I. Basic Information

Catalog description of the course: Ancient and medieval architecture, painting, and sculpture. Emphasis placed on the cultural context in which the great art of Egypt, Greece, Rome and the Christian West developed.

Number of credits: 3

Required text: :  Marilyn Stokstad/Michael W. Cothren; Art History, Portable Edition Book 1, Ancient Art and Book 2, Medieval Art, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 07458: Pearson Education, 2011 (Fourth Edition)

II. Course Objectives

Realm objectives include:

1. Developing an appreciation and sensitivity to various artistic styles, cultures and time periods

2. Learning a canon of images from the history of art

3. Becoming visually literate, gaining the ability to analyze works of art in terms of formal considerations 

4. Understanding art works within their historical context, examining issues of patronage, politics, religion, gender, ethnicity and function

5. Learning to suspend judgment while acquiring a visual vocabulary and critical thinking skills

6. Recognizing that art is an essential human activity that mediates all types of human experience

Art & Design standard(s) achieved:

1. Knowledge: Students will know and remember information and ideas about art around them and throughout the world.

2. Critical Reasoning: Students will develop perception, visual discrimination and media literacy tools to become visually educated people.

This course offers an exciting opportunity to learn about art, artists and artworks and how art reflects human experience.  Students will view and analyze drawing, painting and other art forms by prominent artists from a variety of time periods. Students will be provided with the tools for seeing and discussing art works from a critical and expressive standpoint and will develop an enhanced appreciation and sensitivity to various artistic styles, cultures, and time periods (in western art.) Finally, students will discover the relationship between art and society throughout the history of western art.