Art History
What is Art History?
Art history is the study of the development and history of the visual arts, including painting, sculpture, architecture, and other forms of image-making. The field encompasses a broad range of approaches and subject matter, including the art of different cultures and periods, as well as the study of specific artists, genres, styles, and movements. Art history can be studied at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and many colleges and universities offer both degree programs and courses in art history.
Art History Resources
D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths
The classic illustrated introduction to the Greek gods, goddesses and heroes — a staple read-aloud in classical homeschool programs.
Discovering Great Artists: Hands-On Art Experiences in the Styles of Great Masters
An award-winning hands-on art history curriculum featuring 60+ great artists with kid-tested activities that bring art movements to life.
The Virtual Window: From Alberti to Microsoft
As we spend more and more of our time staring at the screens of movies, televisions, computers, and handheld devices — “windows” full of moving images, texts, and icons — how the world is framed has become as important as what...
AP Art History
Smarthistory is working to include each of the 250 required works of art. The new test will assess a student’s understanding of the methods used by art historians and familiarity with the cultural context in which a work of art was made and understoo...
Paleolithic art
Humans make art. We do this for many reasons and with whatever technologies are available to us. But can we really know what such ancient images originally meant?...
Expressionism to Pop Art
Expressionism to Pop Art Explore Table of contents Topics A beginner's guide to 20th century art Early abstraction: Fauvism, Expressionism, and Cubism World War I, Futurism and Dada Art between the wars: the avant-garde and the rise of t...
Native American art after 1600
Native societies across North American developed diverse material cultures that reflect the character of their regions and respond to the universal issues of human and spiritual existence....
British Colonies to the Early Republic
All content in “British Colonies to the Early Republic”...
Art history
We understand the history of humanity through art. From prehistoric depictions of bison to contemporary abstraction, artists have addressed their time and place in history and expressed universal truths for tens of thousands of years....
Byzantine (late Roman Empire)
Constantinople (now Istanbul) was the capital of the late Roman empire, but its ethereal mosaics, ivories, and metalwork often depart from classical naturalism....
Baroque, Rococo, and Neoclassical art in Europe
Get a head start on the historical developments that shape Baroque art in the Catholic Italy, Spain, Flanders, France and in the Protestant north....
The Pacific
The arts of the Pacific vary by virtue of ecological situations, social structure, and impact of external influences, such as commerce, colonialism, and missionary activity. Created in a variety of media, Pacific arts are distinguished by the virtuos...