AP Art History
AP Art History covers approximately 30,000 years of art
creation, from the Prehistoric and Neolithic periods to 20th
Century, Postmodern and current art trends. Though a brief
survey of Asian, African and other Eastern Art is studied, the
bulk of this year-long class covers mainly Europe and the rest of
the Western World. The course studies historical transition of
art periods, as well as how culture, religion, government and
history reflect the personal and sociological art trends
throughout the existence of humans. [C1]
Texts
Primary Text:
 Marilyn Stokstad’s Art: A Brief History. Prentice-Hall,
3rd Edition.
Supplemental Texts:
 Helen Gardner’s Art Through the Ages. De la Croix and
Tansey, 12th Edition.

Carol Strickland’s The Annotated Mona Lisa: A Crash
Course in Art History from Prehistoric to Post-Modern.
Andrews and McMeel, 1992.
Teaching Strategies:
Throughout the year, each section or chapter will begin with a
student reading assignment (usually a whole chapter, or half
depending on the subject. Classroom discussions and lectures
are based on PowerPoint presentations. Normally the day or two
before test is spent reviewing these pieces of Art from the
PowerPoints.
Assessments:
C1 – The syllabus is
organized to include
course content material
from the ancient world
through the 21st century.
Topics Taught Include:
First Semester: Introduction to Art and Prehistoric to High
Renaissance.
Second Semester: Baroque and Rococo to Present.
Most tests for this class are based on three parts:
 Slide identification: Identify fifteen to twenty pieces
including the name, artist (if applicable), approximate
year and period.
 Multiple Choice: The format for this section runs
parallel to the AP Test, where several of the questions
are based on works shown directly on the test.
Approximately 30-40 multiple choice questions make up
a test.
 Written Response: Short-essay questions often
compare and contrast two periods, artworks or cultures.
Non-Western art is included as part of the essay when
applicable. This essay accounts for about fifteen to
twenty percent of the test.
Week I and II: Introduction and
Prehistoric Art [C1]
During this section, students will learn basic aesthetic
terminology (such as the principles or Art), and discuss the
philosophies of what makes good art. Students will explore
events or cultural conditions that can affect the way art is made,
such as technology, war, government, politics and religion.
[C2]
To begin exploring art history, students will study the
Prehistoric and Neolithic periods, and discuss the purpose of
creating such items like cave paintings, the Woman of
Willendorf or Stonehenge.
Reading: Introduction and Chapter 1 of the primary text.
Week III: Ancient Near Eastern Art
Students will see the birth of civilizations and how the
conquering of lands affected the change in the art of those
regions. A good mneumonic used in class is, “Some Apples,
Bananas And Peaches” to remember the five basic periods from
this section: Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, Assyrian and
C2 – The course teaches
students to understand
works of art within their
historical context by
examining issues such as
politics, religion,
patronage, gender,
function and ethnicity. The
course also teaches
students visual analysis of
works of art. The course
teaches students to
understand works of art
through both contextual
and visual analysis.
Persian (Neo-Sumerian and Neo-Babylonian are included in this
section.) Influences of geography, politics (hieratic scale) and
religion are heavily discussed in this week. [C3]
C3 – Roughly 20 percent
of this course is devoted to
art beyond the European
tradition.
Reading: Excerpts from Epic of Gilgamesh and Hammurabi’s
Code, and the first half of Chapter 2 (pgs. 37-47).
Test: Prehistoric and Ancient Near East.
Week IV: Egyptian Art
This section will see the merging of Upper and Lower Egypt
into an Empire, comparing and contrasting its religion and
politics to those studied from the Near East. Examples of both
sculpture and architecture from Old, Middle and New Kingdom
are presented, with emphasis on the stylistic changes during
Akhenaton’s Amarna Period. Styles of full figure sculpture are
also highlighted.
Reading: Second half of Chapter 2 (pgs. 48-61)
Test: Old, Middle and New Kingdom Egyptian Art
Week V: Aegean & Greek Art
Emphasis is placed on Cycladic, Minoan and Mycenaean
cultures. With the development of major palaces, fortresses and
tombs, students will be able to explain how geography and
location of a culture (be it inland, coastal or island) affects its
art and architecture. It is also noteworthy to contrast the
differences between the Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations.
The second half of this unit shows the development from
Archaic and Geometric Greek products to the establishment of a
mature Early, High and Late Classical Greek environment. The
unit will begin to explain Greek philosophy and how it
influences sculpture and figure vases.
The unit will conclude with discussing the relationship between
a city-state plan and how landscape affects the placement of
buildings.
Reading: Chapter 4 of the primary text, and “What is Art”,
written by Plato.
