Online courses directory (215)

This is a transitional period. In the art of Florence and Siena there is a move away from medieval abstract depictions of space and the human body as artists began to focus on the illusion of mass and space and the expression of human emotion. With hindsight, it is possible to trace elements of Renaissance art back to this period. This century saw the creation of the beautiful poetry of Dante and Petrarch, but it is also the century that saw the worst outbreak of the Bubonic plague (known then as the Black Death) which wiped out close to half the population of Europe

This is the century that sees the full realization of the Renaissance and the end of the medieval way of thinking about the world. The Humanist rediscovery of ancient Greek and Roman culture is supported by the wealth accumulated in prosperous cities such as Bruges, Florence, and Venice. New wealth and increasing trade created a demand for an art based on the world we see. The second half of the century saw the invention of the printing press, and Columbus

If there was one century in the past that saw radical changes in established ways of thinking comparable to the 20th Century, it would be the 16th. Before this, in Western Europe, there was only one type of Christianity

The 17th Century is the era of the Baroque style, characterized by energy, drama, and movement. The Church in Rome needed art that spoke to its resurgent power even as the conflict between Protestant and Catholics continued. A new realism

From the frivolous paintings of Fragonard to the politically-charged moralizing images of David, this tutorial brings us from the King of France and his court

With the failure of the French Revolution (Napoleon crowned himself Emperor, and after his defeat, a King was restored to power in France), there was a turn away from public, political life, toward personal, subjective experience. In large part, this turn characterizes the new style of Romanticism (don

The art of this period is familiar, since the world of the Realists, Impressionists and Post-Impressionists is much like our own. More and more people lived in cities and worked in factories or shops for wages. Scientific and technological advances increased dramatically during this period and although there was dislocation and privation, standards of living increased sharply. In essence, modern mass culture was born. Artists responded sometimes by embracing these radical changes, and at other times by resisting them. Key here is understanding the authority of the various art academies in Europe, which controlled matters related to taste and art, and which were, to some extent, always connected to the government. A small number of artists rebelled against the strictures of the academy, and against the demand for art to tell clear stories for a middle class audience, and formed what we know as the

An Introduction to Contemporary Art. Why is this Art? Andy Warhol, Campbell's Soup Cans. Art as Concept: In Advance of the Broken Arm. Why Is That Important? Looking at Jackson Pollock. Art & Context: Monet's Cliff Walk at Pourville and Malevich's White on White. Representation & Abstraction: Millais's Ophelia and Newman's Vir Heroicus Sublimis. Interpreting Contemporary Art. Big Questions in Modern & Contemporary Art. Matisse, Luxe, calme et volupt

