This course chronologically surveys the history of Western art, including the influences of other cultures. The first semester includes the study of visual arts from the Stone Age to the Renaissance. In the second semester, students study the period from the Renaissance to the present. Course topics include 1) an introduction to the elements and principles of art, including presentation and practice of appropriate vocabulary; 2) introduction to the nature of art; 3) a survey of materials and techniques used in the production of art, relating particular styles to time, place and space; 4) identification of extraordinary elements in art over time which have digressed from, confronted, and transcended traditional artistic norms; 5) an assessment of how the artist transforms actual and imaginative elements into a unique representation; 6) identification and analysis of transcendent themes in art; and 7) discussion of what art implies about reality. The content of this course is presented through slide presentations and museum visits. Emphasis will be placed on critique and the development of critical thinking skills and verbal expression of concepts.
