What Is an Art History Class About?

Art|Art History

An art history class is a type of class that explores the history of art through the ages. It looks at how art has evolved over time and how it has been influenced by different cultures, religions, and ideologies.

Art history classes cover a variety of topics including the development of art styles, techniques, materials, and subjects. Additionally, they look at how artwork has been used as a form of political and social expression throughout history.

Art history classes typically start with an overview of the major movements in art from prehistoric to contemporary. This includes looking at cave paintings from ancient cultures, Greek sculptures from the classical period, Renaissance paintings from Italy and Northern Europe, Japanese prints from the Edo period, Impressionist works from France, Post-Impressionist works from Europe and North America, and more modern works such as abstract expressionism and pop art.

The course then moves on to look at different artistic techniques such as drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, video art, installation art etc., as well as materials used such as canvas or paper for painting or wood or stone for sculpture. It also covers traditional mediums like oil paint or watercolour but also looks into newer technologies like digital media or 3D printing.

At higher levels of study in an art history class may delve into more specific topics such as looking at particular artists’ works in detail or exploring the influence of specific ideologies on artwork. It might also look at the social context in which certain pieces were created to help understand their meaning.

In addition to studying great works of art in an art history class students will also learn about artists’ lives and how this impacted their work. They may read biographies about key figures in the world of art such as Leonardo da Vinci or Claude Monet to gain insight into their lives and motivations.

Conclusion:

An Art History class is an exploration through time that studies how artwork has been developed over centuries.

It looks at different artistic styles and techniques used throughout different periods as well as how artwork has been used over time to express political and social ideas. Art History classes also look specifically at particular artists’ works to gain insight into their lives and motivations.