The Art of Our Time. Bacon, Triptych - August 1972. Freud, Standing by the Rags. Diane Arbus, Boy with a Toy Hand Grenade. William Eggleston, Red Ceiling, or Greenwood, Mississippi, 1973. Ed Kienholz and Nancy Reddin Kienholz Useful Art #5: The Western Hotel, 1992. Warhol, Gold Marilyn Monroe. Warhol, Campbell's Soup Cans. Oldenburg, Floor Cake. Lichtenstein, Rouen Cathedral Set V. Gerhard Richter, Betty. Gerhard Richter, The Cage Paintings (1-6). Gerhard Richter, September. Donald Judd, Untitled. Dan Flavin, Untitled (To Donna) II. Smithson, Spiral Jetty. Hesse, Untitled. Hesse, Untitled (Rope Piece), 1970. Chicago, Pasadena Lifesaver, Blue Series, No. 4 & Benglis, Omega. Winsor, #1 Rope. Joseph Beuys, Table with Accumulator. John Baldessari, I Will Not Make Any More Boring Art. Hans Haacke's Seurat's 'Les Poseuses' (small version). Interpreting Contemporary Art. Colescott, Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder. Sherman, Untitled Film Still #21. Sherrie Levine, Untitled (After Edward Weston, ca. 1925). The Art of Our Time. Bacon, Triptych - August 1972. Freud, Standing by the Rags. Diane Arbus, Boy with a Toy Hand Grenade. William Eggleston, Red Ceiling, or Greenwood, Mississippi, 1973. Ed Kienholz and Nancy Reddin Kienholz Useful Art #5: The Western Hotel, 1992. Warhol, Gold Marilyn Monroe. Warhol, Campbell's Soup Cans. Oldenburg, Floor Cake. Lichtenstein, Rouen Cathedral Set V. Gerhard Richter, Betty. Gerhard Richter, The Cage Paintings (1-6). Gerhard Richter, September. Donald Judd, Untitled. Dan Flavin, Untitled (To Donna) II. Smithson, Spiral Jetty. Hesse, Untitled. Hesse, Untitled (Rope Piece), 1970. Chicago, Pasadena Lifesaver, Blue Series, No. 4 & Benglis, Omega. Winsor, #1 Rope. Joseph Beuys, Table with Accumulator. John Baldessari, I Will Not Make Any More Boring Art. Hans Haacke's Seurat's 'Les Poseuses' (small version). Interpreting Contemporary Art. Colescott, Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder. Sherman, Untitled Film Still #21. Sherrie Levine, Untitled (After Edward Weston, ca. 1925).

Birth of the Gothic: Abbot Suger and the Ambulatory at St. Denis. Two Royal Figures (Saljuq Period). Last Judgment Tympanum, Cathedral of St. Lazare, Autun. Sutton Hoo Ship Burial. Virgin from Ger. Wise and Foolish Virgins, Sant Quirze de Pedret. Coronation Mantle. Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus. Basilica of Santa Prassede (Praxedes). Santa Sabina. Byzantine Art: Justinian and His Attendants. Historiated Capitals, Church of Sant Miquel, Camarasa (Noguera). Santa Maria Maggiore. Ivory panel with Archangel. Berlinghieri's St. Francis Altarpiece. Cathedral of Notre Dame de Chartres. Ilkhanid Mihrab. Hebrew Astrolabe. Pre-Columbian Cup.

Were the Middle Ages really all that dark? Hardly! How could we call the period that saw the building of Chartres Cathedral with its stunning stained-glass windows, dark? Sure, the Roman empire collapsed, but with the Christianization of Europe came magnificent churches, illuminated bibles, and intricately designed broaches. This period also saw the birth of Islam, the third great monotheistic religion. Introduction. Medieval and Byzantine Art. A New Pictorial Language: The Image in Early Medieval Art. Iconoclasm. Medieval Manuscripts. The Bestiary. Beginner's Guide to Medieval Art. An Introduction to Christianity. Standard Scenes from the Life of Christ in Art. An Introduction to Early Christian Art. Early Christian Art & Architecture after Constantine. Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus. Santa Sabina. Santa Maria Maggiore. The Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Ravenna. Early Christian. Sutton Hoo Ship Burial. The Lindesfarne Gospels. Medieval and Byzantine Art. San Vitale. Sant'Apollinare in Classe, Ravenna, Italy, c. 533-49. Hagia Sophia. Ivory panel with Archangel. Icon of Saint George (the "Black George"). Icon of the Triumph of Orthodoxy. Byzantine Art. Introduction to Islam. The Five Pillars of Islam. Arts of the Islamic World. Two Royal Figures (Saljuq Period). Coronation Mantle. Ilkhanid Mihrab. Hebrew Astrolabe. Qa'a: The Damascus Room. Carolingian Art: An Introduction. Charlemagne: An Introduction (1 of 2). Charlemagne and the Carolingian Revival (part 2 of 2). Saint Matthew from the Ebbo Gospel. Lindau Gospels Cover. Santa Prassede (Praxedes). Carolingian. Ottonian Art: An Introduction. Bronze doors, Saint Michael's, Hildesheim, commissioned by Bishop Bernward, 1015. Pilgrimage Routes and the Cult of the Relic. Pentecost and Mission to the Apostles Tympanum, V

