Exploring Art History

Focused on learning about art in general: what is art, how does it work, how do we talk about it, how do we understand it, and how do we enjoy it. What we haven’t done is explore the history of art: the many historical traditions of art-making that we find in all cultures all around the world.
As you may have noticed from our “Making Sense of Art” exercises, knowing the historical context of an artwork makes a big difference. When Art Historians look at art, they are almost always concerned with trying to figure out what the context of an artwork is and what the artwork can tell us about that context. In a nutshell, they look at artworks as historical artifacts, primary sources for the society and culture they come from.
 
INSTRUCTIONS
To complete this assignment, browse smarthistory.org for an individual artwork that interests you. Read the article (or watch the video) about your selected artwork. Then write a minimum 500-word post that introduces the artwork to the class.
Your post should:

identify the artwork you selected
briefly describe what the artwork is and/or what it represents (subject-matter)
explain anything unusual or noteworthy about the artwork (e.g., medium, technique, maker, circumstances – anything that stands out)
explain what the artwork tells us about the time and place it comes from (its historical context)

 
To select an artwork, follow these steps:
1. Go to smarthistory.org (Links to an external site.).
2. Hover over “Histories of Art” to reveal the drop-down menu
3. Hover over a region that interests you and then click on one of the menu options that appears on the right
4. Drill down until you get to the level of individual artworks. Browse around until you find an artwork that interests you.
5. Read the article (or watch the video) about the artwork. 
6. Using the navigation column on the left, find out  more about the region or period you artwork comes from (there is often a general “Introduction to” article).
 
Include at least one photo of your selected work, and be sure to use the photo as a reference point in your discussion (refer to it and use it to help you explain the work). 
Your post must be based on smarthistory.org resources. If you need additional information, you may use one outside source. It must be authoritative (scholarly) and you must cite your use of the source. If the source is not cited, your post will be downgraded.