Week VI: The Spread of Greek Culture
C2 – The course teaches
students to understand
Week Six not only shows the development of an emotional
Hellenistic style, but explores how the styles of the Greek
culture spread across other Mediterranean and Near East
Cultures. [C2]
Reading: Chapter 5 in the primary text.
Test: Aegean, Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic Greek Art.
Week VII: Roman Art
Teaching Roman Art deals with several important aspects: How
political propaganda is used through art; How structure and
organization led to the development of a Roman Empire; and
How the conquering of the Greeks led to an insatiable appetite
for Classical Greek imitation.
The students will compare and contrast the relationship of
Roman architecture to that of the Greeks. What elements did
the Romans add to an already scientific set of architectural and
sculptural rules? [C2]
The class will discuss the development of Etruscan Art and how
its style changed the perception of house and sarcophagus
design.
Reading: Chapter 6 in the primary text.
Test: Roman and Etruscan Art
Week VIII: Early Christian, Jewish
and Byzantine Art
This section begins around the birth of Christ (featuring Jewish
prayer houses) to the Edict of Milan by Constantine, allowing
religious freedom and legalizing Christianity.
works of art within their
historical context by
examining issues such as
politics, religion,
patronage, gender,
function and ethnicity. The
course also teaches
students visual analysis of
works of art. The course
teaches students to
understand works of art
through both contextual
and visual analysis.
This chapter shows the movement of mosaics from Roman
houses and civic centers to use as religious illustrations, such as
the Good Shepherd. It begins identifying specific figures in
mosaics, and explain how the Church and State were merged
together as one entity.
C3 – Roughly 20 percent
of this course is devoted to
art beyond the European
tradition.
It is also important to note the change of the Roman basilica as
a government building to a house of worship. The students
should explain the differences between a basilica plan such as
Santa Sabina to a central plan like Hagia Sophia. [C3]
Discuss how the Iconoclasm creates a ‘Dark Age’ for art and
culture.
Reading: Chapter 7 of the primary text.
Test: Early Christian, Jewish and Byzantine Art
Week IX: Early Medieval Art in
Europe
This chapter gives a deeper look into how religion and the
rituals that follow influence the architectural design of Christian
Churches and Islamic Mosques. For example, the students
explore the differences in the Hagia Sophia before and after the
invasion of the Ottoman Turks in 1453. [C3]
Students will see the development of manuscript illumination,
as well as the inclusion of Hiberno- and Anglo-Saxon tribal
work, such as understanding how uncovering burial ships full of
art validate literary works like Beowulf.
This chapter also explains how the Carolingian and Ottonian
Empires affected the layout of the Christian Church, and the
reemergence of sculptural works with the Church, such as
Bishop Bernward’s doors.
Reading: First half of Chapter 10 of the primary text (up to pg.
256), and excerpts from Beowulf.
Week X: Romanesque Art
As technology increases to make for better roads and travel,
pilgrimages greatly affect the planning and layout of Christian
Churches (such as ambulatories), as well the position of the
C3 – Roughly 20 percent
of this course is devoted to
art beyond the European
tradition.
Medieval Church and royalty.
Students should be able to explain how the decorative
tympanum (such as Gislebertus’ Last Judgment) is considered
‘sculptural religious propaganda’, and describe the terms
associated with a three-story elevation of a Romanesque church:
nave, gallery, clerestory.
Reading: Second half of Chapter 10 (pgs. 256-271).
Test: Early Medieval and Romanesque Art.
Week XI: Gothic Art
The development of both French style and a more ‘spiritual
design’ led to the rise of the University, Scholasticism and
Gothic Architecture. Students will examine how the spirituality
and academia of the French differ or compare to that of the
Greeks. It is imperative that students see the very different
styles between that of Romanesque and Gothic.
This chapter will focus on building styles of Early, High and
Late Gothic, as well as to distinguish between French and
English Gothic. (It is also helpful to distinguish between
English Decorated and English Perpendicular Gothic.)
Students should see the relationship between Gothic cathedrals
and sculpture (such as the Royal Portal).
Video: History Channel’s Modern Marvels: Gothic Cathedrals.
Reading: First half of Chapter 11 of the primary text.
Week XII: Gothic Painting (ProtoRenaissance)
Students will learn how the Gothic era influenced early 14th
century Italian artists such as Duccio, Cimabue, Giotto and the
Lorenzetti Brothers.
Students will see how the Greca Mannera (‘Greek Manner’)
style developed, along with the new technique of modeling
figures with lights and shadows. The class should be able to see
which of these techniques is ‘new’ (Renaissance) and which are
still Gothic.