New to art? If so, this is a good place to start. We often think we should understand what we see and that we know what we like, but art can be challenging. It has meant different things at different moments in history. Art gives us access to the way other people have seen the world. Jump in and explore!. A Beginner's Guide to the History of Western Culture. Common Questions about Dates. Why Look at Art?. The Skill of Describing. The Skill of Describing. The Classical Orders. How One-Point Linear Perspective Works. Art History Basics. Woodcuts and Etchings. Tempera Paint. Oil Paint. Oil Paint in Venice. Bronze Casting. Quarrying & Carving Marble. Art History - Media. A Beginner's Guide to the History of Western Culture. Common Questions about Dates. Why Look at Art?. The Skill of Describing. The Skill of Describing. The Classical Orders. How One-Point Linear Perspective Works. Art History Basics. Woodcuts and Etchings. Tempera Paint. Oil Paint. Oil Paint in Venice. Bronze Casting. Quarrying & Carving Marble. Art History - Media.

This seminar introduces, through studio projects, the basic principles regarding the use of color in the visual arts. Students explore a range of topics, including the historical uses of color in the arts, the interactions between colors, and the psychology of color.

This seminar introduces, through studio projects, the basic principles regarding the use of color in the visual arts. Students explore a range of topics, including the historical uses of color in the arts, the interactions between colors, and the psychology of color.

This subject focuses on the objects, history, context, and critical discussion surrounding art since World War II. Because of the burgeoning increase in art production, the course is necessarily selective. We will trace major developments and movements in art up to the present, primarily from the US; but we will also be looking at art from Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East, as well as art "on the margins" — art that has been overlooked by the mainstream critical press, but may have a broad cultural base in its own community. We will ask what function art serves in its various cultures of origin, and why art has been such a lightning rod for political issues around the world.

This course is an exploration of visual art forms and their cultural connections for the student with little experience in the visual arts. It includes a brief study of art history, and in-depth studies of the elements, media, and methods used in creative thought and processes. In this course, you will learn how to develop a five-step system for understanding visual art in all forms, based on the following: Description: A work of art from an objective point of view its physical attributes, and formal construction. Analysis: A detailed look at a work of art that combines physical attributes with subjective statements based on the viewer’s reaction to the work. Context: Historical, religious, or environmental information that surrounds a particular work of art and which helps to understand the work’s meaning. Meaning: A statement of the work’s content. A message or narrative expressed by the subject matter. Judgment: A critical point of view about a work of art concerning its aesthetic or cultur…

Please note: Our faculty members have indicated that several important changes need to be made in order to improve the course and your experience as a student. In 2013, we will be re-releasing this course under the simplified title: ARTH101: Art Appreciation and Techniques. Until then, you are welcome to work through this course at your own leisure; there

Please note: Our faculty members have indicated that several important changes need to be made in order to improve the course and your experience as a student. In 2013, we will be re-releasing this course under the simplified title: ARTH101: Art Appreciation and Techniques. Until then, you are welcome to work through this course at your own leisure; there

In this course, we will study the history of Western art, beginning with the first objects created by prehistoric humans around 20,000 years ago and ending with the art and architecture of the High Gothic period in fourteenth-century Europe.  The information presented in this course will provide you with the tools to recognize important works of art and historical styles, as well as to understand the historical context and cultural developments of Western art history through the end of the medieval period.  Introductory readings paired with detailed lectures will provide you with a well-rounded sense of the history, art, and culture of the West up through the medieval period. At the end of this course, you will be able to identify key works of art and artistic periods in Western history.  You will also be able to discuss the development of stylistic movements and relate those developments to important historical events.  Completion of this course will prepare you for ARTH111, which surveys the history o…