannerism
Week 2
Ch. 16: 16th Century Northern Renaissance
Week 3
Ch. 17: 16th Century Venetian Art
Week 4
Ch.18: Baroque Art
Flash cards
Quiz: Comparing Italian/Northern/Venetian Styles
Flash cards
Vocabulary Quiz
Week 5
Baroque Art
Flash cards
Architecture Chart
Week 6
Rococo
Week 7
Neoclassicism
Midterm
Flashcards
Week 8
Romanticism
Response Essay: Line vs. Color
Week 9
Realism
Week 10
Impressionism
Week 11
Post-Impressionism
Expressionism
Week 12
Cubism/Futurism
Week 13
Surrealism/Dada
Week 14
Abstract Expressionism
Flash cards
Week 15
AP Art History Exam
Thematic visual analysis chart
Week 16
Art History-related project
Week 17
Art History-related project
Week 18
Art History-related project
Power Point Presentation: Non-Western Art
Quiz: Realist/Impressionist Artists & Styles
Paper: Thematic Analysis of Artwork
Presentation of projects
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