Students willlook at Giotto’s Arena Chapel and discuss how
painting and architecture emerge as one whole piece.
The class will read excerpts of Vasari’s Lives of the Artists and
see how a Renaissance writer views these same pieces.
Reading: Second half of Chapter 11 (pgs. 295-303) of the
primary text.
Test: Gothic Architecture and Painting (Late Gothic)
Week XII: Early Renaissance Art
(Outside of Italy)
The class will examine the Burgundian style and the
International Style (as seen in the Limbourgh Brothers’ Tres
Riches Heures). How is this style of painting different than that
considered Late Gothic?
The students should see the beginnings of the triptych
altarpiece, and the importance of private donors for Flemish
Church altarpieces (such as the Merode Altarpiece or Ghent
Altarpiece) and compare those with the frescoes by Massacio in
the Branacci Chapel.
This chapter will explore the extremely detailed work of the
Flemish artists like Van Eyck, Van der Weyden and Petrus
Christus.
Reading: First half of Chapter 12 (pgs. 305-318) in the primary
text.
Week XIV: Early Renaissance Art
(Italy)
The birth of new ideas spreads across Italy, yet many artists still
pay homage to Classical art. One good comparison is Fra
Angelico’s Annunciation to Jan Van Eyck’s painting of the
same name. [C2]
This chapter will show how wealthy patrons (such as the
Medicis) affected the collection of art. Students will compare
that to the patronage of specific altarpieces in the North.
C2 – The course teaches
students to understand
works of art within their
historical context by
examining issues such as
politics, religion,
patronage, gender,
function and ethnicity. The
course also teaches
students visual analysis of
works of art. The course
teaches students to
understand works of art
through both contextual
and visual analysis.
Reading: Second half of Chapter 12 in the primary text.
Test: Early Northern and Italian Renaissance.
Week XV: Renaissance Art in Italy
The class will look at the definition of ‘Renaissance Man’ and
see the importance of architecture, painting and sculpture
becoming one, especially within the same group of artists. One
such example is Michelangelo’s David, Ceiling of Sistine
Chapel and layout for St. Peter’s.
The students will see the relationship between artist and patron,
such as Raphael and the Stanza Della Segnatura or
Michelangelo and Pope Julius II.
Students will explore why some artists like Tintoretto and
Pontormo decided to forgo the Classical painting technique to
pursue a distorted, emotional “Mannerist” style of painting.
Based on this style, debate whether Spanish artist El Greco
should be considered ‘Mannerist’ or ‘High Spanish
Renaissance’.
Reading: First half of Chapter 13 in the primary text.
Week XVI: Renaissance Art in the
North
As the Northern Countries begin the Reformation, artists begin
to exhibit their own styles as painters like Bosch, Bruegel,
Durer, Altdorfer, Holbein and Grunewald personalize their art.
Students will compare the style of Grunewald’s Isenheim
Altarpiece to an altarpiece by an earlier Flemish artist. [C2]
See how artists like Pieter Bruegel the Elder was one of the first
to use peasants as his main subject matter, not just including
them in a religious scene.
Reading: Second half of Chapter 14 in the primary text.
Test: High Northern and Italian Renaissance.
Week XVII & XVIII: Baroque Art
Contrary to many of the cultures already studied, the Baroque
C2 – The course teaches
students to understand
works of art within their
historical context by
examining issues such as
politics, religion,
patronage, gender,
function and ethnicity. The
course also teaches
students visual analysis of
works of art. The course
teaches students to
understand works of art
through both contextual
and visual analysis.
period covers styles that span across Italy, France, Spain,
Flanders and the Netherlands. Each country had their own
goals, techniques and styles depending on the location,
government, economy and religion.
Students will learn how the power of the Counter-Reformation
in Italy changed the dynamics of painting, architecture and
sculpture, while the lack of a strong government (and a strict
Protestant society) in the Dutch Republic made for many nonreligious works. Compare how Dutch painters like Jacob
Ruisdael made a living doing landscapes, while French Baroque
artists like Claude Lorrain compromised his landscapes with a
nod to Classical elements.
Using Rubens, Van Dyck and Velazquez as examples, students
will see how artists made their living as court painters who
attempt to paint their patrons in a slightly unrealistic light of
nobility.
When studying French Baroque, the class will look at the
evolution of Rococo and contrast the styles between a Baroque
painter like Poussin and a Rococo painter like Watteau.
Students will investigate the general view of life in France as
opposed to those living in the Netherlands.
Reading: Chapter 14 of the primary text.
