Art has played a significant role in every major civilization throughout the history of man. The emergence of different art forms often reflects the values that a civilization deems important: religion, labor, love, political change, or even commerce. Since artwork and cultural values are so closely related, studying art is a compelling way to learn about the people who produced it.

By the end of this course, you will be able to do the following:

• Identify the main concepts of art, expression, and creativity and basic design principles
• Identify various art forms, art tools, techniques, and processes
• Identify the cultural functions of prehistoric art, the form and function of Egyptian art, and the main principles of classical Greek art and Roman art
• Trace principal developments in early Christian art and architecture and identify the relationship between Christian worship and sacred images and architecture
• Identify aspects of Islamic art and architecture, the main principles of Renaissance art, and examples of Indian, Chinese, and Japanese art
• Identify and analyze the key aesthetic features of African art, American Indian art, and Latin American art
• Identify the historical and cultural significance of the Reformation period on art and the key principles of Baroque art and architecture
• Identify how the development of visual technologies impacted art after the Renaissance
• Identify the relationship between art and science and art and politics in the early modern world
• State the main principles of modern art in relation to modern culture and identify major developments in modern architecture in terms of technologies, form, and function
• Identify pre-digital (analog) visual culture from the 1950s to the end of the 20th century