Test: Baroque Art
Week XIX & XX: Neoclassicism,
Romanticism & Realism
Students study the widespread popularity of the Classical
movement throughout France, and its impact on the art during
the French revolution. Students will see how these conservative
yet free-thinking ideas created the beginning of American art in
the 1770’s. French artists David and his former pupil Ingres are
studied closely, as well as American artists Copley, Stuart, West
and even Thomas Jefferson’s architectural work. In England,
the class looks into the life of the upper class through the works
of Hogarth, Reynolds and Gainsborough.
In contrast, the Romantic period is then examined, not only as a
comparison and contrast from the Neoclassical period, but how
this loose style affected the study of landscapes. English artists
like Turner and Constable are analyzed against each other, as
are several of the Hudson River School artists (Cole, Church,
Bierstadt, Duncanson and Durand.)
The introduction of photography is very important in this
chapter, as it officially begins the distinct separation of
‘naturalism’ in art versus ‘realism’.
Reading: Chapter 17 of the primary text.
Test: Neoclassicism, Romanticism and Realism.
Week XXI & XXII: Late
Nineteenth-Century Art in Europe
and the U.S.
This chapter begins with the study of Manet, who has been
credited with being one of the forefathers of Impressionism.
Many consider his work different from the Impressionists. If so,
how was he an influence, and how was he different? In general,
the students will study the art of the Impressionists and learn
why the study of light and color created a new way of painting.
Lives of Post-Impressionists artists are also taught in this
section, as these artists created a unique style either based on
visual technique (like Seurat and Cezanne) or more emotional
colors (like Gauguin and Van Gogh.)
Students will learn about the significance of the Eiffel Tower’s
opening in 1889 and how the use of cast iron dramatically
changed architecture and structure.
Reading: Chapter 18 of the primary text.
Video: A&E Biography on Vincent Van Gogh.
Test: Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Architecture in the
late 1800s.
Week XXIII & XXIV: Modern Art in
the Early 20th Century
Never in art history has the ‘tree of art’ branched out into so
many different styles, theories and techniques than in the first
forty years of the 1900s. From the Expressionists, like The
Fauves, to Die Brucke, Cubism, Dada, Surrealism and
Constructivism, the class delves into the various ‘roles’ in art:



The role of the artist in society
The role art has as a communication device and in
context
The role of subject matter (or lack thereof) in art
This chapter discusses art in its response to war, such as the
Dadaist reaction to World War I.
This section also examines architecture and its attempt to
balance good function with radical aesthetics. Examples of this
include Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie Style, De Stijl and the
introduction of Walter Gropius and the Bauhaus movement.
The class will see how the influence of African masks
influenced and inspired the movement that became Cubism.
[C3]
Reading: Chapter 19 of the primary text.
Test: Expressionism, Die Brucke, Cubism, Dada, Surrealism
and Constructivism.
Week XXV & XXVI: Art after 1945
In this chapter, we begin to see art styles that are truly
American, with little or no European influence. Much of the
style of painting is primarily that of the Abstract Expressionists
and Color field painters.
Does art need to have subject matter or a message to be
considered art? Can aesthetics by itself, namely colors and
shapes, void of subject matter, still be considered art? Students
discuss their original philosophies of art from the beginning of
C3 – Roughly 20 percent
of this course is devoted to
art beyond the European
tradition.
the school year and see if their writings still hold true after
surveying over 25,000 years of art.
Pop Art, the antithesis of Abstract Expressionism, also emerges
in the late 1950s through the 1960s. Students will study how
American commercialization affects the art around. Also
included in this section are Photorealism, Earthworks / Land Art
and Conceptual / Performance Art.
Reading: Chapter 19 of the primary text.
Test: Art after 1945.
Week XXVII: Independent Study of
Non-European Culture
Due to an AP Curriculum is at least 2 weeks shorter than most,
our class is forced to condense the amount of time spent on
Non-Western cultures. To accommodate for this, students
choose one particular area of Non-Western Culture (not studied
previously in class) and become an expert at it. Students will
then give a 15-minute presentation using PowerPoint (and
handouts) that includes the region, styles, techniques, etc.
Students must also find a Western connection to this artwork.
To finish, students must create a 15-20 question test over their
culture to give to the class.
Among the possible cultures to choose from include: Hindu,
African, Chinese / Buddhist, Japanese / Pacific Rim, and
Islamic.
Week XXVIII: Getting Ready for
the Test
The last week before the test focuses more than ever on
improving their AP essay writing. Now that all of the
information has been covered, students will be given sample AP
essays from the past as writing assignments. Using the rubrics
in the AP handbook, the class will continue to learn what makes
a good essay and how the readers score each essay.